Job Discussion Forums

[meloush]

I'm going to graduate with a Bachelor of Science (Ecology) in June.
If I do the fall semester, I will be able to upgrade a minor in Linguistics to a major. Will it be worth it in the long term?
Trying to factor in fewer jobs available January, tuition cost, etc.
I will have completed my Celta by then.
Looking to end up in Hong Kong or Dubai (though I won't have a B.Ed, so I know this is perhaps a pipe dream).
Please let me know your thoughts.

[nomad soul]

That's a tough call for the UAE. A TESOL-related MA and several years of experience is required for the limited university foundation positions left in the Emirates, and for k-12/international schools, the push is for licensed/certified teachers with experience gained in their home countries.

Instead of focusing on ESL, you'd be better off pursuing the qualifications and experience in Canada to teach elementary or secondary school science before heading to the UAE as a science teacher. (Check out actual job ads on Teach Away's and Seek Teachers' sites.)

[santi84]

In Canada, it is quite difficult to become a certified teacher without the original BEd - in general, a minimum of an additional two-year program after the original non-BEd is required. The fast-tracks/exams that exist in the USA don't really exist up here. Even substitutes require a BEd in all provinces except Ontario, I think. I think you'd be better off with heading to Hong Kong. I would also strongly consider the linguistics major if you plan to continue teaching in the long-term. It is a desirable degree to teach adult ESL in Canada.

[meloush]

Yes, it's a 2 year B.Ed program for us, unfortunately.
Both my parents had cancer and one passed while i've been in university, and my grades have suffered tremendously - I would likely have a hard time getting in to a B.Ed program, here, they are very competitive.

Thanks for the advice re. Linguistics major.

[cassava]

[santi84]

Thanks for the clarification cassava.

I was under the impression that subs in Ontario were a legal exception, but I really can't imagine Ontario being so strapped for qualified teachers that they would have to resort to non-qualified teachers.

[JoThomas]

[Knedliki]

Just out of curiosity, why don't you want to work in the field of your degree? I know jobs in ecology, conservation and so on are quite competitive but they definitely beat TEFL in my opinion.
A few people on this forum have found niche positions for themselves that they like to project as normal. But most TEFL jobs are dire.

[ttalapp]

I am in similar situation. After couple of years in Korean ESL market, a bunch of us decided to go back home and get the proper teaching license. My marks were too low to get into a Canadian University to get my B.ED. So i opted to go abroad, Buffalo, to get certified. It was expensive, but necessary step. I knew that my goal was to come back to Asia, and find a proper international gig. Everyone in the teaching world was telling me how hard it is to find a job in Ontario. That was 8 years ago and situation is not really improving. In any case, after completing teaching degree, i went straight to Thailand. And then... i wish i would have stayed in Ontario to get some classroom experience. But, slowly and surely, i made a progression towards working in international or rather semi-international schools and finally made my move to China. Now, that was the right move!

[creeper1]

[ttalapp]

Everybody needs to be qualified at my school, otherwise it wouldn't pass the annual inspection. Its certified by BC, Canada. Kinda like those Maple Leaf Schools. And it is in Yunnan, bonus in itself. So no, I am not being sarcastic.

[scot47]

Only true desperados make a career of EFL. I was one such. Not a career for the faint-hearted or the squeamish.

[Wayland]

EFL isn't that bad of a career choice. But you do have to be smart. You have to always be looking at what the next step is. Make those connections and don't burn your bridges.

I've seen a lot of teachers who wind up with no land to stand on because they can't get along with foreign managers and end up burning every connection available to them. They end up with a resume with no recommendations to speak of and only the bottom-of-the-barrel jobs to work for, even after 20+ years of teaching.

Have a goal in mind and work towards it, but always keep you options open. I've kept my ear to the ground, and even though I'm just in my first 5 years of this career and have already climbed the ladder to a good degree.

I think the people who claim EFL careers are deadends or difficult are people who never had a plan to start with. Maybe it was more difficult 20 years ago, but I find it much more workable than many deadend careers my friends are trapped in back home.

[bograt]