r/TEFL

Hello everyone,

I’m currently finishing my MA in Philosophy at the University of Warwick, and I’ve been thinking about teaching English abroad as a potential career.

At the moment, I’m trying to decide whether it would be better to take a basic 120-hour TEFL course or invest in the CELTA. Since I’m new to teaching, the CELTA seems like a large upfront investment, so I’m wondering how much of a difference it makes when applying for jobs.

I’d be open to working in pretty much any region. I’ve heard that Vietnam, China, Japan, and Taiwan have strong TEFL markets, though I’m still in the early stages of researching this.

Would you recommend starting with a standard TEFL certificate, or going for the CELTA?

Thanks for your time.

I literally got 22 interviews and about 20 job offers 5 years ago (during COVID, maybe peak market). Now I feel like I'm at the bottom of the competition. Employers don't feel impressed with my CV as they used to.

I'm constantly reading about "terrible market atm" but why? Filipinos flooding the market? Declining interest in English? Miserable QoL in Western countries leading to migration and TEFL? All of the above?

I am currently in the process of talking with school in Taiwan with getting a teaching job (I really enjoy the culture of the country). While some have mentioned that they can’t accept online degrees, others haven’t brought it up yet.

I am wondering if this is something that the MOE/WDA is going to deny a visa for, or whether I still have a chance? Guess I am just feeling a bit down and want to know if anyone else has had any success.

I may receive an offer to teach English for a university in Guilin, china. It is 14-16 hours teaching hours a week. The pay is 8k rmb and the accommodation and utilities are paid. Is this a good offer?

Feel like I kinda stuffed mine by waffling off topic. Guess I'll find out in the next few days. What are my chances? B.Ed., teaching license, 15 years international experience, crap at interviews.

Hello,

I’m a native English speaker and recent graduate from an Italian university and I’m struggling to find work in my field so I’ve been considering getting a TEFL certification and teaching to bridge the gap for a bit.

I was recommended Via Lingua in Florence, however the tuition is significantly more expensive than any online option. Is there a significant benefit to receiving the certification in person with teaching hours? Financially speaking, there is about a 1.4k€ difference.

Would it be significantly easier for me to find a position if I went through an in person course?

Have had two interviews today. Very scammy on both. Is this normal for china? Should I refocus to SK? BA, TEFL, PMP professional experience but no teaching.

Hi folks!

My background - got a TEFL, taught in Italy years ago, loved the work and the country. Came home, got a "real job," really disliked it, but made some decent money.

I got a year of classroom experience first time around, after getting my TEFL.

I'm looking to get back to teaching and of course the issue in Italy is the pay.

It seems to be all advertised as €1,200 to €1,500/month roughly.

For a first year, fair enough. But as years go by, that would be tough.

Would getting a DELTA significantly up by pay by 20%, 30% or even 50%?

Or is it mostly about networking to get into the right workplace, be it a university or something else?

Italy would be a world of difference on €2,000 or €2,500/month vs. on the edge with €1,500.

TIA!

Does anyone have any resources for extra materials for an A2 reading class?

For context, I teach 9 reading classes a week and I keep bumping into the same problem which is that the textbook readings are just too short. Our reading for next month is barely 500 words and I am supposed to make these stretch for 4 weeks.

Most of the time - between pre-teaching and comprehension check - I can plan it out so it lasts, but my classes with higher level readers can sometimes eat through the whole text in a class and a half. I'd like to just have something in my back pocket for these classes because they get so bored by week 4 and I (unfortunately) cannot pull a game out of thin air for my 45 minute reading class.

Anything is helpful!

Any info on American Eagle in china? Have an interview but struggling to find much info/people discussing their experiences on Reddit. Thank you!

About a decade ago I interviewed for a job, which I ultimately didn't take, at an online teaching center; the employer being a big name in TEFL; the model was basically an office/cubicle setting full of corporately-owned computers in the host country from which instructors would teach ESL/EFL classes online.

I should clarify that I am asking out of curiosity, not out of professional interest; when I googled this same company and this same type of setup years later, it seems to have gone the way of the dodo. Does this still exist?

So I signed up to a level 5 TEFL with TEFL.org a while ago. It is the level 5 TEFL. I took a break but decided to finish it with the new update. I am now starting to get interested in teaching in Asia (particularly South Korea or Japan) in a government run public school. I am debating if I will need a CELTA or a Trinity instead to do this?

I originally signed up to TEFL.org years ago and trusted the accreditations but didn't realise how limiting it would be until now? Is there any point to two level 5 TEFLS? e.g. my current tefl.org one plus CELTA/Trinity. Or is there a way I can top up my current qualification to meet CELTA/trinity standards? I'm not sure how the best way to approach this is.

This is the webpage for my current qualification.

250-hour Online Level 5 TEFL Course (Diploma) | The TEFL Org

I know TEFL.org is stated as reliable in the Wiki but it is more of an is it enough for what I want to do question as it lacks the in person teaching (in person assessment was teaching other trainees which the wiki said didn't count). Also if I do need the CELTA/Trinity, any recommendations on which? I'm interested in teaching young people and Trinity seemed more interesting however CELTA seemed more well known?

