I've heard you can teach abroad with or without a certificate, but I wanted to hear what you think. From reading job postings on-line I've seen a salary difference between certified teachers and uncertified, but does this change after an uncertified instructor gains experience, good references, etc? Is the job market more competative for the uncertified?

I'm looking into the CELTA - it seems to run on average ~ $1500 USD, with 4 weeks of studying 40 hours/ week, but... Is it worth it? That's a pretty good chunk of time/money, but seemingly worth it if the education is of high quality, you earn more $, and most seem to offer job placement.

Anybody know about language schools (Canturbury English for example?) who are cheaper and less intensive than CELTA programs, how are these certificates looked at by potential employers?

I've taught adult ESL part time for one year, mostly simple conversation and phonics. I loved it but want to gain more skills and grow as an educator, while also enjoying traveling and living internationally. I was thinking of beginning my persuits in Thailand, though there are so many amazing places to go! If anyone could offer their comments, experiences, or whatevers I'd much appreciate.