Speaking in (English) tongues

By ANGELA McCARTHY

While international students pour into New Zealand to study English, many Kiwi teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) teachers are heading overseas to experience a different culture and earn good dosh.

These days, an ESOL qualification, particularly if backed by a degree and teaching experience, will stand you in good stead.

Some people without ESOL qualifications still get work - just not as easily, and they're not as well paid.

ESOL teacher Victoria Damiris has returned from a year's teaching in Italy, and now work at Languages International in Auckland.

The 24-year-old did an ESOL course after completing an English literature degree and secondary teaching diploma.

"I heard of CELTA (Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) and wanted to travel, and thought the certificate would help."

It did, giving her flexible teaching opportunities and friends teaching ESOL around the world, from Asia to South America and the Arab Emirates.

Demand overseas is huge, says Teach International managing director Adam Morehouse.

"If you sent all New Zealand's ESOL teachers overseas you wouldn't even scratch the surface of the world's needs. China alone is wanting over 500,000 teachers, partly because they're hosting the 2008 Olympic Games."

Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, Indonesia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Turkey are also keen for English-speaking teachers.

You cannot legally teach without a degree in South Korea and Saudi Arabia, and it's becoming more difficult to work without a degree in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, says Morehouse. Elsewhere, an ESOL qualification suffices.

Teach International offers the Canadian International TESOL Certificate, a five-day intensive class followed by online study.

The $1595 course includes practical information about living overseas - taxes, vaccination and the likes - as well job-hunting help.

"The emphasis is on travelling overseas," says Morehouse, "but we also get language schools sending teachers for certification."

His oldest student was 80. A large percentage are in their 40s and looking for a lifestyle change.

Teach International trainer Susan Brown, who taught in Japan for three years, advises teachers to build up networks while studying, and to research organisations carefully when job-hunting.

"Check things like the age of the school, whether teachers get paid on time, what accommodation is like, school teaching styles, whether there is a curriculum, how many students per class."

You can earn good money, say Brown and Morehouse. Brown paid off a $30,000 loan in two years working in a rural Japanese town, while Morehouse paid off a $16,000 loan during a year in Seoul.

Pay varies among countries and schools, as do perks. Some offer airfares, some accommodation, others free lessons in the host country's language.Watch out for cowboy outfits though, warns Damiris.

"Some people will try to take advantage of you if you don't know the language by paying badly, creating problems with your visa, or trying to coerce you into doing things like tax dodges."

She advises new teachers to make sure everything is very clear, especially if signing a contract.

"For example, ask to be paid twice a month and see how it goes. If it is terrible, you can leave and won't lose too much."

She advises looking out for established schools - "less chance of it being a bad outfit" - and suggests asking other schools in the area about reputations, rates and conditions before accepting a job.

On the home front, New Zealand private language school enrolments have quietened this year after a couple of years of huge growth, says Language International academic director Darren Conway.

Student numbers are affected by many factors: impending war, political decisions, and exchange rates. Private Kiwi schools attract students from around the globe - Japan, Korea, China, France, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and South America.

Most international students stay in New Zealand 17 weeks on average, usually studying English to travel, or prepare for English exams required for university entrance and government jobs in their own countries.

As well as offering English language classes, Languages International runs a one-month intensive, internationally recognised language teaching course, CELTA, which costs about $3000.

ESOL teachers need to have strong teaching and people skills, says Dominion English Language Schools Auckland campus assistant director of studies, Susan Bisschoff. "They also need to be friendly, outgoing, with a sense of adventure and interest in people."

She prefers to employ people with adult language teaching qualifications as well as teaching experience. Degrees can be a bonus but "we don't want stuffy academics".

Nikhat Shameem, Unitec programme leader of language teacher education, says it hires only people with teaching experience and "a strong tertiary background". Unitec runs a graduate diploma in language teaching as well as a CELTA course.