I appreciate the thoughts of those more knowledgeable and experienced than myself.

To make a long story short, I am a re-applicant of EPIK (was in SK w/ EPIK from Aug. 2024 - Aug. 2025), but came home after getting in my head instead of taking the transfer I asked for. Since I got back, I've been regretting it and was excited to apply and go back this fall, but after the interview, I got hit with a dreaded and unexpected rejection email. Due to other personal things going on, I have really relied on passing it, this was a very heart-shattering and problem-causing event that I didn't foresee.

I'm not sure if it's because I am now up two pay levels compared to my first application, because I put my preference as Seoul this time, or because I left after a year, or just this intake being particularly competitive, but a rejection is a rejection. I saw somewhere someone say they applied to Korea Horizons after their rejection, so I did, but they emailed me back saying they offered the same programs and if I have applied, they have no programs to present to me.

I know that if I don't want to wait until Spring Intake, my best choice is apply directly. However, the rejection is still messing with me a lot until I would really appreciate any advice on steps to take from here. 

I've read the wiki regarding non-native speakers, but I'm looking for a realistic reality check based on my specific background and goals.

Demographics: Early 20s male from India (Indian Passport).

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science (BTech) from a reputed English-medium university.

Current Status: Fresh grad. Completely burnt out by the entry-level tech hiring market and looking for an absolute exit strategy to gain financial independence, live comfortably, and stack cash

Commitment Level: High. I am completely willing to grind my heart out, clear exams, and invest the

$1,500-$2,000 to do a full-time intensive Cambridge CELTA if it will actually move the needle for me

I know the "Big 7" passport requirement locks me out of lucrative entry-level markets like South Korea (E-2 visa). My ultimate long-term goal is to teach in the Middle East (Saudi, UAE, Oman) because of the savings potential, and I want to leverage my BTech background to teach Technical English, ESP, or STEM-focused English down the line

However, I need a launchpad to build the required 1–2 years of experience first, and I need to know if an Indian passport will kill my chances. I also have a moderate Indian accent and I'm not sure if I should invest in a CELTA. I had. Afew questions

The CELTA Factor: For an Indian passport holder, does having a CELTA actually level the playing field at reputable chains (like International House or British Council) in Southeast Asia (Vietnam/Thailand) or China, or will I still face severe visa/accent discrimination at the entry level?

Have any non-native teachers successfully leveraged a STEM/Tech degree to bypass the traditional "English/Education degree" requirement when applying for corporate or technical training institutes later on?

If I start in a market like Vietnam or Thailand as a qualified NNES with a CELTA, is it realistic to expect a salary that allows me to live independently and save, or do NNES teachers get lowballed to the point where stacking cash is impossible?

Given my CS background and desire to earn, are there other regions or types of institutions (like international schools or private academies in Central Asia) that I should be looking at instead?I'm down to do whatever it takes and play the long game, but I don't want to drop thousands on a CELTA if my passport creates a hard legal ceiling that no amount of grinding can fix.

Appreciate any blunt, honest insights.

I notice a lot of TEFL jobs on echinacities name "2 weeks winter holiday" on their listings. What does this mean? Is there a set of dates that "winter holiday" applies to across China? Can you pick your dates? Curious if winter holiday refers to a national wide break or no.

Has anyone heard of Shanghai Yilai Company? I applied to a few jobs on echina and a few days later I got an email from this recruiter. It wasn’t any of the jobs I had applied for.

Thank you

I ask this as someone from completely outside of teaching in general let alone teaching ESL. I want to avoid any of the basic / newbie questions but my main concern is the job market at large for the field.

A little background about myself. I'm 29 years old and I have an associates degree in computer sciences. I got my degree with the intention of finding work outside of the United States as programming and software development were listed on almost every countries shortage occupation list. I fully intended to go for a bachelors, but after graduating with my associates and looking for internships / entry level positions I was met with a brick wall. I later found out that the reason I spent 3 years looking unsuccessfully to get my foot in the door was because the job market in my field was essentially dead domestically and over supplied with applicants internationally.

I've been considering getting my TEFL and becoming an ESL teacher but I do not want to spend more money getting more certifications if I'm going to run into the same situation. I know its required in most places to have a bachelors alongside an accredited TEFL certification but I'm hoping I can offset only having an associates by getting the highest accredited TEFL possible as well as the CELTA.

Doing the math, it's looking like it'll cost me approximately $4,000. I'm already $30,000 in debt to student loans for a degree I'll never be able to use so I'm hoping for some guidance, advice and knowledge about the job market from people who are currently working it. Does the plan seem feasible (will employers overlook having only the associates either for remote or overseas positions)? Is the job market stable enough that you guys are finding work reliably?

Question about degree diploma, particularly SEasia. It looks like they want to verify the original diploma in many cases. Are you all traveling with your original diplomas? Notorized copies? I would really rather not carry these with me. I assume transcripts can be sent in some cases?