Teaching English for academic purposes

[Hungrydog]

Hello,
I can't believe I'm asking this to be honest as I would be amazed if the answer wasn't a resounding NO. I am, however, desperate to earn some money.
I have just finished a TEFL course and have been given the opportunity to teach in an Italian University. To do so though I would have to do the following.

• Design and deliver a 300 hour course, 'English for academic purposes'. High intermediate to advanced.
• Present a two hour lesson plan as part of my application.
• Split the course to suit the academic year.

I've done some research and think that I could write the syllabus, I'm a master at cutting, pasting and plagiarism. Then, I think, I could write the lesson plans.
The question though, I suppose, is this. Would I be letting everyone down, including myself?
I have no qualms as to helping someone on a one to one basis, but a whole class full of eager students?

If an experienced teacher reads this, I would be very interested to know just how experienced one would have to be to be able to do the above and do it well.

Yours doubtfully,

Paul

 

[Airstar]

My husband had to do a lot less to teach ESL at an American university, and his job requires A LOT out of him. Students really depend on good quality teaching to help them advance to BA, MA, and PhD programs. I would say that if you are after the money, then this is not the job for you. Some of these students have only you to help them advance to whatever careers they are aiming for. As for making money with teaching... I would recommend working in South Korea. Again, you will need your heart to be into it, but you can work for schools that already have a curriculum made for you and you just teach it. These schools pay high, and students are there to cram. They are not totally dependent on you to advance.

 

[Tdol]

What sort of academic background do you have? Teaching English for academic purposes is demanding- the students will expect a lot of you. I would seriously recommend getting some experience before trying such work.

 

[Hungrydog]

Thank you for replying Airstar and Tdol,

Airstar, I'm not in it for the money, but I do need money. I wonder if my intentions were lost in translation.;-) If I didn't need the money then I wouldn't have entertained the thought. I did think that it was too much for me but hoped- really hoped- that someone would reply and say ' go for it Hungrydog, you can do it... I did.'

Tdol, my academic background is, well, not very academic. I left school - a bog standard comprehensive- at sixteen and ran away to sea. What fun. I think that the fact that I have dealt, and done deals with, CEO's of multinational companies gave me a false sense of security. Perhaps if the course was business English I would have had a decent shout.

Best I give it a miss but thanks for replying.

I do though feel chagrined, to surrender without even trying.

I may, in fact I will, go and have a chat with some of the students. nil desperandum.

Ta.
Hungrydog

 

[emsr2d2]

While chatting to them, you might want to leave out the "I'm a master at ... plagiarism" part. ;-)