Job Discussion Forums

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

FYI: Per TESOL Arabia's website, the 2018 Annual Conference (TACON), originally scheduled for 8-10 March, 2018, "has been deferred until further notice." That said, per a poster on the UAE forum, an email was sent to inform registrants that the annual conference will still be held in March (but not as TACON). There's no word yet on whether there will be a job fair.

It seems there's been some infighting and politics involved, which have impacted TESOL Arabia's ability to operate. See TESOL Arabia - unable to function - why? on the UAE forum for the status of the organization's fate so far.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

http://ksaalt-tesol.org/ksaalt-tesol-2017/call-for-papers/

KSAALT seems to be continuing.

ayatollah · Joined: 16 Jun 2017 Posts: 46

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

TESOL and IATEFL also have the characteristics of echo chambers, but they do provide a forum and a meeting place where teachers can talk. I benefited from going to conferences, and talking at a few.

ayatollah · Joined: 16 Jun 2017 Posts: 46

Sandwiches weren't bad.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

It was better in that bygone era when decent employers would pay for you to go - and give you time off work !

My prize for that to Saudi Arabian Airlines. Thank you !

Gulezar · Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Posts: 483

The latest version of what was TACON has sent out a call for presentations. Now it's ALLT. It seems that this conference will be held at the Zayed University campus.
http://www.allt-uae.org/call-for-papers.php

The good old days when employers paid for faculty to attend such conferences for professional development have dried up.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Londonlover · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 90 Location: London

But as of yet, no details in the jobsfair section of the ALLT website of any actual jobs, or employers looking for teachers.
The old TESOL Arabia public website used to be posting details of a few jobs by this stage.... even if they were the cra***iest jobs.
The conference is a month away. I wonder if you have to register now to be sent the details of jobs and employers, whereas in previous years the details were put up on the public site so everyone could see.
Or is ALLT just not organised and there are no jobs yet?

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

KSAALT did not provide job fairs. That would be difficult in the environment of KSA. Any foreigners there are already sponsored in the Kingdom by one of the employers in the field. Trying to recruit one of them might be seen as "poaching". Howeve, KSAALT certainly did provide opportunities for "networking" and making contacts.

I may be prejudiced because in my final year in my last job I spoke at the KSAALT Conference in 2011 in PMU. My main theme was that KSA is not as bad as some foreigners and some Saudis think.