ESL Trading Software for beginners

tagandrelease

Hi there, I'm interested in pursuing an ESL teaching program and have heard there is some great ESL Software for teaching students the fundamentals of English. Can anyone share their experiences in this field. Ideally I would like to teach from home so all sorts of set up etc to undertake. Thanks in advance for your thoughts..

tagandrelease

Perhaps this isn't a good thread subject in terms of what I'm looking to achieve!? Ideally I'm looking for information on setting up a business from home, things to prepare for, pitfalls etc. Or if anyone else currently working in the ESL industry has any thoughts on this idea I'd be most grateful!!

mapleleaf1010

tagandrelease wrote: »

Hi there, I'm interested in pursuing an ESL teaching program and have heard there is some great ESL Software for teaching students the fundamentals of English. Can anyone share their experiences in this field. Ideally I would like to teach from home so all sorts of set up etc to undertake. Thanks in advance for your thoughts..

I'm currently unemployed and ESL teaching is one of the possibilities I've been considering. It would be interesting to read any advice on this thread.

Good luck.

tagandrelease

I found an interesting article, are you Canadian Mapleleaf1010? Here's the link anyway:

scribd "dot" com/doc15254103/Start-Run-an-ESL-Teaching-Business

tagandrelease

Here's an interesting article I found which gives a good introduction and also touches on credentials etc.

Working as an ESL/EFL Teacher

As in any field, it is important to first establish your objectives before working towards meeting your goals. The ESL/EFL field offers different levels of employment, from local classes given by volunteers, to fully accredited university ESL programs. Obviously the opportunities and required education for these different levels vary greatly.

First of all, some definitions are called for. ESL means English as a Second Language and includes students who are learning English to live and work in a primarily English speaking environment. This is quite different from EFL, which means English as a Foreign Language, and is primarily taught to students as a foreign language, which is not required for the living/working environment on a daily basis. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and TESOL meaning Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. TEFL programs are generally located in North America, while TESOL is preferred in Britain. Other common acronyms include ESP (English for Specific Purposes) and VESL (Vocational English as a Second Language). Both of these refer to teaching English for specific purposes such as Business English, Computer English, etc.

Teaching Credentials

The type of teaching credentials required in the field varies widely based on the type of teaching you will be doing. When I began teaching, speaking English as a mother tongue and a bachelor's degree was all that was required. This has changed greatly in the past 5 or so years. Most entry-level jobs now require a bachelor's degree plus a teaching certificate (TEFL or CELTA). This teaching certificate can be acquired in a relatively short course of 3-4 weeks in Britain or the US (and I imagine in Australia). This certificate will allow you to teach in private schools such as Berlitz, Kaplan, International House etc. These jobs tend to be paid at a survival rate with pay not going much higher than $22 an hour at the best schools in Europe. Usually, pay is around $14 - $18 an hour and the teaching week is usually 20 to 24 hours.

The next credential is the Teaching Diploma offered in Britain and recognized throughout Europe and Asia. This diploma takes from 3 months for an intensive course to 1 year for a normal course. It is extremely intensive with a good deal of testing. This is the minimum requirement for directors of most schools and is quickly becoming a teaching requirement for higher level and better paid jobs in Europe.

If however, you would like to teach in a higher education setting (I.e. University or College) you will have to have a master's degree. If you take a look at any position offered in the Journal of Higher Education, you will see that the master's is an absolute must. Any sort of department head position will then require a doctorate degree.

tagandrelease

As another twist on this thread I'm looking into ESL software that is designed to teach teachers from the ground up. Sort of like a crash course in the industry. Any thoughts?

briona

tagandrelease wrote: »

As another twist on this thread I'm looking into ESL software that is designed to teach teachers from the ground up. Sort of like a crash course in the industry. Any thoughts?

Yes. No such software exists, either for teaching teachers or for teaching EFL. Unless you have your own Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), which is highly unlikely, online teaching is generally done via Skype.

If you're looking for a 'crash course' in TEFL, take a CELTA/Trinity CertTESOL, although at £1,000+ they don't come cheap. Failing that, at the very least take an online TEFL course to give you the basics. After all, being able to speak a language does not mean you can teach it.

InsideInsurance

The challenge of "doing it from home" will mean you have clients visiting you at home presumably? This may cause all sorts of issues with insurance, tenant/ mortgage agreements etc.

My wife gave private tuition in spanish before I we got together but decided to hire a little studio for doing it in because of all of the above, it was fully serviced so only needed to get a small amount of additional liability insurance.

briona

InsideInsurance wrote: »

The challenge of "doing it from home" will mean you have clients visiting you at home presumably?

Not if you're doing it online which, since the OP is asking about software, I'm assuming is the case.

tagandrelease

InsideInsurance wrote: »

The challenge of "doing it from home" will mean you have clients visiting you at home presumably? This may cause all sorts of issues with insurance, tenant/ mortgage agreements etc.

My wife gave private tuition in spanish before I we got together but decided to hire a little studio for doing it in because of all of the above, it was fully serviced so only needed to get a small amount of additional liability insurance.

Thank you for your replies. You are both right, I am looking at the option of teaching ESL from home as well as offering an online (skype) option as well. I do have a large spare 'sitting room' which I was looking to convert to allow for multiple students at one time. The various issues that you mentioned above are all things I need to consider and allow for in the planning stage.

onthebrinkT

I agree with Inside Insurance in that operating from a separate location may actually save a lot of money in the long run. Whether this is feasible when it comes to travel and the extra rent etc well that is what you'll have to weigh up. It's a great idea and an interesting thread with regard to anyone setting up a business from home. I imagine the same fundamental processes would apply in operating a business from home. The title of the thread alerted me as I am a stock market trader myself and ESL is a leading developer of share trading software. I thought you were referring to trading from home which again could involve having a home office etc.