Previously I wrote about deciding whether or not you should get some sort of TESOL certification. You need to consider something before taking a TESOL program.
Why are you taking it? Is it to improve yourself prior to going abroad or do you think you may want to use it again back in your home country?
If you decide you want to use it in your home nation you need to figure out what is accepted in your state (assuming that you are American). In Canada we have the following:
People can check by province to know which programs are accepted and what level of accreditation they will recieve – very important if you want to return to Canada and teach. You need to find an equivalent site for your state and then you can decide what you want to do.
Secondly you need to decide where you want to live. Contrary to what some believe, there are in fact dumb questions such as “Where should I live in Asia?” No one will answer your question should you decide to post it on Dave’s ESL Cafe or on a Facebook Group. You need to remember that although it’s a foreign country to you, that people still do things that you like to do too.
Sit down and make a list of things that you do on a weekly or monthly basis. What fundamentals are really important to your comfort and happiness and what is your tolerance level should you not have them?
I highly suggest reading the following website to help you make a decision about teaching in Asia. Although the information is geared to South Korea I think that most of the core ideas can be applied to teaching in Taiwan, Japan, China, or South Korea.
