#itefla

Okay, so. I’ve been looking into teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) courses for about a month or so now. Not having a bachelor’s degree has narrowed down my choice countries significantly, but honestly, I’m not too worried about my options. I think I’ve finally settled on China, as they have a continuously growing desperation for English teachers there.

I’ve been having a lot of anxiety about China though. The pollution is insane, there are internet restrictions, and getting the proper visa can be damn near impossible without a degree. However, the cost of living is insanely cheap based on everything I’ve been reading. Getting dinner on the way home can be less than $5USD, rent is roughly $300-500 a month with utilities, and the pay for ESL teachers ranges from $1,500-3,200 a month (average is about 2,300).

Last Thursday, at work, I just about flipped my shit because I have a customer that actually teaches ESL in China. I managed to speak with him briefly and get his email address. He has offered to send my contact info off to his employer, which is fucking huge for someone who hasn’t even taking the TEFL course yet. He finally emailed me back tonight when I was starting to get discouraged.

In addition to this, I’ve call the International TEFL Academy just to ask about the viability of getting a job in China without a degree. The recruiter I spoke to helped put my mind at ease and I’ll be having a more in depth conversation with someone later this week.

I’m a little flabbergasted at all of this. My ideas of living and working in an entirely foreign country seem to actually be something I’m currently able to pursue. Like, I could be out of the country by the end of the year.

Fuckity fuckfuck. I have anxiety.

I’m freaking out again about not having a bachelor’s degree and wanting to teach abroad.The visa situation in China is so sketchy and I just don’t know who to trust. One of my contacts just informed me that his company requires prospective employees to have a BA because of the visa regulations, but I know the guy doesn’t have one because he told me so. Additionally, the recruiter for ITEFLA I spoke to on Saturday said that, yes, the opropriate visa does require a BA, but China is so desperate for teachers that it doesn’t really matter.

So I don’t fucking know. There’s so many conflicting things about it online. I guess I should take that as a hint to just not fucking do it without a degree, but I’ve kinda already made up my mind at this point.

I’ve got a call with ITEFLA in less than 12 hours regarding all of this. I’m really hoping they can help me. I know they could be screwing me over for my money, but they honestly have a ton of amazing reviews from many varying sources.

First of all, I can afford this $1300 course thanks to a 3 part payment plan system where I basically give them one of my paychecks every month for 3 months.

Their course is extremely thorough, which is a huge relief to someone who has zero experience teaching. They offer two specializations: children's education and business education. I can complete my 20 hours of practicum over the course of 19 weeks in Billings. They offer life time job placement assistance and vet all of the job postings before they're offered to the alumni and again when you start applying. They have over 1,000 employers in China and the recruiters do not charge for job placement assistance, which includes help creating a cover letter and resume.

Employers handle aquiring visas, housing, and will even assist in getting a working cell phone upon entering the country.

Now I just need to work on a passport and talk to my doctor to get an idea of what kind of medical requirements I might need, as well as getting my prescriptions sorted out for the time that I'm gone. I should also call my insurance company and find out your that works overseas.