Hi, all. I just wanted to ask around the general internet community to get some answers about TEFL/Tesl related issues. I would particularly love to hear from some people who have done this before, or students who have been in an ESL classroom before.
I have a B.A. in English (with a minor in History, but I doubt that matters), and I am 22. I still have a few problems with speaking in front of large groups, but I am working on that. I have been thinking about starting a career in TESL. I have been doing a lot of research, but I still feel a bit overwhelmed with all the information out there. Many times, different people give me different answers. I have a few questions that I would love some input on:
1)Is it important to have an actual teaching certificate/degree in education? If so, how important? Do the majority of TESL teachers have one? I know the English language very well, but I really don’t know very much at all about teaching. How will it hurt my chances on the job market if I don’t have either?
2) Ok, I know what all the different programs claim, but seriously, how much of a living can I really expect to make? I don’t need a whole lot, I can live simply and still be happy; however, I do happen to have lot of debt from college that I will have to start paying off soon. Is it possible to make enough to live comfortably in this job field and still have enough to make payments on my loan?
3) What do you do about things like health insurance? I am a generally healthy person and I rarely get sick (and when I do, I know how to take care of myself fairly well), but I do have a couple of prescriptions that I need to consistently have filled. I know you can get a mail order ofthe one, but I’ not sure about the other. How would that work abroad?
4) Is there any kind of widely accepted standard by which one can judge the quality of a TESL program? I keep reading about the many different programs, and almost each one introduces all kinds of new terms I have never heard of before. There is a program through a local college near me (Kent State University in Ohio) in which students spend a semester in Dresden, Germany, taking the required courses for the certificate at the University there as well as practicing in the classroom. I like the way this program sounds on paper, but I’m really not sure how to tell if it would be credible in the job market.
5) I’ve heard this said many times, but I still don’t quite understand how one can teach students if one does not at least understand their language. How exactly does that work?
And finally… if you know of any resources (online of otherwise) that would help me learn more, I would apreciate the help very much. I am also starting to look at ESL in a missionary setting, if anyone has any info in that area.
Thanks for any help in advance! 
I’m currently teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, so all of my knowledge comes from my personal experience.
1) All of the teachers at my school are certified in TESL/TEFL. However, most do not have an education degree, myself included.
2) At my school, foreign teachers make around $15/hr. You’ll have to decide if that’s enough for you to be able to pay off your loans. My rent here is $300/month if that helps you to get an idea.
3) I have health insurance, but it’s really only in case of emergency. I don’t have any prescriptions so I’m not sure about that. However, I’ve been to the doctor’s office here and it’s only $24 a visit and the antibiotics I got were very inexpensive.
4) I’m not sure about the quality of TESL programs. I came through an organization, TeachOverseas, so my TEFL training was done with them.
5) At my school, students are taught once or twice a week by Vietnamese teachers and then once or twice a week by foreign teachers. When I’ve taught beginning classes, they’ve provided me with a Vietnamese TA to help translate if necessary. However, with the intermediate and advanced classes, it’s rarely a problem.
Hope some of that helps!