How to recruit an EFL/ESL teacher in the Philippines

Recruitment is the process of looking and getting the right person in the right job.  And the success of the company depends on the person that will be hired.

Six years ago, I became a part of the recruiting team in one of the universities in Thailand.

I was assigned to assess foreign applicants who want to teach EFL in the Language Department of the university.

I encountered applicants from various backgrounds, and honestly speaking, it was a difficult extra job given to me.

To be a recruitment officer needs patience and analytical skill. You have 30 minutes to 1 hour with the applicant to decide whether he/she is going to fit in the job.

This article will talk about it, and my main focus is for language schools here in the Philippines who are looking for fresh and experienced ESL teachers.

Here in the Philippines, summer is the usual time for the new graduates to look for a job. It is a great opportunity for newly opened language schools to hire teachers, likewise for old language schools. Also, many Filipinos are benefited because of the possible jobs as ESL teachers.

Before you start the recruitment process, it is important to know exactly what your school needs. Have your goal in sight, and list down the questions that will guide you in the recruiting process.

Here are some of questions you need to consider:

• Are you planning to hire teachers for young learners or adult learners?
• What kind of ESL program your school is offering?
•  Is it a short term program or long term program for ESL?
• Are you looking for a teacher with a long experienced or just a new graduate? (Both of these have advantages and disadvantages)
• Do you want to hire a full time or part time teachers?

After you know what you want, you need to brainstorm the profiles of the candidates. These are the three categories you need to consider:

Qualifications –

·         Is a university degree important to the school?

·         Will you hire an applicant with a TEFL / TESOL certificate?

B.      Work Experience –

·         How long has been the applicant an ESL teacher?

·         Does the applicant have a work problem or criminal record in his/her past jobs? In 2007, an FBI fugitive was caught in Thailand. He was an ESL teacher in an international school when he was arrested. It was unknown to the school officials that the man they hired was a rapist and a pedophile in America. This experience should teach us that a background checkup is important during the hiring process. Here are the following suggestions that you can do to check the applicants background:

1.       Ask the applicant to produce a latest NBI clearance and local police clearance. You can also ask for authenticated birth certificate from NSO to be sure of the applicant’s identity.

2.       Call the previous employer if there is any, and ask for the applicants working behavior.

3.       If you noticed that the applicant’s documents are faked then it is better to get rid of him/her. Honesty still rules.

C.      Personal Qualities –

·         Is the applicant adjustable; has a sense of humor, energetic, knowledgeable, etc?

These three categories will help you during the recruitment process. You can add more categories as long it will fit on the job qualifications.

Let me add more questions that will help you before the recruitment:

·         What will you ask during the interview?

·         How will you verify the applicant’s diplomas and certificates?

·         Will you do a post interview before the actual interview?

The bottom line here is to get as much as information as possible before you invite the applicant for interview.

Now that you know what you are looking for, then you are ready to start for advertisement.

There are many ways to do it. You can do it by word of mouth, internet, newspaper, billboard, etc. If you will post advertisement on the internet, make it attractive to the applicants.

List down everything that the applicants needed to know like experience, qualifications, qualities that your school is looking for an ESL teacher.

You might want to include the information of the class (size, age group, type of ESL program). Do not also forget to include your school information, contact number, and its location. It is your discretion if you will also include the teacher’s salary.

Once you posted an advertisement through online or offline, then expect that you will receive calls or emails from potential candidates.

Check the applicant’s CV using the three categories I just mentioned. Use it to analyze if he/she is fitted for the job.

You can phone and ask a few questions if you want to ask some clarifications. If the applicant is well fitted, then schedule an appointment with the applicant. You can also ask him/her to bring some documents that will support the information written on the applicant’s CV.

Make it sure that the interview will be done in a quiet place without interruptions. It will make the candidate at ease and not to be stressful during the interview.

I’ve noticed that applicants reveal less if he/she is not at ease.

Avoid too personal questions.  It is better to list down the questions so there will be a flow during interview.

You can also ask the candidate to show a teaching demonstration in front of the student. After the interview, tell the candidate that he/she will be hearing from you in _ _ days.

Professionally speaking, it is better to wait at least 24 hours before you contact the candidate.

It will give you the time to decide to accept the candidate as an ESL teacher in your school.

I believed that a time well spent in finding a right person will give you less time spend with problems once the applicant is hired.

