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| What was your major in University/College? |
| Teaching/Education |
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3% |
[ 2 ] |
| English |
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11% |
[ 6 ] |
| Languages/Linguistics |
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15% |
[ 8 ] |
| Journalism |
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1% |
[ 1 ] |
| Psychology |
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5% |
[ 3 ] |
| History |
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9% |
[ 5 ] |
| Business |
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3% |
[ 2 ] |
| Other Social Sciences (Sociology, Anthropology, etc) |
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25% |
[ 13 ] |
| Sciences, Mathematics or Computers |
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23% |
[ 12 ] |
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| Total Votes : 52 |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:02 am Post subject: |
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Honours BA (major #1: Music History and Literature Major #2: English Literature)
Advertising copywriting certificate from a community college (duration: one year)
TESL Certificate from a university (duration: one year- all Linguistics department courses)
in the future:
MA Applied Linguistics
or
(if the job situation is bad, bad, bad) Publishing (editing books has been an interst of mine for a long time, but the job situation doesn't look any better than the ESL job situation, except that EFL is a possibility, but overseas book editing? Not as many opportunities) |
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ohahakehte
Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 128
Location: japan
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| Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Sweetsee wrote: |
| I have to ask, what is it that keeps you where you are when you are obviously so overqualified? |
i can speak for anyone else specifically, but i suspect that its because there are no facking jobs available for those who are "qualified"...i say "qualified" because getting jobs is a crapshoot and its who you know and how well you can smooth-talk. |
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ohahakehte
Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 128
Location: japan
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| Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| oh ya...mine was honours english with an indigenous studies minor. in the future id like to do either a second degree in journalism, MA in international development or MA in linguistics. |
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jesszilla
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Posts: 35
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| Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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BA Anthropology and Near Eastern Studies -
concentrations in Islamic History and Civilization, Arabic Language and Linguistics, and Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology
The plan is to go back for an MA in Applied Linguistics and a PhD in International Educational Development...but then again, my major changed 7 times as an undergrad  |
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spidey
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 382
Location: Web-slinging over Japan...
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| Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 12:33 am Post subject: |
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| Sweetsee wrote: |
Hi Glenski,
I have to ask, what is it that keeps you where you are when you are obviously so overqualified?
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Sorry Sweets...and this is in no way meant to be offensive to Glenski but...
Why would you assume that a BS in cell biology and a MS in microbiology constitutes being over qualified for an English teaching position?
Just curious...
S |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 6:21 am Post subject: |
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Hi Spidey my man,
It was a stupid question and had no place on an open forum. I meant no disrespect to G and I am hoping that he will once again forgive me, though I am not holding my breath.
That said, I will pm you an answer to your question.
kind regards,
s |
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madeira
Joined: 13 Jun 2004
Posts: 182
Location: Oppama
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| Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 7:06 am Post subject: |
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How many replies did the poll get? Seems like lots of us here couldn't vote... as our majors weren't on the list.
