UK: Teaching English as a second language in UK?

Question

I'm thinking of getting into teaching English as a Second Language - I'm in the UK, and there are a bunch of courses including CELTA and some TEFL courses. I know these are accepted overseas, but I was wondering if these are any use inside the UK. Is it possible - or probable - that I could get a teaching position teaching English as a Second Language in the UK, with only the CELTA/TEFL courses? Thanks.

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]I'm thinking of getting into teaching English as a Second Language - I'm in the UK, and there are a ... could get a teaching position teaching English as a Second Language in the UK, with only the CELTA/TEFL courses? Thanks.[/nq]
Very possible, though at that level of qualification it's often a ****** and unstable job in the UK, which is why many newly CELTA-qualified teachers head off for sunny climes for a year or so and come back experienced and with a better choice of jobs.
In the UK, teaching 'English as a Second Language' is considered a different discipline from teaching 'English as a Foreign Language'; ESL is probably a more stable career choice, but involves teaching people from resident communities, usually in a Community Teaching context. It can be very hard and demanding work, but can also be very rewarding, especially if you have anything of a social conscience. EFL is a lot more fun and where you go to meet glamorous and exotic people (that's only partly tongue in cheek; I've got an ex-Chinese Footy international who's a personal friend of Gazza's in my class at present!!! - be still my beating heart...). Although there used to be separate qualifications for ESL and EFL, these days CELTA will get you into both, and they certainly aren't mutually exclusive.
It's quite possible to get some experience before you take up training. Local authorities always need ESL volunteers, and, on the EFL side, if you check the Guardian Tuesday jobs page,
(http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/browse/education/tefl/) especially at this time of year when UK schools are panicking about missing staff, you might get your hand in by becoming a guide or social organiser on a teen summer course (great fun, or **** on Earth, much dependent on your attitude and what students you get; if you cope, you'll cope with most things ESOL will throw at you). If you *do want to go abroad, The Graun also carries adverts for the sort of teaching assistant jobs in Japan where (I have the impression) teaching qualifications are positively discouraged, as what they want is basically a native-speaker as a resource (a walking dictionary-come-concordancer if you like) to work with qualified local teachers. While you might feel part of the furniture, it's not a bad way to get involved in the trade.
Whatever you decide to do, while facing your first classes can be daunting, in general ESOL is a lot of fun. I've done sensible jobs as well, and it certainly beats sitting in darkened rooms full of computers with a bunch of tedious Brits whose life experience of other cultures involves a punch up with a waiter in Torremolinos ten years ago and the occasional Chinese take away. And haven't taken their suits to the dry-cleaners for a long time either. Bleagh. But you won't get rich. In fact you may not even be able to get a mortgage, so give it some thought or, as I've done really, make it part of a job portfolio.

There are some dodgy and expensive CELTA courses around and certainly don't touch anything that isn't CELTA or the Trinity Cert, or anything based on patent instant learning methods such as the Callan Method or any of the sorts of in-house methodologies espoused by Berlitz or inlingua - you'll be stuck with it forever. Ask yourself whether it's more important to get the qualification quickly and cheaply or if you want to be trained to have some conception of what to do when the day comes you actually have to face a class. Your best bet for both quality and value is your local Uni or FE College. Waltham Forest College is one example of a good course if you're in London, but run anything you find back past this group (ignoring the occasional nutter).
Good luck
DC

Usenet · Answer

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[nq:1]In the UK, teaching 'English as a Second Language' is considered a different discipline from teaching 'English as a Foreign ... separate qualifications for ESL and EFL, these days CELTA will get you into both, and they certainly aren't mutually exclusive.[/nq]
Ehh, well, actually met and talked to Gazza when I was teaching somebody who was on the current Italian Euro 2004 team and plays for AC Milan!!