3 things to consider before you enroll in a Master’s Degree program

One way to get hired in top companies or get promoted in your present job is to pursue higher education.At present, the competition in our country has become tougher especially for those who are looking for a job. Nowadays, many employers prioritize an applicant who has MA degree background, because it shows that the person is more qualified.
Unlike the days of our parents, a graduate of a Bachelor’s degree was an advantage in getting a job. However, that trend is now changing. Every year, thousands of students are graduating with a Bachelor’s degree.
If you want to get an edge as a job applicant, or you want to be promoted and received more benefits in your present career, then the best thing to do is to enroll in a Master’s degree program.
But before you do it, there are three things that you must consider before you take up Master’s Degree.
1. You must have motivation and passion to do it. A Master’s degree program is more intensive than a Bachelor’s degree program. The subjects that you will study is more specific. There will be a lots of activities and interactions between your classmates. Your professors will expect a lot from you, and they can be more demanding. You will do a lot of comprehensive research and analysis.
2. You must know how to use your time efficiently. Expect a lot of things that you will do during your studies. Some of these are reading a lot of books, writing reports and journals, comprehensive research, and many more. Time will be your best friend for two to three years. You will always see yourself still awake at the middle of the night, or you need to wake very early every morning to finish your assignments.
3. You must have enough money before you enroll. If you want to finish your MA studies within two years, then you must have enough money to support your education. The tuition fee per unit is quite high compare to undergraduate studies. However, the tuition fees still depend on the university you will enroll. Here are some of the universities in the Philippines that have high tuition fees for graduate studies:

• Ateneo de Manila
• De La Salle University
• University of Sto. Tomas
• Adventist International Institue of Advanced Studies

If you want to save money, then you can enroll in a state university that has also the same quality of the universities mentioned above. The tuition fee usually range from 200 – 300 pesos. Here are some of the low cost universities in Manila Philippines:

• Philippine Normal University
• Polytechnic University of the Philippines
• Philippine Women University

You must also remember that there are other expenses that you need to pay. Examples are laboratory fees, library fees, dissertation fees, and many more.

7 Things That You Must Know Before You Teach English in a Korean Language Center

My last article about “How to Become An English Tutor For Koreans” received positive feedbacks from the readers. Others came up with suggestions to make a blog only for “Teaching English to Koreans.” At this point of time, I do not have plans to do it. My focus is to write articles that will give information in the areas of business, personal finance, career, and jobs for Filipinos. But I will try to write more articles and have a separate category about that subject.
Let me begin this topic by asking you a question, “Are you planning to teach English in a Korean language school? If yes, please continue reading this article. If not, still read it, but just ignore the information that I am writing.
Korean tutorial center  is a growing business in the Philippines. Majority of it can be seen in big cities and populated places. At the same time, many Filipinos both young and old are attracted to work and be an ESL teachers for them. My personal experience tells me that this kind of job is fun, demanding, frustrating, and disappointing.  However, as I mingle with them, I started to appreciate and understand my Korean students.
So what are the 7 things you must know before you work in a Korean language center? Below are the straightforward and honest answers I gathered from ESL teachers including myself.
1. Every Korean language schools has their own way of learning and teaching English. Three years ago, I worked in two tutorial centers in Paseo Sta.Rosa.Laguna. The tutorial center in the morning was composed of a group of students from Brentville and La Salle, while my afternoon job in another school was to teach a group of university students. These two language centers have their own style of teaching to their students. One time, the employer called me in his office and I was told like this, “Teacher Alfred, you should follow ______ tutorial center teaching method. You should not use your own style. I want you to always speak in the classroom, and my student only listen.” Then I asked why, he replied by saying, “because I want my students to be no 1.” At first, I couldn’t understand. But I realized that its their way of making a trademark for their school. They want to show the other Koreans that their tutorial center is the best,their students are the best,their teachers are the best, their books are the best (even it is just photocopied from other resources). Like what I said, it is a business, and business means competition.
2. Majority of Korean tutorial centers have training for new teachers during the first week of the job, and sometimes for a whole month. And the sad fact is this – some of them will give you half of the payment for that day, or only allowance for transportation and food. Does it sounds unfair? Yes it is. But that is the reality. What’s the purpose of the training? This is to let the new teachers familiarized themselves about the school, classroom daily routine, and maybe your employer wants to see if you are really serious in teaching Korean students.
3. Do not expect to receive benefits like SSS, Philhealth, Pagibig, allowances, bonuses from your employer unless there is an agreement between you and your Korean employer.  Despite they are legal to operate as a tutorial center, most of these schools do not give benefits to their teachers.  Every teachers that I encountered have past bad experiences with their employers, while others do not have.  These are the following reasons why your Korean employer does not care about your benefits:

• Your Korean employer does not know about it.
• Your Korean employer knows,but he does not know how to process it.
• Your Korean employer knows it, but he does not want you to pay.
• You are working as a part-time or a freelance teacher.

