KS
- 2006-08-22
In Chna it depends on the province that you are going to teach in if you need a degree, a diploma or nothing. Also it depends on if the school that you are apllying too wants you badly enough and if they will pay off the PSB if you have not right paper work required for that province. So you take your chances if you do not have any type of secondary education or not.
Rheno747
- 2006-04-02
Your contacts in China will be valuable. Get as much information from them as you possibly can before you even get your plane ticket to take you there. Be ESPECIALLY up on which schools can legally hire you and what you need to do to ensure you stay legal while working there.
Good luck.
Rheno
Robert
- 2006-04-02
I just have a high school diploma, but I'm working on an AA in liberal arts right now. I don't know if I'll go for a BA or not, but I do want to pick up TEFL certification if possible. I'm specifically thinking of China because I've had allot of exposure to Chinese history and culture. My Chinese friends say it's remarkable that a Westerner like me is more interested in China than many Chinese. 
I also have some friends in mainland China and I've actually had some invitations to come to certain cities if I ever decided to go there looking for work. These are the people that I'm getting second opinions from, and I actually know a few teachers in China who've been valuable sources of information.
I'm not in it for the money, or even for the desire to see an exotic country, but for the sense of fulfillment. I live in a depressed area of the U.S., and there're no jobs around here that really cater to people like me (i.e. bookworms).
Thanks!
Rheno747
- 2006-04-02
Most countires around me require a degree. I don't know about China, but I THINK in China, one can get a job with only a high school diploma. I have no desire to teach in China (too many nightmare stories), so I haven't checked. I KNOW in both Thailand and in South Korea, degrees are mandatory.
In Thailand, the TESOL is supposedly required as well, but many teachers here teach on fake TESOLs. Some even teach on fake master's degrees. Thai authorities don't check really. I'm also sure there are many teachers here teaching on fake credentials all around--TESOL, bachelor's, even master's. I myself have a real bachelor's degree in English and a real TESOL. After two years teaching, I can say honestly that getting a real TESOL wasn't justified. Given the apathetic students I've seen so far, coupled with the antiquitated education system here, I know now I should have gotten a fake. Sure, I learned some cool things in my TESOL program, but that hasn't justified getting it. Perhaps if I taught middle-class American students, the students EVERYBODY wants to teach, spending 1500 USD on that piece of paper WOULD have been justified. Who knows, I may land at a job in the future where I at long last DO get to use what I learned at my TESOL program.
BTW--South Korea doesn't even require a TESOL, yet Thailand DOES. And South Korean jobs pay TWICE or even three times as much as Thailand teaching jobs, so the 'rules of thumb' don't always apply. Keep doing your homework, and always get second opinions on what you really need. Don't spend a lot to get into this. The flight overseas will already cost you
a bundle. Play it smart about it and you should be fine. You can also check out another TEFL website located at www.tesall.com .
Good luck.
Robert
- 2006-04-01
I'm not sure if I follow or not, but you're suggesting that any Joe Q. Taxpayer can teach English?
This seems at odds with what I've read. From what I understand, the places that don't care about credentials are the places that you want to avoid. 
Rheno747
- 2006-04-01
One word to the herd: fake.
Get a fake degree and go to work. You already know enough English to do just fine. Your students there probably won't care enough about learning English to justify the cost of a cert or degree anyway. Just be ready to be a babysitter, scapegoat, patsy, and walking billboard all rolled up into one.
Have fun, and good luck.
Is it possible to teach English in China with only a high school education? I have a high school education, minimal college, but have had some contact with an institution that apparently doesn't mind this fact. Can someone shed the light on this for me? Thanks! 