Job Discussion Forums

[Shimokitazawa]

I'm applying for master's programs but would like to know which would be better for securing university EFL teaching positions - Master's in Literature or a Master's in App. Ling. / TESOL?

A friend teaching in Korea tells me I should earn a master's of literature, specifically Canadian or American literature. He said that most of the Korean professors in the English Department had doctorates in Shakespeare.

Another friend said that a master's in applied linguistics or TESOL should be enough to get a university teaching position.

Any further comments on the suitability of each degree for teaching TEFL at a university?

[nomad soul]

[spiral78]

I can't say about Asia, but in Europe and North America, literature is for teaching literature. Useless in EFL/ESL positions, in my experience.

[suphanburi]

[eihpos]

I have an MA in literature and it has helped me get my current position - but an MA TESOL would have been preferred and I'm probably going to have to do one eventually if I want to stay in the uni sector. If you want to teach EFL or EAP, you should do the linguistics or tesol. Also, check out uni job adverts (such as jobs.ac.uk, or tesol.org) to see what they are looking for if you haven't already.

[nomad soul]

You might take a look at "What do you look for in a BA or MA degree program?" (http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=95138).

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[kyivkyiv]

[nomad soul]

[kyivkyiv]

[nomad soul]

[Bud Powell]

MA Literature vs MA TESOL

It depends upon where one wants to teach. I have a BA in English Studies (a good mix of linguistics, literature, and composition), an MA in Literature and an MFA in Writing (both of which also include linguistics electives) . This does not diminish my attractiveness to better Chinese universities. What I bring to classes of Chinese university English majors satisfies the demands of a Chinese University curriculum better than what an MA in TESOL imparts to the teacher solely because in the university setting, the teacher consciously relies much more heavily upon content than methodology. (This is true in American Universities as well, largely because it is assumed that by the time one has earned an MA -- in anything--- the graduate has taught enough seminars and has done student teaching to be an effective teacher. Though this is not always the case, it is the common wisdom ).

The TESOL is extremely valuable to the teacher of lower grades (primary through high school) where the teacher's knowledge of the "how" of education is as important as the "what". In primary and in secondary education, the teacher will be required to prevail upon a bag of methods to get through to students of different levels of abilities and motivation. In the better Chinese universities, the student English majors' abilities (generally) don't need coaching in pronunciation, grammar, punctuation, etc.. In my experience (your mileage may vary) the students spoke as well as American students. What they needed was information to fill in the holes in their knowledge of the English language and other aspects of communication in English. That has been my function and experience in Chinese universities. (YMMV)

Comparing the MA TESOL to MA Literature/humanities: When one decides to return home, the MA TESOL could lead to more and higher-paying jobs in primary and secondary schools (with certification, of course), and possibly American universities.

The MA Literature teacher has two choices that aren't so good when he returns to the U.S.. If he's lucky, an American university may employ him as a lecturer-level teacher and put him to work teaching twenty hours of freshman writing. If he is VERY lucky, he may be allowed to teach an elective freshman honors literature class, but for the most part, he'll be a low-paid glorified paper grader. (The MFA will allow him to teach upper-level literature and advanced writing classes). Generally, if the MA Lit teacher wants to teach literature on the university level, he'll need to study for a PH.D or an MFA.

In light of the fact that many American universities are cutting funding to the humanities, a degree in TESOL is a good deal in China for primary and secondary school, and a good deal when one returns to the realities of the job market in the U.S.. The MA Literature teacher doesn't have such exciting prospects.

[Bud Powell]

[natsume]

[Bud Powell]