The main point is here, before you accept the job that was offered to you, make it sure that you have a clear understanding between you and your Korean employer. This is to avoid future problems like filing legal actions to your employer, or a verbal dispute that will lead to heated arguments.
3. Not all tutorial centers have a venue for formal English classes. Do not be surprised if you will teach in their house. This is what they always do. They just rent a big house and use it not only as a home for Korean students, but also a school too. They do this to cut their expenses.
4. Your Korean employer will ask you to teach during holidays. Philippine holidays are not a big deal to them. Their only concern is the ESL class of the students. So expect that you will work on holiday, but you can ask your employer to pay you twice by explaining to him that the law requires it.
How about Korean students? What will you do if you will encounter these situations on the first day of your teaching job?
5. Korean students always say that their country is the best among the rest. Last time I had discussion with my Korean students about the biggest mall in Philippines. I was telling them that Mall of Asia is the biggest in Philippines. Then one student interrupted me while I was talking and said, “No teacher, you are wrong. Our mall in Seoul is the biggest in the world.” If you will encounter this kind of situation, just ignore it. Do not get irritated if they will say that Samsung is the best brand or Gang Nam style is the best dance in the world. Korean students do this because they are proud of their heritage and their country. However, there are situations that you must explain or reprove them like what I did to one of my students. One of my students in grammar was telling his classmates that Filipinos are not good in English. I just smiled and asked him, “Why are you here in Philippines?, then everybody laughed. If you will encounter this kind of situation, do not get mad. Reprove the student in a loving way. You will earn respect from your students.
6. Korean students are always tired and sleepy. Do not fret if your students feel this way. You need to understand them that English is not the only subject they study. They have Math in English, Science in English, Filipino in English, etc. If your students feel sleepy during class time, then think of a class activity that will make them active and alive.
7. Korean students will always complain that English is too hard for them. If your student will complain about this, then you must do something as a teacher. It does not mean that they do not like English, they just have problems understanding it. Remember that English is not their second language. Be patient with them. Do everything that you can help them to appreciate English. Maybe something is wrong with the way you teach English. If there is, then change it or improve. There are hundreds of ways to do it
I hope you find this article helpful. If you are planning to work as an ESL teacher to Koreans, then this article will be helpful to you.
_________________________________________
If you find this article interesting and helpful, please share it by using Facebook or Twitter. You can also “like” the Fanpage of this site or you can subscribe here.

7 Factors That Helped My Wife Passed the Licensure Exam for Teachers

I was very happy this morning when I saw the name of my wife listed in the successful examinees of LET last September 2012. All I could say is THANK YOU LORD. She deserves it, and I am very proud of her.
I will say that there were 7 factors that helped my wife passed the test. Let me share it to you.
First, my wife prepared for the test. While we were still in Guam-Micronesia, she mentioned to me that she wants to take the test. Even though we were not yet in Philippines, she was busy preparing everything. She downloaded LET reviewers from the internet,she checked and listed down the requirements that were needed before and during the exam,and she asked my helped to scan and photocopied some documents for PRC Registration.When we arrived here, we also planned a lot of things too. She listed down the things that she will need before and during the test.Those were busy days for her, but it really helped her.
Second,my wife read a lot of books and magazines. When we moved here in Philippines, one of the things that she included in her luggage were books- literature books, grammar books, and vocabulary books. She also downloaded eBooks from the internet. Even some of the books were old, she doesn’t care.As long she can get information and refresh her knowledge, she reads it.
Third, my wife listened to some radio programs and took note of important information about the latest headlines, current events, etc. Every time I arrive from work, she always shared to me the latest headline of the day,and until now, she does it. She has also a notebook full of information, and uses it for note taking. She writes down practical information about relationship,human rights,and education. According to her, most of the questions in the Licensure Examination were practical questions. And she did not regret of spending time listening to radio programs, because it helped her.
Fourth, my wife chose and cooked what food to eat. During the last two months before the examination, my wife always cooked delicious and nutritious vegetables. I think choosing the right food also helped her passed the test. (I do not know if you will agree with me). She always served green leafy vegetables, beans, and food for the brain like peanuts. I remember the story of Daniel and his three friends. They chose to eat vegetables and fruits than to eat foods that was served on the kings table. The result- they were 10 times wiser among the scholars of Babylon.
Fifth, my wife reviewed her college notes and lessons on her free time,or before going to bed.  After she left Mountain View College, she carried with her the photocopied syllabuses and college notes. She takes time to read it during her free time or before going to bed at night. She also asked my help by asking her questions that she just read. She did not go to any review centers. She just reviewed by  herself. How about review centers? Review centers can also help you, but it will not be a guarantee that you will pass the test. It still depends on you if you will take your review seriously and focus on it.
Sixth, I supported my wife.A person cannot be successful in life if no one will support him/her. This is what I did to my wife. I gave my full support to her before and during the exam. There are lot of ways to support someone. It can be emotionally,financially,physically,and spiritually. Even simple good things that you will do to her will encourage her to pursue and succeed in life.
Seventh,we always include in our prayers her upcoming LET examination, and trusting God that He will be with her during the exam. My wife and I are Christians. We believe in the promise of the Bible that says,“Ask and it shall be given unto you.”I also included her in my personal prayers when I wake-up at midnight, or before I leave the bed every morning because I believe in the power of prayer.
In a few months, she will take an oath as a professional and licensed teacher. I wish her luck in her teaching career. For those who were not able to passed the last teacher’s exam, do not give up. There is hope in everything

____________________________________________________
If you enjoyed this article, please share it in by using Facebook, and Twitter. You can also click “like” in the Facebook Fanpage