Me, double major in Visual Arts and Art History, TESOL p.d.p.p. |
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ohahakehte
Joined: 25 Aug 2003
Posts: 128
Location: japan
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| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 12:15 am Post subject: |
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| madeira wrote: |
| How many replies did the poll get? Seems like lots of us here couldn't vote... as our majors weren't on the list. |
ya i know it wasnt the best poll. i just quickly belted out the first degrees that came into my head. why not make a new poll with more degrees? |
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nicyvesweet
Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 90
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| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 3:00 am Post subject: |
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| ohahakehte wrote: |
| madeira wrote: |
| How many replies did the poll get? Seems like lots of us here couldn't vote... as our majors weren't on the list. |
ya i know it wasnt the best poll. i just quickly belted out the first degrees that came into my head. why not make a new poll with more degrees? |
Eh, too much work. |
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T-Bone
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 33
Location: Phnom Penh
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| Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 12:31 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Hi Glenski,
I have to ask, what is it that keeps you where you are when you are obviously so overqualified? |
I shouldn't speak for anyone else either, but I always had the impression that Glenski had a pretty high up and well paying position at a Uni and not an eikaiwa type gig... |
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welby
Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 9
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| Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 3:34 am Post subject: |
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BS in Chemical Engineering
MA in Teaching and Teacher Education
Possible MA in Tesol in my future? |
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AndyH
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 417
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| Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 11:22 am Post subject: |
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| BA, Double Major in International Studies and Political Science |
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Shiggy
Joined: 27 Jan 2004
Posts: 86
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| Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 7:50 am Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
Honours BA (major #1: Music History and Literature Major #2: English Literature)
Advertising copywriting certificate from a community college (duration: one year)
TESL Certificate from a university (duration: one year- all Linguistics department courses)
in the future:
MA Applied Linguistics
or
(if the job situation is bad, bad, bad) Publishing (editing books has been an interst of mine for a long time, but the job situation doesn't look any better than the ESL job situation, except that EFL is a possibility, but overseas book editing? Not as many opportunities) |
Let me know if you ever find one of those editing jobs. I've been looking...unsuccessfully.
Bachelor of Arts:
Major - English
Minor - Literature
It's ironic. I have a four-year degree in English, yet wasn't thought qualified enough to teach English in Japan by JET. English degree, English Teacher...makes sense to me. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 11:20 am Post subject: |
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| Shiggy wrote: |
| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
Honours BA (major #1: Music History and Literature Major #2: English Literature)
Advertising copywriting certificate from a community college (duration: one year)
TESL Certificate from a university (duration: one year- all Linguistics department courses)
in the future:
MA Applied Linguistics
or
(if the job situation is bad, bad, bad) Publishing (editing books has been an interst of mine for a long time, but the job situation doesn't look any better than the ESL job situation, except that EFL is a possibility, but overseas book editing? Not as many opportunities) |
Let me know if you ever find one of those editing jobs. I've been looking...unsuccessfully.
Bachelor of Arts:
Major - English
Minor - Literature
It's ironic. I have a four-year degree in English, yet wasn't thought qualified enough to teach English in Japan by JET. English degree, English Teacher...makes sense to me. |
Normally, you ned to go back to school and get industry-specific training. There are certificate programmes offered through universities and colleges in Canada (where the publishing industry is not particularly strong) and in the US, there are many, many programmes. I meant that I am thinking about doing one of those programmes in order to get into the publishing industry.
You can look for publishing training programmes yourself at www.bookjobs.com
University programmes in English are usually in English Literature, though maybe yours wasn't (your major and minor subjects would be the same thing at the universities I've been to).
To study Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Lanaguage at a university the courses are usually in the Linguistics department, and you study things like 2nd language Aquisition, Language Testing, methodology, English grammar, general linguisitcs etc.
If you are thinking of taking another run at JET (many people apply twice, the rumour being that most people applying for the second time will get in, because they have shown that they really, really want to do JET) then you could call your consulate and see where you went wrong. See if they can give you any pointers on ways to improve your application (some sort of TESL/TESOL/TEFL training, Japanese language, Japanese culture, international experience). |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 11:34 am Post subject: |
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| Shiggy wrote: |
| [It's ironic. I have a four-year degree in English, yet wasn't thought qualified enough to teach English in Japan by JET. English degree, English Teacher...makes sense to me. |
Shiggy
you are not being paid to be a 'teacher' on the JET program but to assist the japanese English teacher by providing an English speaking role model. JET is not looking for qualified teachers (though 10% of the applicants have professional qualifications and experience). There is always the risk you will outshine or 'compete' with local teachers. Many of them have fairly fragile egos when it comes to working with qualified English teachers and there is the worry you will pose a threat to them. Fresh newbies are much easy to handle for the JTEs and the BofE and its possible you would get some 'culture shock' from seeing how kids learn English in high schools.
Overqualified perhaps? |
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