Job Discussion Forums

Ain'tRight · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 7

Hello,

Thought I'd post my question here given my newbie-ness. Quick story on my end: 30-something American with M.A. in social science, no EFL cert yet, only occasional, sporadic English/History teaching over the last 3 years here in the US with a Korean non-profit (frankly, my teaching experience as I've described it is still a bit generous). Anyhow, interested in teaching EFL in EE (e.g. Czech, Poland or Ukraine). At this time, I've largely narrowed it down to the Czech Republic as I have one very good contact who's lived/worked in the country for 15 years; Prague offers many opportunities for EFL training, etc., etc.

Question: Provided I succefully complete the CELTA or Trinity, will an MA in a non-EFLish subject help in job prospects? Also, can I expect to receive even a slightly higher salary or am I mistaken?

Thank you to any and all responses!

Ain'tRight
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hollysuel · Joined: 07 Oct 2007 Posts: 225 Location: Connecticut, USA

Having an MA will help you get a job, but not necessarily a higher salary!

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I can speak for the Czech Rep, where an unrelated MA will not get you a higher salary.

mishmumkin · Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 929

All depends on where you want to go. I think you'd find jobs in Oman that would appreciate your unrelated MA (MInistry of Higher Education positions), though if you went to other Gulf countries, they'll tell you that you need a related MA-TESOL, Applied Linguistics, etc. In the case of the UAE, it would def. mean a higher salary, and given your experience and other qualifications, it would be your only option for decent tertiary level work.

Many European countries, however, would place little or no value on the MA in terms of your salary. I suppose whether or not you do the MA TESOL should be based on whether or not you see yourself in this field long-term. Are you in it for the travel? Do you conside this a career change? How long will you be abroad before repatriating? The MA TESOL is only worth it, IMHO, if you're going to spend a good bit of time abroad-hopefully to save some money for retirement. Truly, there are only a few parts of the world where you're MA TESOL based salary will be worth the initial investment. Best to know if you want to spend a good bit of time in those countries.

Ain'tRight · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 7

To everyone: Thanks for the info!

Hey Mishmumkin. While I'm leaning heavily toward EE for my EFL maiden voyage, something you said about UAE struck me. Are you suggesting that my credentials and quals (such as they are) might land a university position in UAE? Or was that for someone with an MA in TESOL?

Thanks again.

mishmumkin · Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 929

In most cases you'll need an MA TESOL for the UAE (or a K-12 certication), but there are a good few uni positions in Oman that don't require a related MA (or any MA). If your goal is to stay in the field for a while, and you think you'd prefer teaching Academic English at the tertiary level, then somewhere like Oman would be a great place to start financially, culturally, and in terms of gaining valuable experience. That said, most people who begin their careers in TESOL like to live somewhere "fun" (read: great life, not particularly good salary).