Job Discussion Forums

[Yawarakaijin]

I am currently considering getting my BA through Athabasca University in Canada and am wondering if any of you who have progressed to university or private school positions might like to weigh in on my options.

I have a pretty decent set up here, working for an engineering company teaching their staff English but I have to admit that I am getting older and am not sure if I want to remain in the ESL field (at least not at the Eikaiwa level nor my current position) forever.

The school offers some pretty good programs and currently I am leaning toward their BA in management. I know this would be better for me in the long wrong if I were ever to return to Canada but I have to admit I have become incredibly comfortable in Japan.

I guess what I am trying to ask is, when applying for positions witin Japan have you found the type of degree you have to be incredibly important in regards to opening or shutting doors?

Would I be better of going for a BA in English and then turning that into a Masters or some more specific qualifcation geared towards teaching or would a degree in say management or anthropology get my foot in the door just the same?

I know it isnt a very focused OP, just looking for whatever people would like to contribute. Thanks for your time.

If it is any help I would be about 37 when I finish the BA (whichever one I chose) with 6 years of ESL under my belt in a corporate setting in Japan and 5 years in a well known ESL school back in Canada.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

If I were you I would do the management degree (if you can stomach that kind of thing for that long).

It's a BA in business, right? The MA option that will help you is not really an MA in English, it's an MA in Applied Linguistics or TESOL/ ESOL/ TESL etc. To do one of those, you don't need a related degree, in most cases. Normally you just need to have a degree, and experience. You already have the experience, so either degree will set you up for that.

[Glenski]

When I worked at a private HS, nobody had a degree in any teaching-related field. None of the 4 full-timers, none of the 5 part-timers. There were degrees from business to hotel management to social studies to microbiology. People still stayed there for the full length of their contracts. PTers stayed far longer because there was no real end to their contracts. And, some (few) FTers got tenure.

If this is the end of the career road for you, consider that, but also consider that teachers should always be looking to improve themselves. And, if you want to get into university teaching, a BA is usually not enough.

[Vince]

My BA is in English (didn't do a minor), and I've never had any feedback on whether that major helped or hurt my job prospects. If I had it to do again and wanted a broad education in case EFL didn't become a long-term career, I'd probably do a double major in economics and English.

[Yawarakaijin]

Thanks for the reply guys. I think I will probably go with the anthropology degree. It is more along my lines of interest and maybe then head back to Canada for a year at teachers college. After that, who knows.

[Tiger Beer]

Sounds like you already made a decision, but I'll chime in nontheless.

It really doesn't matter what you study for Undergrad for teaching ESL. In addition, you can also study a MA in TESL or Linguistics or whatever else regardless of your BA.

Regarding Anthropology, I have never met anyone with an Anthropology degree that was able to do anything with it. Why not study Japanese Studies or Asian Studies or something? It might complement your time in Japan better, and curious if you are really into Anthropology itself, or more into perhaps Japanese culture or Asian culture, etc. Not that it would be any more relevant to real jobs, but it least it complements your experience more.

Also, as someone who has a BA in Business, I found that pretty pointless as well. These days, its better to get a MBA, but when you look at MBA classes, they are essentially the same as the BA classes, but are designed for people who DIDN'T get a business BA. In other words, almost better to get a BA in something else, and get the MBA after that if you really wanted to do the business route.

[Yawarakaijin]

As my current job is in Japan I am somewhat limited in the courses that are offered entirely online. Athabasca U seems to be the leader in online education in Canada but unfortunately they have a limited number of programs to choose from.

I have heard a lot of knocks agaisnt people who have their BA in anthropology but I think some of it is unwarranted. It isn't going to help much in the business world but it does open up other routes. One being the Canadian foreign service for example.

As noted before, it doesnt really matter what BA you have in order to get into a master program in TEFL/TESOL so why not study something one finds interesting. If I were to attend teachers college back in Canada my choice of degree would be of some importance I suppose, but then I could always come back to teach in Japan in a private school setting.

To be honest the BA in business management would probably be the best choice logically but I just can't see myself enjoying it, and thus sticking with it.

[Tiger Beer]

All true, yeah, better to just get the BA in Anthropology and get the entire coursework finished with, particularly if interested in it.

These days, a BA is almost essential, yet it doesn't really get you 'key jobs', as those are reserved for MA holders (it seems to me). So in that respect, the BA regardless of what it is, won't get you anything, but essential to have, and therefore better to just study what you are most interested in.

Good choice.

[BobbyBan]

I'd like to do another degree but wonder if it will be worth my while.

How old are you Yawarakaijin? (If that's not too personal).

[Yawarakaijin]