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Charlie123
Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 146
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 Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 10:46 am Post subject: I am a university lecturer in English literature...KSA? |
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| I have a resume with about eight years of provable university experience. I prefer to teach content courses -- that is other than ESL. I don't mind teaching a couple of sections of lower-level per semester, but I want to stick with AP and literature. Where should I apply? I'm motivated by money. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 11:09 am Post subject: |
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| Very little teaching of Lit and Culture in KSA. There are some courses at universities but most teachers, including at universities, teach EFL. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 11:25 am Post subject: |
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Be aware that English Lit degrees are extremely common in the region; it's doubtful you'd get hired over a Saudi PhD holder who can lecture on the subject in both English and Arabic. Still, you can check higheredjobs.com for openings.
Frankly, if you're motivated by money, your best bet is a position in TEFL versus trying to pursue one teaching English Lit. |
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Gamajorba
Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 11:50 am Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
| Frankly, if you're motivated by money, your best bet is a position in TEFL versus trying to pursue one teaching English Lit. |
Agreed. Saudis don't even want to learn English language, never mind literature! and a huge number of them are pretty...well...unintelligent, shall we say...even in anything Arabic! |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 12:01 pm Post subject: |
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| There are PROGRAMMES at Saudi universities purporting o teach "English Literature". In reality most students cannot handle the material. A BA in English Literature from KAU or similar is not proof of any knowledge of Literature ! |
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currentaffairs
Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Yes, I remember third year English Literature/Language majors from a Saudi university failing a basic English test for students at around the A1 level! |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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| In my experience (18 years and counting, but not in the ME) English Lit is a VERY common degree for non-native English speakers to hold - and jobs in most countries will obviously go to qualified locals first. I doubt there is much demand anywhere for a foreign English Lit lecturer. |
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Gamajorba
Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 2:54 pm Post subject: |
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| currentaffairs wrote: |
| Yes, I remember third year English Literature/Language majors from a Saudi university failing a basic English test for students at around the A1 level! |
Jeez, that's bad.
Mind you I deal with students who don't know what a vowel is after a year of telling them week in week out... |
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hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Gamajorba wrote: |
| Mind you I deal with students who don't know what a vowel is after a year of telling them week in week out... |
That's because vowels aren't written in Arabic and they can't figure out what the big deal is in English. Thus "door" is written in Arabic as "DR" and the "context" is what determines whether it should be pronounced as "door" "dour" "deer" "dire" "dare" "doer" "odor" "dear", "adore" "udder!!" etc etc. I'm oversimplifying and somewhat exaggerating, but you get the picture. Have fun. |
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Makkah
Joined: 08 Oct 2014
Posts: 113
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 6:52 pm Post subject: Re: I am a university lecturer in English literature...KSA? |
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| Charlie123 wrote: |
| I have a resume with about eight years of provable university experience. I prefer to teach content courses -- that is other than ESL. I don't mind teaching a couple of sections of lower-level per semester, but I want to stick with AP and literature. Where should I apply? I'm motivated by money. |
More about man management than actual academic teaching. I have seen guys with years of exp get torn apart and walk away after 6 months or even less (though, a few were pushed out).
If money is your motivation then this is the place but I would add from what I read / heard salaries are decreasing. In the end it depends how much you want the money.
Get your resume out there and see what good apples drop your way. |
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hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 8:38 pm Post subject: Re: I am a university lecturer in English literature...KSA? |
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| Charlie123 wrote: |
| I have a resume with about eight years of provable university experience. I prefer to teach content courses -- that is other than ESL. I don't mind teaching a couple of sections of lower-level per semester, but I want to stick with AP and literature. Where should I apply? I'm motivated by money. |
I would heed the advice given to you regarding the paucity of jobs (actually, the total vacuum of jobs) as an English Lit. professor in KSA. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen an ad or even heard of a need for such a teacher. I think you'd be wasting your time looking for such a job.
At the same time, like many people seeking advice, you give us very little to work with. To begin with, are you male or female (here (in KSA) , it makes a huge difference), PhD? In what? British or USA degree? Any online courses? What are the precise details when you say "I'm in it for the money"?? You talking about $30,000/annum or $60,000 as a minimum? Single, married, dependent children? Are you an "adjunct" jumping from part-time to part-time or are you full-time on a tenured track? And so on.
I'm also surprised no one's brought up the fact that having a PhD in English Lit. (if that's what you have....but we dont' know) is no substitute for having the correct credentials for an ESL job. In other words, the two jobs/degrees/credentials are NOT interchangeable.
If ALL you have is a PhD (or MA) in English Lit., you're probably UNHIREABLE as a lowly ESL teacher. The two "professions" are light years apart.
Have you ever actually TAUGHT ESL anywhere? (I'm not talking about "Freshman English" which is given to native English speakers at unis. I'm talking about teaching the English language to people who haven't grown up speaking English). If not, you have a big fat ZERO in teaching experience for an ESL job. That means that even if you managed to get an ESL job, you'd be coming in at the lowest rate because you'd have no years of ESL teaching experience.
You could get lucky, of course, and find an employer who will accept your years of teaching English Lit. as "years of experience" for that job. Unlikely, but not impossible, I guess. (After all, MY MA is not in English and is "related" only if you stretch the meaning of the world "related" to an extreme, almost breaking -point degree.).
But again, without a more detailed description of your qualifications, any suggestions made here would just be guesses, conjectures and generalities. |
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Hatcher
Joined: 20 Mar 2008
Posts: 602
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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I cant think of any reason to "teach" or babysit in the KSA.
Money? With privates, you can make more in other countries. |
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Charlie123
Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 146
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for the responses. I have an M.A. in English lit and lots of ESL experience in good universities. Another country I am thinking of is Oman. Is there a market for privates in Oman? If so how much should I charge? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Charlie123 wrote: |
| Another country I am thinking of is Oman. Is there a market for privates in Oman? If so how much should I charge? |
Best to ask this on the Oman forum. |
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MuscatGary
Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...
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| Posted: Wed May 13, 2015 1:04 am Post subject: |
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| Charlie123 wrote: |
| Thanks for the responses. I have an M.A. in English lit and lots of ESL experience in good universities. Another country I am thinking of is Oman. Is there a market for privates in Oman? If so how much should I charge? |
There is a possibility of privates in Oman but it would take you some time and effort to find them. You would also have to be very discreet as it's against the law to do any work other than for your sponsor. You won't make a fortune doing it either and would be lucky to get 10 rials an hour from Omanis and less from other nationalities. Oman is not the place to make big money. |
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