Erica Said:

I would like to teach ESL in China. How important is to get CELTA certified vs. other certifications?

We Answered:

If you have a college degree, do not get the CELTA certification. The job they will place you in will not be good or good pay. It's easy to find a job on your own. (www.eslcafe.com, www.chinajob.com, www.anesl.com, etc.)

If you don't have a college degree, you probably will need some sort of certification, but their price is very high. You're better off spending the money on college. If you just want to get certified and go to China, you can take a course for closer to $500.

I'm a college graduate, and I found my first job in China in a matter of minutes using the internet.

Dorothy Said:

Are there any jobs where a teen can teach esl to young children?

We Answered:

You might try contacting te YMCA, your local community center, or churches that have predominantly foreign members.

Brett Said:

How do you Teach ESL Children between 4 to 7?

We Answered:

You will be surprised at the wealth of information they have
Treat them like people
Do smaller in scale, activities last for shorter period of time
Repeat often
Music, dancing song learning and singing, learn dance steps too e.g use swimming movements for dancing or any other sport movements
Use the body as instruments
Kite paper, news print, bristol board
crayons, all sizes chalk for art
Look say write
Feeling chart for daily use for the end of the day
Ask them what they would like to do and how
rope of different width for cording
molding with clay or plasticine give a large amount
Story telling?listening time
Hide & Seek vowels, consonants, words, syllables
Free expression using a variety of materials in a box
Art on paper, ground wall
Printing using everything found in the room
Leave work designing,mosaic

Dolores Said:

How can a foreigner get certified to teach ESL, special ed. and Chinese?

We Answered:

In the U.S., all certification for secondary school is administered by the state. This meaning of "state" is one of the 50 divisions of the U.S. I have lived in three of the states, but I won't spend all day trying to explain the details for all states. In most states, ESL can only be taught by a native speaker. Most linguists agree that a language should be taught in only that target language ("immersion"). This theory is also accepted by most educational authorities in the PRC, but it is difficult for the teachers to accept it, so they usually teach by translation, which is quite a hindrance to acquisition of a second language. I have also lived in the PRC for seven years and that's why I am not shocked that you would suggest that you could teach English in a country where English is the most common native language (U.S., U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand). I know of a U.S. citizen who teaches basic Mandarin in the PRC. I know plenty of Chinese teachers who teach ESL in China, but in general, teachers of English in countries where English is the most common native language must be native speakers.

California is one of a few states that do not accept the immersion model for teaching ESL. In fact, students are separated into groups based on their native language and the certification is limited to teachers who are fluent in the language of the students.

Special Ed is regulated by the states, also. A certificate is typically required and those are issued by a state education agency. Typically a bachelors degree conferred by a university of that country must precede the Special Ed certificate.

To teach Mandarin in most secondary schools, you must first have a bachelor's degree or higher degree, and a state issued teaching certificate (this is called a "credential" in California). Because there are many Mandarin native speakers living in the U.S., competition for teaching jobs is fierce, so a master's degree is sometimes required.

Kathy Said:

Can anyone there help me with some lessons to teach ESL to gratuated university students?Or website to check?

We Answered:

I like to play ESL games with the students. It makes class fun and the best way to help someone learn a language is to motivate them to speak and think for themselves, rather than all the repetition. Most games can be adapted to increase the level of difficulty. This woman, Victoria W. posts new games regularly and you can subscribe to her postings so new games come directly to your mailbox.
Here are links to some of my favorites:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article…
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article…
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article…

Lester Said:

How can I teach ESL to a 5 year old?

We Answered:

You need to do a lot of phonics (sounds) and letter recognition. I taught ESL to 1-4th graders and we did a lot of singing (phonics songs mostly) it helps them with pronunciation, reading the language, etc. You will need flashcards or pictures with common words/items on it. Good luck!