Pick Your School with Care
Finding Reputable TEFL Schools
We’ve all heard the rumours. Schools that refuse to pay, schools that work you like a Trojan, even schools that expect you to pay them! There are a lot of crummy language schools out there and you’ll want to avoid them like the plague, here’s how to do it…
Turn the tables
An interview is as much about you finding out if the school is right for you as it is about the school finding out if you’re right for it. Prepare some questions before the interview and make sure you ask them. You can find out a lot about a schools approach to teachers and customers by asking a couple of simple questions. For example…
- Does the school only hire qualified TEFL teachers?
- Does the school perform regular teacher assessments to ensure teaching quality?
- Does the school follow a set syllabus?
- Does the school encourage student feedback?
- Does the school have regular tests to assess student progress?
This may seem irrelevant but if a school doesn’t value the people paying good money to go there then just imagine how it will treat the people who are being paid to work there! This is also a good time to negotiate your contract. Ask about rates of pay, sick pay, medical insurance, taxation, overtime, covering shifts and most importantly, find out whether the school adheres to the labour policy of the host country (if it doesn’t you don’t want to be working there!). Any reputable language school will have answers for these questions, but they’re rarely set in stone so don’t be afraid to haggle. In the TEFL world if you don’t ask you don’t get – so ask!
Work visas
If you’re going to be teaching abroad you’re going to need a work visa. You know that and so do the language schools you’re applying to. If they won’t support your application for a work visa then you need to find another school that will. Basically they’re encouraging you to break the law and you certainly shouldn’t trust anyone who does that! Having the right visa is essential, without it you won’t be entitled to health insurance, legal protection or holiday pay and you’ll probably be paid significantly less than TEFL tutors who do have a work visa!
Qualifications
You should be wary of any school that doesn’t ask for some kind of formal qualification. Some schools ask for degrees, other just require a TEFL qualification, but they should require some proof that you are able to perform your duties as a TEFL teacher. No matter how desperate a school is for teachers they should always take time to check your TEFL certificate and ask for some kind of demonstration of your grammar skills.
You might want to ask how the school will support your professional development. Will they allocate time for you to shadow experienced teachers? Will they help develop your understanding of teaching techniques while you’re working there (perhaps providing methodology workshops or teacher feedback sessions)?
Resources
It’s easy to say that any reputable language school will have a selection of teaching resources (like handouts, card games, lesson plans, dictionaries and grammar books) but this isn’t necessarily the case. These resources take time and money to acquire and if a language school has just started out then it won’t necessarily have them yet. If they don’t have such resources ask them why and question if they have any plans to build up a resources section in the future.
Internet access will obviously be a major plus with any school but again there are monetary issues to consider here. If you’re travelling with the intention of teaching some of the world’s less-advantaged children then you’re unlikely to be working at a school that can afford internet access. They probably won’t even have computers. Teaching with limited resources isn’t particularly difficult and it can be so much more rewarding when you know that your efforts are going to have a significant impact on the lives of your students.
To help prepare you for the absence of resources in underprivileged schools you can take a Specialist Certificate in Teaching with Limited Resources.
Language school associations
Find out if an association of language schools exists in your chosen country. If it does, ask the schools you’re applying to if they’re a member. If not you are going to want to know why. Again, this may be because the school has only just opened or is too small to be a member.
The contract
Needless to say, when you get your contract you need to read it carefully. Make sure everything you agreed on is included and check that they haven’t added any sneaky clauses. Don’t be afraid to ask for a translated copy of the contract. This is completely normal and should be expected.
Research
The internet has changed the way we do almost everything and this is no exception. It’s a great way to research your school to make sure it is completely reputable. Not only that but you can speak to people who have undertaken teaching placements in your chosen country and get a personal recommendation so that you know the school you’re applying for has made a real impression on past tutors.
If you follow this advice then the chances are you’ll have a problem-free overseas teaching experience that lives up to all your expectations!
