FIONA PAPE
TEFL TEACHER
Fiona decided to change career specifically because of her imminent life on the move. She chose to teach English as a foreign language on her travels.
CURRICULUM VITAE
PERSONAL
NAME: Fiona Pape
AGE: 36
NUMBER OF CHILDREN: Three - born since returning from life abroad
COUNTRIES OF RESIDENCE: Japan, Thailand (twice), Italy, Belgium, England, Scotland
NUMBER OF MOBILE YEARS: 10
WORK
CAREER WHEN LEFT UNIVERSITY: Conveyancer / Law for Local Government
EARNING POTENTIAL AS TEFL TEACHER: £5.00 - £20.00 per hour.
BRIEF EMPLOYMENT DETAILS: Various private students in each country as well as teaching in language schools both abroad and in England on return.
CAREER PATH
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS: Degree in LLB Law with French. Diplôme d'études juridiques françaises, Part-time course for TEFL qualification.
BRIEF DETAILS OF CAREER PATH: I spent three years conveyancing for Reading Borough Council, England. I took a TEFL qualification in 1985, which was followed by a life on the move teaching English until 1992.
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY JOANNA PARFITT
JP: What made you go abroad in the first place?FP: The old story. I followed my boyfriend, Jeff, to Japan in 1985. He became my husband towards the end of our travels.
JP: How does teaching compare with conveyancing?
FP: Teaching is much more varied and interesting, but I have to admit that conveyancing was more stable and lucrative.
JP: Can you see any correlation between your French and Law degree and your new career?
FP: Law gave me confidence, but little more. My language studies helped me both with teaching and dealing with foreigners.
JP: You have moved around regularly, to what personal strength do you attribute your success at finding work?
FP: I really wanted to work, after all I had no children then. But I would never have had such confidence in my abilities nor known how or where to look for work if I had not done the TEFL course.
JP: Tell me more about the course.
FP: I did it over three months, part time in the evenings after work. I would take the train to Piccadilly in London from Reading. It was very tiring but I couldn't have managed financially if I had given up my job first. I learned much about practical teaching but mostly it was confidence building with lots of practical sessions.
JP: Did your course give you a diploma?
FP: No, I only did the first part. If you want to teach abroad, mainly privately, you only need this much. The diploma is more important if you want to make a real career out of teaching English as a foreign language in England.
JP: Was your course typical?
FP:. There is no such thing as a typical course. You can even study by correspondence or of course in a school in two to four weeks full-time. There is less preparation involved if you go to a school and you use set text books.
JP: Do you miss law?
FP: Not in the slightest. It was never the right subject for me in the first place and not at all portable either.
JP: Is it easy to find part-time work rather than full-time as a teacher?
FP: Very easy to find part-time. In my experience there was always as much work as I would have wanted. There is supply work, substitute teaching and as many private students as you can handle.
JP: If it is all so easy would you have found work without the TEFL qualification do you think?
FP: I would still have found a fair amount of work but schools and companies usually expect a qualification.
JP: Did your French degree help you with the TEFL course?
FP: Certainly, it helped me to be accepted, but really I think maturity is more important.
JP: Would you recommend teaching as a career for women on the move?
FP: Yes. It is flexible enough to fit in with being a mother, not that I did that. There is usually plenty of work, and you can take private students in your own home. It is a particularly popular career with childless people but is not very well paid.
JP: Are you well enough qualified to teach in England?
FP: I did work for a language school in Windsor for a while, but really I would need a Bachelor of Education degree or another teaching qualification.
JP: How has teaching changed your personality?
FP: I have spent a great deal of time with people I would not otherwise have met. I have learned a lot and become more tolerant.
JP: Give me some examples of the teaching situations you found yourself in.
FP: In Japan I taught businessmen, school children and even a three year old. The businessmen paid best but the children were better students, they were less tired and more relaxed. In Italy, Milan, I taught at a language school which was well paid, easy work with motivated students. I also taught in four companies which was interesting but the classes were larger. In Thailand it was terrific fun but such hard work. Here I decided to teach on a voluntary basis to help deprived individuals to better themselves. Social interaction was as important as teaching. I could choose what I taught too. In Belgium I taught three retired Jewish ladies who had decided to expand their horizons despite being over 70. This was very challenging, I needed lots of patience as their memories were poor.
JP: How did the countries compare regarding the opportunities available?
FP: Italy was the easiest. There were plenty of opportunities there. Japan was so expensive that it was hard to find work that paid enough. I did work voluntarily in Thailand. Teaching bar girls and learning about their culture was worth more than money.
JP: Did you alter your teaching methods according to each country?
