The International Schools Review Forum

Hi,

I’m new to the forum and have a fairly typical question regarding employment possibilities. Essentially I want to know how likely it would be for me to get a job internationally with the credentials and experience I have. I'm really in the dark here for reasons given below.

I have a Post-Graduate Diploma in Tesol, a MA Tesol and Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (UK) and have worked at ESL language schools in the UK (one year) Korea (one year), universities in Poland and Malaysia (two further years) and a year at a university in London. I returned to the UK in 2001 to put my kids through school and to get a PGCE and while teaching a bit in mainstream UK schools (not long as I couldn't secure a permanent position) I have also taught ESL part-time at the local college (a few evenings a week for the last 6 years). I currently work in the Education field for local government (6 years).

Anyway, the kids are older now and the wife and I are thinking of returning abroad again in a few years (she has a university diploma in ESL and one year experience teaching ESL abroad as well as 6 years part time ESL experience at the same college as myself).

My concern is I haven’t taught abroad ie outside of UK since 2001 and am concerned this might affect my job applications. I would be interested in working hopefully at university level in ESL or alternatively at an International School. Am I aiming too high? Where should I go to? The Gulf? Any advice appreciated. Oh, and if I went abroad earlier, ie with teenage kids, are there any jobs which subsidise schooling? Finally, what are the chances my wife and I get employed together?

many thanks in advance

Thats a lot of questions, and we need a little more information. So you got your PGCE in 2001, how many years of experience teaching ESL at a non-english language school do you have? I ask because ESL experience doesnt count prior to certification, and when it comes to ESL teaching Language school teaching experience doesnt count either. For an international school (primary/secondary), university teaching doesnt count either.

That being said it sounds like your classroom experience might be dated, if youve been in an office/ministry position for 6 years. Not very promising for an international school.
I think youd enter the IS field as a newbie, though a UK/British school may very well take a keen interest if you have GCSE or IGCSE experience.

Thats the first problem i see, the second problem i see is that as a teaching couple you both are in the same field which means you need a school with 2 ESL vacancies, while thats not uncommon (usually a school with have secondary and primary positions) it leaves you out of schools that only have a single vacancy.

You didnt really say what your expectations were. I think youd be just as viable a candidate as anyone else in the tier 2 schools, and in the lessor desirable regions such as Asia. If your looking for an elite of tier one school, or a school in Western Europe, or Japan, you wont really be competitive.

I think you would fair better at a university position, you have more experience in that student population, and its a less competitive market. Honestly, in my opinion, I could see you running a private language school/program as a DOS or Academic Manager.

The good news is that International schools almost always include tuition waivers for your kids, typically at a 1:1 ratio (meaning one free waiver per working parent) but a school will usually give more tuition waivers for a teacher they really want, (dont know how many kids you have). You start having problems when you get into 1:3 teacher/waiver ratios. Thats when you start becoming too expensive.

Thanks PsyGuy for taking the time to respond.

Just to answer your questions: all the ESL experience I mentioned is post certification. My recent experience has been writing and delivering education programmes based on the National Curriculum. I work at a number of heritage centres and deliver programmes/workshops e.g. a Viking programme to Year 6 children, a Victorian programme to year 7 and am also involved in Living History interpretation ie bringing history to life through drama.
It's not a pre-requisite that my wife and I work at the same school, simply in the same town.
I think my main demand is that if my 2 kids (I have 3 but one will remain in UK at college) travel with us, we would find an employer to help pay for the costs or supplement the costs. For that reason international schools would be best regardless of where in the world we are although somewhere relatively safe would be necessary. Maybe though teaching ESL at a university might also work