lamar1 wrote:Hey thank you Chuck. That is a very good idea. I will do some research today on what colleges offer the ESL courses. It would be nice to have the ability to teach others how to do something. If I was to become an Architect, I would like to have a program for people of all ages that would be dedicated to teaching the art of Architecture. First thing first, take the course that you suggested, then get back to Germany and find a job. I really thank you and I will continue to listen to this excellent Podcast.
Hey,
ESL training, or any training for native speakers to become language teachers, will hopefully teach you three things:
- what do foreigners find difficult in your language
- why things are as they are (e. g. why is it "he runs" instead of "he run"); what rules can be found to explain this and other things -- learners usually don't "feel" what is correct, and rules allow them to rationally determine what is correct, so that makes up for not feeling it
- how to speak your language better
- how to teach (general rules and tips, not just for ESL)
If you feel that your training doesn't cover any of these topics well, there are plenty of websites that can help you, too, or you could do a couple tutoring sessions with immigrants even while you are still in the states.
Once in Germany, it will probably be easy to find tutoring students, especially at the advanced level, and they don't necessarily require you to have an ESL certificate. However, to get a permanent visa you can't rely on these odd jobs, you need to be employed (at least 20 hours a week), so I'd look for a university or a language school and try to get a job there - for which you very probably will need a certificate.
Note that in Germany, teachers are seen as highly-qualified professionals (like an American would think of a dentist). This means that German teachers had to study 4-5 years at university, take an exam, do a couple probationary years, take another exam, and so on. It's harder to become a teacher in Germany than it is in the USA. In exchange, wages are significantly higher. So people may expect you to have a professor title or something before you're allowed to lecture at a school of architecture. If you want to do something like "Appreciating architecture" or "Architecture for dummies" however, the
Volkshochschule may easily accept your lecture without requiring you to have formal qualifications. The Volkshochschule is a public institution offering classes in just about anything: self-help classes, pottery, Tai Chi, (a very dysmal teaching of) foreign languages, computer classes, introductory psychology... Their audience is mostly housewives and retirees.
. I noticed that some companies that send you abroad (like Google ads "teach English in Japan") require only a degree and no ESL training. For me, the idea of requiring some degree, without caring whether it's linguistics or biology, is pretty ludicrous. It's probably due to US colleges/universities having to teach general knowledge first, whereas German universities will focus immediately on your chosen subject area.
