Job Discussion Forums

dragonstreet · Joined: 25 Mar 2013 Posts: 2

I have 10 years teaching experience. I'm thinking of doing an MA in Applied Linguistics. Would this help me get a decent (a grown-up proper job which could support a wife and kid) job at a University in China?

Shroob · Joined: 02 Aug 2010 Posts: 1339

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

I agree with Shroob's assessment.

SledgeCleaver · Joined: 02 Mar 2013 Posts: 126

Doubt it would help, except for the joint ventures as mentioned (Nottingham Ningbo, etc.). It could definitely help you if you want to teach high school though; lots of schools will want you to have a master's for that. Keep in mind that in Asia, high school jobs tend to pay a LOT more than university gigs, like double and triple from what I've seen. If you have a kid and need money, I'd say stay away from universities, personally, at least in the Asian region. There might be a few exceptions but VERY few from what I've seen and heard, especially for ESL. If you were a science teacher or something, maybe it'd be different.

Not to derail, but based on your situation, I could recommend United Arab Emirates or Qatar. They usually require MAs and 4+ years of experience, but the pay packages are outstanding in many institutions, we're talking $3000 a month and often well above that ($4,000? $5,000?) plus a very big housing stipend and also stipends for private school tuition for your kid. It's not like Saudi Arabia, these are fairly liberal countries and western women do not have to wear special clothes, though in general they should not expose their knees and maybe elbows, unless you're at the beach or something. Just saying, lot of dough for sending the kid to college or buying a house or whatever, and these places are not like the "middle east" you might have read about. It just seems to me if you take your kid to China and you have a uni job, you're going to be sending them to public school, living together in a 1-2 bedroom apartment, and he/she might grow up eating a lot of noodles, if you take my meaning. I don't mean to be discouraging, but I would keep some of this in mind. Look around in the Middle East forums if money is your primary motivation, or else for Asia do some research on high schools. You have enough experience to get a lucrative job I'm sure, if you're willing to do your due diligence.

lemak · Joined: 19 Nov 2011 Posts: 368

Average uni gigs offer a whopping 500rmb ($85 or so) extra a month for M.A holders. It's almost an insult really.

jlwild · Joined: 25 Nov 2012 Posts: 18

I'm currently considering the same as the poster. And outside of China, MAs are certainly the norm for Uni gigs, minimum requirement in the states at least...

LPKSA · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 211

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

Agree about there being no advantage in an MA in applied linguistics. One studies for an MA in Linguistics if he wants to later study for a Ph.D in linguistics in the hope of landing a teaching position in a western university.

MA's with teaching experience are paid more in a Chinese public university (500-1000 rmb more) than a BA's.

I wouldn't study for an MA just to get a job teaching in China.

MisterButtkins · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Posts: 1221

Yeah, it's def a bad choice. If you are looking for more schooling to get a job, you should do a teaching certification in the states. Then you can work at an international school, which will have vastly better pay than a uni.