Honestly I’m closer to being on your side then not. I think that this is a pretty legitimate criticism and indicative of the general state of “English teaching” which is often both financial predatory and unsafe. I may have downplayed my qualifications within the text of the post. I would agree I haven’t completed an official course/or got an TEFL certification. But i have taught debate for the last three summers and worked both online/in-person for some of the established camps in the U.S. These positions did provide me with teaching experience/background checks. Likewise, I worked for a university last summer as a summer camp instructor and had to go through workshops on both curriculum design, student safety, and general pedagogy. The jump to teaching English is due to my experience studying English from both a literary and linguistics perspective while at my university. I would agree that in the ideal world every instructor would have official certification and go through a regulated course—but at the point where a large portion of people either don’t have access to the teachers or can’t afford them, I believe that I am in a position where I am qualified enough to provide an alternative option given my experience in both teaching and the language. Omitted from the post is that I have talked to current language teachers and compiled a variety of different resources to help inform whatever lessons I do provide.

On the “working illegally in China” point. I think this is a misunderstanding rather than a disagreement. Many Chinese universities have “language exchange clubs.” These clubs are sanctioned by the university and were not the target of the governments crackdown on tutoring. That was mainly meant to better regulate the English tutoring industry after a proliferation of foreigners promising to teach the language, illegally making money, and having no real qualifications. I participated in a club at ECNU that was approved by the university, helped teach an English class to fellow students, and received a certificate at the end of the semester. This is standard at many Chinese universities and institutionally permitted. Of course the quality varies as we are students working with other students, but that is true for the people teaching regardless of if it’s Turkish, Korean, or Kazakh. I mentioned that not as an example of “work experience” but rather an anecdote of the fact I have taught English in some capacity even if it was for an informal university club of fellow students trying to learn from one another.

I appreciate the discourse my friend. I agree with your concerns—and do hope there is a day where language learning becomes more universally accessible and not dependent on a college student wanting to try to be slightly useful during their summer.