Adventure Abroad.

Fancy the chance of adventure, travel and being paid to do it?  Then how about a year teaching in China, Chile or the Czech Republic?  The idea attracted Neva Frecheville who like many other new graduates, is off to teach English abroad later this summer.

‘I did a training course in Spain last year and am really looking forward to going to live in South America,’ explains Neva.  ‘It will give me the chance to be completely immersed in another culture.’  But what are the chances of it being a success? There are plenty of expensive courses offering training in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) but which are worth doing and how easy is it to find a decent job afterwards?  

Students can choose between two well recognised teaching programmes in the industry which are validated by external bodies:  the Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults(CELTA) and the Trinity Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate. Both offer monitored teaching practice, feedback and a final qualification that is recognised worldwide.   CELTA is often considered to be the reference for initial TEFL qualifications and is usually offered on a 4 week intensive programme. The TESOL syllabus is also renowned and may be offered over 4 – 6 weeks full-time but is frequently studied part-time over several months.

There are other types of TEFL courses advocating specific teaching methods with in-house validation as well as introductory teaching programmes but neither offer a qualification that is widely recognised.

Either CELTA or TESOL will cost between £600 - £1000 and students need to check if training centre fees include the final examination cost, what proportion of candidates succeeds and if any feedback is available from former students.   The cheaper courses tend to be based abroad which necessitates the additional cost of accommodation.  Entry qualifications vary although a degree is usually preferred. 

Lucy John graduated from Oxford University in 2003 and then completed the TESOL course at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

‘I thought the course well structured with excellent monitoring,’ says Lucy. ‘It was expensive, costing me best part of £1,000 but prepared me very well.’  Lucy chose a centre near to her parents’ home to keep costs down.  Teaching practice was with mixed nationality classes of students studying in the UK.  This has different demands from teaching abroad where most classes are students with the same native language. 

Neva  followed a CELTA course at the International House franchise in Barcelona.

            ‘Altogether, the month’s course and accommodation cost over £1,000 and I loved living in Spain,’ says Neva. ‘I taught different levels of students and the daily teaching practice was terrifying to begin with.’   Lucy and Neva found their courses stimulating, effective and rewarding with both finding employment afterwards, but their subsequent experiences varied a lot. 

On completing her course in Barcelona, the school helped Neva look for short-term employment and she found work on a teenage residential course in France.

‘The pay wasn’t particularly good, but I needed the experience and thoroughly enjoyed the kids and the people I worked with,’ says Neva.  ‘Based in the Cevennes, the countryside was beautiful and in many ways it was a holiday before returning to my last year at Uni.’  With this limited teaching experience, Neva was able to obtain a teaching contract with the British Council in Chile which she plans to take up later this summer.

On completion of Lucy’s course in Bristol, she was delighted to find a job last autumn through the internet with a private school in Sarajevo, Bosnia. 

‘Even before I got there, I suppose there were alarm bells ringing when I realised that I had been offered the job without an interview,’ remembers Lucy.  ‘The students were great and I was given good accommodation but despite numerous promises, I simply didn’t get paid.  Several of us complained to the British Consulate, but nothing could be done.’  Although initially planning to stay in Bosnia for the academic year, Lucy could not afford to stay for longer than 3 months.  She has since worked with recognised language schools in the UK and would advise others to beware of employment regulations in countries where you are unfamiliar with the system or language.

            ‘I don’t regret my time in Sarajevo and made some lovely friends,’ says Lucy. ‘But there was no easy solution to my problem and it has taken me a long time to get back on my feet financially.’   Whereas students can take care to ensure that the teaching qualification they obtain is worthwhile, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to being employed abroad.  Working for the British Council, VSO or state-owned establishments will usually offer a degree of certainty but conditions of employment and pay will largely remain part of the adventure.

© Judith Cameron