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1].[/nq]
[nq:2]In the UK, teaching 'English as a Second Language' is ... get you into both, and they certainly aren't mutually exclusive.[/nq]
[nq:1]Ehh, well, actually met and talked to Gazza when I was teaching somebody who was on the current Italian Euro 2004 team and plays for AC Milan!![/nq]
Cool. Yes, it happens, and if occasionally getting to talk to movers and shakers and goal-makers appeals, (it does to me) it can be a perk of the job on the EFL side. Who was your AC student?
The year before I worked for Linguarama, in the late 80s, they'd had Aikihito, the current Japanese Emperor, as a student at the same centre, which as a teaching famous people gig is probably hard to beat. Much of my career has involved teaching people who are world famous for being the leading world experts in Cardboard Box manufacturing technology..

In fact I got to meet Gazza briefly via my Chinese student yesterday (smile; "nice to meet you Mr Gascoigne", over in 10 seconds). Seemed an extremely nice bloke and made a big fuss of Mike/Su the Chinese footballer. Only other sportsperson I've met through EFL was Thierry Boutsen, the Belgian F1 driver, but you can move in exalted cirlces in EFL, trouble is you definitely aren't the exalted personage.

Cheers
DC

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Ehh, well, actually met and talked to Gazza when I ... current Italian Euro 2004 team and plays for AC Milan!![/nq]
[nq:1]Cool. Yes, it happens, and if occasionally getting to talk to movers and shakers and goal-makers appeals, (it does to me) it can be a perk of the job on the EFL side. Who was your AC student?[/nq]
Gatusso, was also teaching Negri at the same time (now trying to make a comeback in football). Have also taught Nerlinger - a former German international now at Kaiserslautern and had a former Polish international for dinner - can't remember the name, ..more like.. I can't spell it!
My ex and I worked for a language agency which had the contracts for both local teams so between us we taught a number of the players and their wives.

Another claim to fame was as an interpreter at a Scotland-Latvia game back in 1997, I think. Phoned the SFA and said "I speak Latvian, do you need an interpreter?" and they said "Yes, please!". Managed to get 2 free tickets in the directors' box for friends who still talk about it to this day!

By the way, I don't like football!!
At one of the big EFL conferences, a speaker had started his presentation with "Anybody know who Bill.. is? He was Osama Bin Laden's English teacher". A very dubious honour!

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]Cool. Yes, it happens, and if occasionally getting to talk ... job on the EFL side. Who was your AC student?[/nq]
[nq:1]Gatusso, was also teaching Negri at the same time (now trying to make a comeback in football). Have also taught ... the directors' box for friends who still talk about it to this day! By the way, I don't like football!![/nq]
Since last Thursday neither do I!
[nq:1]At one of the big EFL conferences, a speaker had started his presentation with "Anybody know who Bill.. is? He was Osama Bin Laden's English teacher". A very dubious honour![/nq]
Interesting and a tad scary! Somebody must have done it (probably 1 - 1?), I wonder if Bill's been 'debriefed'.
Now there's an ESP specialism, 'English for Terrorism'. #)

Someone who I spoke to about a job a couple of years ago emailed me last week to ask me if I'd like to go and work in Saudi. The words 'just how long a bargepole?' sprang instantly to mind...
Cheers,
Django

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]At one of the big EFL conferences, a speaker had ... was Osama Bin Laden's English teacher". A very dubious honour![/nq]
[nq:1]Interesting and a tad scary! Somebody must have done it (probably 1 - 1?), I wonder if Bill's been 'debriefed'. Now there's an ESP specialism, 'English for Terrorism'. #)[/nq]
At the time of 9.11 it was said that everybody in the world was, I think, a maximum of 7 removed from a victim. My own tally was a lot closer as I was teaching German at the bank Morgan Stanley which had offices in the Towers - the girls I was teaching knew some of the victims. But I wondered then how far removed from a terrorist an EFL teacher was!

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]presentation[/nq]
[nq:2]Interesting and a tad scary! Somebody must have done it ... 'debriefed'. Now there's an ESP specialism, 'English for Terrorism'. #)[/nq]
[nq:1]At the time of 9.11 it was said that everybody in the world was, I think, a maximum of 7 ... teaching knew some of the victims. But I wondered then how far removed from a terrorist an EFL teacher was![/nq]
I have wondered about the occasional student in the past; slightly confused background, heaps of money with no visible source... but then I've also wondered about some students being gangsters (or the children of gangsters) based on the same things.
DC

UK: Teaching English as a second language in UK?

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