Owl, how goes it these days? Where are you teaching now?

To anyone out there just thinking about jumping into TESOL, listen up. Here's some advice from a guy who learned the hard way in TESOL.

Note: this advice is mainly aimed at those from the United States and Canada. Teachers from Britain, Australia, and NZ have a certain advantage that may preclude them from reading certain advice in this post.

1. I'd get a master's degree, preferably in TESOL. This will give you a much better chance at landing the "good" jobs in TESOL--teaching at colleges and universities. All those jobs you see listed on Dave's in places like Korea are mostly jobs teaching young kids. Considering only those with education degrees want to teach kids, and also considering grads with those degrees teach in their own home countries 99.9% of the time, you can deduce that no one who teaches TESOL wants those jobs teaching brats. You don't either.

2. I'd forgo the TESOL cert, a more or less worthless piece of paper you'll spend as much as a semester of full-time university tuition on, not to mention the plane ticket to the (short) program. In places like South Korea, the TESOL isn't even required for a job. It helps, sure, but with the desire (and that MASTER'S degree), you won't end up in a job teaching brats--a job you probably won't like no matter your credentials.

3. I'd ask for 2500 USD a month minumum salary. Sure, in places like SK, the "going" salary is about 2000. You should demand more, especially if you have a master's degree, a degree you should have or earn before getting on an airplane to go to one of the TESOL havens such as Korea.

4. Hold off on marrying that American white girl or boy. Marry a national in the country where you teach. Marrying someone in some countries, such as Thailand, will give you access to low-cost, even FREE, medical care. The 120,000 dollar bypass in the US will run you maybe 12,000 at Bumrungrad in Bangkok. If you have a Thai spouse who is a government employee, it'll be around 1200 or even less.

4a. Want to teach in the EU and you're from the US? It'll be tough. However, if you marry a national in Europe, you can get a version of the EU passport that will allow you to teach in the EU. Some US citizens have gotten jobs in Europe, but if you want to teach in places like Italy or Germany, you'll need that EU piece of paper to maximize your chances. Schools in these countries would much reather avoid the 'visa runs', so they hire the Brit teachers when they need them. Yeah, Brits have the EU passport, and so should you. Marry that EU girl or boy and get it.

Wiedersehen!