Job Discussion Forums

[pat blake]

Veiled Sentiments is right. We do get paid for the three-month vacation. Also, we do not have to have exit visas anymore.

[veiledsentiments]

[grab-bag]

This place is still having major problems. They have had at least 5 directors in the English Department over the past 6 years. A lot of instability and mistreatment of teachers. The housing conditions leave a lot to be desired. The new guy still has to prove himself. He has had a dubious track record in other institutions in Kuwait.

Apply with your eyes and ears open and don't expect miracles.

[Dedicated]

Friends and reliable contacts in Kuwait, say that GUST has now outsourced the EFL Foundation year to Egyptian teachers, most of whom teach 35+ hours per week, but whose maximum pay is about 600KD per month.

Students pay 1,000KD+ per semester - wouldn't it be more effective for them to enrol in a TOEFL or IELTS course?

[veiledsentiments]

The main problem with that idea is that while you might save some money, an IELTS or TOEFL test basically teaches you to pass a test. It does little or nothing to 'teach' you academic English reading/writing or listening. I have taught both test courses and IEPs and there is almost zero similarity.

VS

[Dedicated]

VS,
I totally agree about the TOEFL and IELTS just being a test, but my point (perhaps not very clearly expressed) was that if students can pass TOEFL 500 or IELTS 5.5/6.0, then they can skip the Foundation Year, and go straight to the credit bearing courses.

These courses have the more experienced and qualified teachers who can help the students with academic study skills. Egyptians usually cannot do this aspect of EAP, as they generally have not had the opportunity to learn them themselves.

[veiledsentiments]

The biggest problem IMHO is that they can pass either of these exams and barely write. Almost every Arabic speaking student that I have dealt with needed a remedial or bridge writing course after getting passing grades on these before they were ready for Freshman Comp or whatever this university calls it.

Should the content teachers be the ones having to teach study skills?

Too many of these students are so weak in the basics of Academic English and I don't think either of these test discriminate well for skill levels.

VS

[grab-bag]

VS Who do you think should be teaching study skills? Most places expect the EFLers to do this. Should this be a part of their job? You probably know the answer.

[veiledsentiments]

If and when study skills have been taught at the places where I taught, it was naturally the TEFL teachers' responsibility... as if we had time to add this to the curriculum when their English skills were so low.

VS