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desertrose281
Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 3
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 11:48 pm Post subject: MA in TESOL vs MA in English Education |
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Hello all
I'm looking for some advice on taking a Masters in English Education. It doesn't seem like a well-known qualification and I've only found it offered at a few Universities (I'm applying to Korea University).
I already have CELTA so my expectations with an MA in Eng Ed is to get a better foundation in Education with a particular focus on teaching English. My undergrad degree is not related to TEFL which is why I thought this would be a good option.
It's going to be quite an expensive investment so I want to make sure that I'm doing the right thing! What I'd like to know is:
1. Is this a recognized qualification in the TESOL environment?
2. Has anybody here taken this / would recommend it?
3. Would an MA in TESOL be a much better option?
I really appreciate any advice you can share (any comments about Korea University would also be really helpful)! |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 1:13 am Post subject: |
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You should probably register and ask at the Korean job forums.
In general, if you want your degree to be accepted by people in countries other than the one you did it in (and possibly in countries very near or that have good relations with that country), you need to do your degree in teaching English language from an 'inner circle' English speaking country. [You may even have problems with employers in the country where the university is located].
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The inner circle represents the traditional bases of English: the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, anglophone Canada, and some of the Caribbean territories. The total number of English speakers in the inner circle is as high as 380 million, of whom some 120 million are outside the United States. |
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nomad soul

Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 5:14 am Post subject: |
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desertrose281 wrote: |
I'm looking for some advice on taking a Masters in English Education. It doesn't seem like a well-known qualification and I've only found it offered at a few Universities (I'm applying to Korea University).
I already have CELTA so my expectations with an MA in Eng Ed is to get a better foundation in Education with a particular focus on teaching English. |
It seems you're too focused on the major --- that it's a Masters in English Education. However, a graduate-level degree with a focus on education/teaching and TESOL is more common than you think. For example, I have a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), which is considered an advanced teaching degree. I chose TEFL as my area of study. Many MAT programs are geared toward career changers from non-educational fields (like myself), so prior teaching experience usually isn't required. Additionally, there are Master in Education (M.Ed.) degree programs with a concentration in TESOL. Plus, some TESOL master's degrees include some education-related coursework. The point is, you have options. Just keep your focus on the program's course content and not on the major/title of the degree.
and desertrose281 wrote: |
It's going to be quite an expensive investment so I want to make sure that I'm doing the right thing! What I'd like to know is:
1. Is this a recognized qualification in the TESOL environment?
2. Has anybody here taken this / would recommend it?
3. Would an MA in TESOL be a much better option? |
I'm with GambateBingBangBOOM; employers worldwide expect native English speakers to hold a degree from an accredited university in the US, UK, Canadian... You'd be taking a huge risk with this "expensive" investment.
I suggest you check out "What do you look for in a BA or MA degree program?" (http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=95138) to see how others chose their particular degree program. |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 1317 Location: under da sea
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2015 3:00 pm Post subject: |
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I can only speak for Canada, but your degree would not be given much weight here by most employers (if not all). I've worked directly with teachers who have had an MA in English Education (English Literature, TESOL) from non-English universities and they have a reputation for poor English skills. I worked with one who couldn't even write a recipe correctly.
I'm not saying you would be like this (I'm sure you can speak English just fine!), but here in Canada, your MA needs to come from an English-language university in order to be taken seriously. Even teachers with French-language degrees in Quebec will struggle to find work outside their province.
If you plan to stay in Korea forever (and this is not something I would ever bank on!) then post in the Korea forum for reviews about the university. |
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desertrose281
Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 3
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 3:41 am Post subject: |
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Hi all
Thank you for all the advice! I have been part of the Korean forum for a while but I thought the discussion would be more relevant here as I would like advice on a more international level, I wouldn't like to limit my options to Korea only
I am a New Zealander but the trouble with doing an MA in TESOL here is that I need to have done my degree in a related major and have 2 years teaching experience - both of which I don't have... Hence the application for an overseas degree.
The best option would really be for me to get teaching experience beforehand. I would prefer this myself but unfortunately I don't look "like an English teacher" and therefore my chances of getting hired are pretty slim. My strategy is to aim for an academic advantage but I don't know how effective that will be. |
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suphanburi
Joined: 20 Mar 2014 Posts: 916
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 11:23 am Post subject: |
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IMHO...
If you don't have your 2 years in the classroom then spending the time and cash for an MATESOL is not a smart thing to do.
Get your classroom time in then decide if teaching EFL is what you actually want to do.