FP: Yes, I always had to adapt to culture, age, size of class and ability. This made it interesting of course. I know that in Thailand the students really enjoy the fun element. I know of one teacher whose pupils loved playing Bingo more than anything. If you tried teaching Bingo to a Japanese he would feel cheated. There they judge you by the size of the dictionary you are carrying. It is also important not to belittle a pupil in front of his peers. It is a good idea to find out about local protocol before you start.
JP: If you could describe each working environment in just one or two words what would you say? Imagine you were advising a new teacher.
FP: In my own home it was okay. In a social centre it was great fun. In schools and companies it was interesting. In the client's home it was fascinating and in a language school it was stressful.
JP: And how did all that variety compare with working in England again?
FP: I worked for a company called Videolanguage in Windsor and taught businessmen and women from France and Germany. The courses were intensive and expensive. This meant it was more stressful for me and in fact less rewarding. The pay was better, mind you, but being in a one-on-one situation was hard work.
JP: You are now taking a career break while you bring up your three children. Do you feel confident that you could go back to TEFL teaching in a few years?
FP: I am sure I could go back to teaching without any difficulty. However, I always enjoyed it more when we were abroad. TEFL is an excellent career for travellers. I expect I would charge less now because of the break, mind you.
JP: Is there much chance of TEFL employment in England?
FP: Not so much as there was abroad, and mostly in language schools, but of course it depends where you live. I could always find private foreign students, I suppose.
JP: As a TEFL teacher are you encouraged to teach courses that have an examination at the end?
FP: I have never taught an exam course, though of course it has been an option. I, personally, do not feel confident that I have enough experience to be effective in that.
JP: Do you feel that you made the best of your time abroad by studying TEFL?
FP: As I didn't need to be the major breadwinner, yes definitely, but I was glad I did the course before leaving England.
Although it is usually possible to do a TEFL teaching course abroad they don't tend to come up that often.
JP: Who runs them?
FP: The British Council usually, often over four to 12 weeks. Though other language schools do run them sometimes too.
JP: You obviously feel that TEFL was the perfect career for you. Why?
FP: It was so people oriented. I am also not motivated by money.
JP: What was your greatest moment?
FP: Doing a show with the bar girls in Thailand - a dance show. I taught and choreographed it in English. They were so proud of themselves.
JP: So, apart from the money, what are the drawbacks of TEFL teaching?
FP: Not being able to develop a career in one place, the inability to advance in one school, for example, and the inability to build up a reputation. But then we moved every 18 months or so. It would be different if we had had three years, say in each place.
JP: And what is the worst thing about the teaching itself?
FP: Being unable to get through to a pupil either academically or on a personal level.
JP: Did you find any support or advice available on your travels regarding your work?
FP: None whatsoever, I'm afraid.
JP: Have you had any problems with work permits?
FP: In some schools they obtained them for me (Belgium). In Italy I had to obtain my own and it was very difficult. Schools will often get them for you anywhere. Of course, if you work from home you can flout the system!
JP: How do you market yourself and your teaching?
FP: I don't.
JP: Come on. You must have made some effort to find work or you wouldn't have had all this experience!
FP: I have hardly made any effort at all. I believe in just being myself.
JP: How has being female affected your career?
FP: It has had a huge influence because I let it. I wanted it to be that way. I am not particularly career-minded so I let myself take on the subsidiary role and followed my husband willingly.
JP: What advice would you give to anyone considering such a career?
FP: You can buy lots of language games books from top book shops. You also need to have ice breakers up your sleeve at all times and lots of fun ways to learn. TEFL centres can tell you about appropriate publications. Always have a grammar book and a dictionary. Full lists are available from International House, who even had a bookshop.
Fiona would like to share the following with you:
OrganisationsThe Institute of Linguists
24a Highbury Grove
London
N5 2EA
Tel: (44) (0)171 359 7345
Institute of Translation and Interpreting
377 City Road
London
EC1V 1NA
Tel: (44) (0)171 713 7600
For information on a teaching career:
Department of Education and Science
Elizabeth House
York Road
London
SE1 7BH
International Association for Teachers of EFL (IATEFL)
3 Kingston Chambers
Kingsdown Park
Tankerton
Whistable
Kent
CT5 2DJ
Tel: (44) (0)1227 276 528
The British Council
English Language Information Section
Medlock Street
Manchester
M15 4AA
Tel: (44) (0)161 957 7755
The British Council
Corporate Personnel (Recruitment)
10 Spring Gardens
London
SW1A 2BN
Books
What Can a Teacher Do Except Teach?
Barbara Onslow
Contact Jo Parfitt: Generaal Spoorlaan 24, 2252 TA, Voorschoten, Netherlands - Tel: +31 (0)71 561 6857 - www.expatrollercoaster.com