So what do you do once you’ve finished your TESOL or TEFL course?
Hell man, I’m gonna get a job in China/France/Haiti/Brazil and I’m gonna be gone while you guys clean up the mess around here!!
Uhmm.. wait. Did you sign your contract yet? Did you get the figures right? Are you sure you’re going to have the weekend off? Just some of the questions that your daddy might ask when you’re trampolining and telling him all about your new job.
So what are the loopholes you should look out for in ESL contracts? What are the benefits you must insist on? Find out..
If you are smart, you probably did the CELTA, which increases your chances of landing that purrrfect job you want so bad. If you are smarter, you probably did your ESL certification from a school that guarantees you a job. You, my friend, will (hopefully) have a job offer or two before you walk out the door with your TEFL/TESOL certificate.
Don’t get me wrong – I haven’t switched allegiances over a triviality such as job placements. Ha, yeah!
No seriously, I do honestly think CELTA is the best possible certification available, just because it’s so widely known, accepted and respected. I mean, believe me, the ESL world is partial and sexist and racist enough (though some insist that’s changing) for you to want the best possible certificate under your belt.
With a CELTA or equivalent certificate (120 hours of in-class instruction and at least 6 hours of teaching practice), you will be in a better position to demand a better salary, more benefits, and will definitely be the prize catch for any ESL school out there.
Be warned though – there are so many shady paan ki dukaans (Hindi term for a small pop shop around the corner) cropping up everywhere around the world, promising to teach English to the Queen herself, and giving ESL teachers as raw a deal as you can imagine.
Which is why, it is so important to
Step 1: check whether the school you’ve just heard from (offering you a plum job) is legit. Google the school name. If they have a website, scan it carefully. See if they have contact information of anyone apart from the person you’re in touch with. Get in touch with some of the others – maybe the academic manager, or a teacher. Ask for the contact information of other ESL teachers at the school. Email them and talk to them.
To find out if they’re for real, see if you an find them on Facebook or MySpace. A lot of the times, you might find the blog of someone who has taught or is teaching at the said school. Don’t forget your course tutors. Ask them if they’ve heard about the school. Your tutor has probably been in the ESL world for at least a decade. If s/he has heard of the school, go to
Step 2: read the fine print of the contract. The reaaaaally fine print. Here’s a list of some of the questions you must consider before signing the dotted line.
- The details of your duties and the hours of the job. The norm in the world of ESL is 24-30 contact teaching hours per week, plus 3 hours on standby to fill in for absent teachers.
- The amount and currency of your pay.How often are you paid? What is your gross salary vs. net salary? Are there any deductions on your paycheck?
- The length of your contract. Is it a renewable contract? Are there any terms and conditions associated with the renewal? Most importantly, do you get a resigning bonus?
- Accommodation. Does your school have apartments for teachers? Are you responsible for your own apartment? Does the school give you a housing allowance? If your school is not going to help you with housing, can you at least get an advance to pay your deposit and rent for the first month?
- Your tax liabilities. Check the local laws.
- Provisions for healthcare and sick leave pay.
- Pension and insurance contributions.
- Bonus, gratuities and perks.
- Days off, statutory holidays, vacation times.
- Visa, Airfare ad transportation from the airport.Reputed, legit schools almost always arrange for visas. They’ll probably reimburse your tickets from your home country. And they’ll always meet you at the airport when you arrive.
- Probationary period and length of notice which you or the employer must give before you terminate the contract.
- Penalties for breaking the contract and circumstances under which penalties can be waived.
Once, you’ve nitpicked your contract and shot a million emails to your contract at the school (and irritated them to the extent they’re considering withdrawing the offer), you can safely go to
Step 3: the beautiful country you’ve chosen to live and work in for the next few months. Go, go, go…