Alternatively, look at a professional teaching credential (PGCE or equivalent), get your classroom time in and look at the international school circuit. The pay and benefits far outweigh what you would be looking at by teaching EFL in the tertiary sector in Asia.
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desertrose281
Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 3
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2015 9:52 pm Post subject: |
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suphanburi wrote: |
If you don't have your 2 years in the classroom then spending the time and cash for an MATESOL is not a smart thing to do.
Get your classroom time in then decide if teaching EFL is what you actually want to do.
Alternatively, look at a professional teaching credential (PGCE or equivalent), get your classroom time in and look at the international school circuit. The pay and benefits far outweigh what you would be looking at by teaching EFL in the tertiary sector in Asia. |
Thanks for the advice! I'm rethinking the whole MA at the moment. If I can get some teaching experience under my belt, that would be best. Back to looking for jobs I suppose  |
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gwiffey
Joined: 17 Sep 2012 Posts: 12
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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nomad soul wrote: |
It seems you're too focused on the major --- that it's a Masters in English Education. However, a graduate-level degree with a focus on education/teaching and TESOL is more common than you think. For example, I have a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), which is considered an advanced teaching degree. I chose TEFL as my area of study. Many MAT programs are geared toward career changers from non-educational fields (like myself), so prior teaching experience usually isn't required. Additionally, there are Master in Education (M.Ed.) degree programs with a concentration in TESOL. Plus, some TESOL master's degrees include some education-related coursework. The point is, you have options. Just keep your focus on the program's course content and not on the major/title of the degree.
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Hey Nomad Soul,
I'm probably going to be getting an MAT, with an endorsement in ESOL. My plan is to initially teach in public schools in the US, but in the more distant future, I may want to do EFL in universities abroad, either in the gulf, or East Asia. My concern is that universities seem to want degrees like MA TESOL or Applied Linguistics, and sometimes they will accept MA English, Linguistics or M.Ed. MAT does not seem to be one of the degrees they're looking for.
Due to your MAT with EFL specialization, did you A) find that to be a barrier to getting certain jobs, compared to people who had an MA TESOL for example, and B) was your EFL component an endorsement, like ESOL, which is used to teach in primary and secondary schools (rather than to adults)? |
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nomad soul

Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:07 pm Post subject: |
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gwiffey wrote: |
Hey Nomad Soul,
I'm probably going to be getting an MAT, with an endorsement in ESOL. My plan is to initially teach in public schools in the US, but in the more distant future, I may want to do EFL in universities abroad, either in the gulf, or East Asia. My concern is that universities seem to want degrees like MA TESOL or Applied Linguistics, and sometimes they will accept MA English, Linguistics or M.Ed. MAT does not seem to be one of the degrees they're looking for.
Due to your MAT with EFL specialization, did you A) find that to be a barrier to getting certain jobs, compared to people who had an MA TESOL for example, and B) was your EFL component an endorsement, like ESOL, which is used to teach in primary and secondary schools (rather than to adults)? |
My MAT degree major is Multidisciplinary Studies, which isn't a specific course of study but rather a combination of different courses based on the student's career interests. It allows for flexibility. In my case, my MAT fell under communication arts, secondary education. I completed required coursework in curriculum development, comparative educational systems, contemporary educational issues, technology and teaching, a practical component, etc. Plus, the seven courses for my TEFL concentration allowed me to focus on adult learners. (For clarification, it wasn't coursework for an ESOL endorsement---the TEFL emphasis was similar to content in MA TESOL and graduate TEFL cert programs and included linguistics, second language acquisition, language assessment and testing, and so on.) The point is, not all MATs are the same, which is why it's key to read the program overview to see who the degree is targeted to.
As for employment, I've never applied for work outside of the Middle East/Gulf. But so far, my MAT has been accepted without question. That's probably because I list it on my CV as an "M.A. in Teaching, TEFL focus with 135-hour ESOL practicum." Additionally, the educational qualifications you see listed in job ads for the Gulf are typical worldwide and give applicants an idea or example of the type of TEFL-relevant, academic content employers expect to see. Since MATs are only offered in US and I believe Australian universities, many overseas employers aren't familiar with the degree. But frankly, it's an advanced teaching degree that focuses on the practice of teaching, so its relevancy isn't likely to be doubted. |
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gwiffey
Joined: 17 Sep 2012 Posts: 12
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Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:55 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, that does relieve some of my fears, but I guess I need to look more closely at the exact content of the program. Thanks Nomad Soul! |
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