Job Discussion Forums

[Uncle Junior]

A question for those with experience of working in the UAE...

I'm currently teaching English at a university in Korea but I'm looking at leaving next year to study for an MA in Applied Linguistics, with the aim of applying for university teaching jobs in the UAE after that.

I'm from the UK so the obvious option is to go back there to study, but I'm quite attracted by the idea of studying in another European country. I'm trying to find out though if the value of the MA would be compromised in the eyes of UAE employers by the fact that I got it in a country where English isn't the official language.

To me, it shouldn't make a difference provided the course is fully taught in English, but I know things aren't always as simple as that, so it wouldn't be great to hear from people with experience of this job market.

[nomad soul]

You're the third person in less than a week to ask this question. Anyway, a few things to consider:

- UAE university teaching positions generally require a minimum of three years of relevant teaching experience gained post-MA.

- Effective 2018, the country's public universities are slated to phase out their foundation year programs, which includes the English language programs. (Do an Internet search on uae foundation year 2018.) Hiring by the major government unis has already slowed down.

- Getting an MA from a non-Anglophone country is a mixed bag; generally, employers expect native speakers to hold degrees from their home country. That said, you're better off getting an MA TESOL via distance learning from an accredited UK university. The UAE still accepts degrees with online/distance coursework (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait do not, however). But even with a distance degree from the UK, again, job opportunities in the UAE may be slim by the time you've built up enough experience.

[Uncle Junior]

Thanks for the response, some useful information!

[candykisk]

I agree with you in the fact that it'd be great to obtain an MA in another country. That is something I considered before getting my MA. But I decided not to get my MA abroad because it can be complicated.

You have to make sure that your abroad MA will be considered an MA wherever you go. For example, I wanted to get my MA TESL in Israel but I was informed that the degree may not "work" if I ever decide to come back to the US. The degree program in Israel wasn't accredited by the same standards US degrees are accredited by. So there's that.

Also, as I apply to jobs in the ME now, I notice that many of them want you to have a degree from within an English-speaking country or your native country, and also they don't want the degree to be an online or distance degree. So, in my opinion, I think you should high-tail it back to the UK and get your credentials to stay on the safe side. But in the end it's up to you.

And nomad soul, it's scary to think that they're phasing out foundation programs. I imagine that soon there will be no need for English teachers except in developing countries in the future. Nomad soul, in considering the phasing out, do you think it is worthwhile to go to the UAE to teach English?

[nomad soul]

[Gulezar]

[candykisk]

Thanks nomalsoul. And Gulezar I guess all of this means that for the UAE in a few years, most of the ESL jobs will be in high schools. So there's an increasing job market I suppose.