Job Discussion Forums

[mgs2]

[johnslat]

Dear mgs2,

"Is this a comment for all countries in the middle east? What type of wage could someone earn without a degree but with a TESOL, in the middle east?"

First, my credentials: I spent over twenty years teaching in the Middle East.
I have an M.A. in English Education. These days, that wouldn't be of much help getting a decent job in the Middle East, but, back in 1980, when I started, it was enough.
Without an advanced degree TESOL or Applied Linguistice, the only jobs you would be able to get in the Middle East are jobs you probably would not find at all enjoyable. That part of the world is, in my experience, VERY "degree-conscious", and all the good jobs there require, at least, an MA in one of the areas mentioned before.
With your credentials (a TESOL), I'd suggest either the Far East or Latin/South America.
I do not think the Middle East would be a good experience for you with your current credentials.
Regards,
John

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Echo dat!

NCTBA

[the-exile]

Although I would second 777's proposal of studying Arabic in Yemen there are a number caveats that need to be considered. Firstly, to begin on a lighter note, chewing Khat is absolutely not a requirement. I myself was offered khat on numerous occasions and refused, politely, which was accepted graciously. Secondly, being 'Persian', whatever that is, will, contrary to what most people may believe, get you into a shouting match. Although the Shia (Zaydi branch) in Yemen was virtually indistinguishable from the mainstream Hanbali Sunni mainstream, in recent years, especially, with the war in the North, being Zaydi or even generally being considered 'shia' is a definite drawback. Whether or not you consider yourself Shia is irrelevant. The realities of the Middle East are quite different from what you may have read about in the classroom (I myself have an MSc in International Politics with a specialisation in the Middle East although when I got to Yemen I changed my mind pretty quickly regarding received �wisdom�; Said be damned. I have also spent time in Lebanon if you must know). In Yemen, at least, being Persian or Farsi is coterminous with being Iranian and being Iranian is coterminous with being Shia. The logic may sound simplistic but, at its most base, so is the reasoning of your average Yemeni. More educated Yemenis will not be so prejudiced, but only by a small margin. Thirdly, if you can resist telling people you are Persian (it always makes me laugh that Americans can't just be Americans, they always have to be something else, they always have to deploy an adjectival qualifier!), then you'll get along fine in Sana'a. Ironically, most people in Yemen will treat you with greater fairness if you�re American (especially in Sana�a where a large percentage will have relatives there). As always, stay away from politics and support the Palestinians (whatever your actual view may be). The Arabic taught there is pretty close to what they will claim should be the norm (MSA wise, i.e., none of the Egyptian linguistic oddities to do with the alphabet and pronunciation). However, that said there are also a lot of cow-boy outfits in Yemen. I was there for nine months and spent the first four at CALES where the only real teaching qualification the Arabic tutors had was that they spoke English! I soon moved to a newer establishment, beyond the admittedly scenic confines of the old city, called YIAL (Yemen Institute for Arabic Language). The location is nothing to write or snap home about but the teachers actually have a greater degree of teaching acumen. The grammar for instance is taught much better than in CALES. After four months at Cales all I could say was this is a pen (hatha Al-Qlm) whereas after three weeks at YIAL I could actually hold a decent "basic" conversation. Thirdly, the security situation is unfortunately deteriorating and is becoming ever more dangerous. Luckily I have a 'natural tan' so could pass for a Yemeni. Anyway, cost wise Yemen is a fair bet for value for money in terms of learning Arabic. In terms of teaching English I , and many of my European and Aussie classmates were offered teaching posts in the numerous English language training institutes. We were native speakers and apparently that was all that counted. You can forget living off the earning however as that only really covered our living expenses (barely) which were, admittedly, dirt cheap. However, if you have a CELTA or TEFL certificate then you can apply to teach at any one of the American or British Schools in the city with a fair chance of making a living wage. If the rather 'traditional' atmosphere gets you down you could go to Aden which was, at the time, more open. As I say the situation is deteriorating with Saleh having given Islah a free rein to attack the former Socialist southern stronghold. Saudi style religious police have begun to make the rounds now. On that note being a woman, and a foreigner, is definitely a disadvantage in Yemen especially if you are unaccompanied by a male friend (to whom you are either obviously married or engaged to). My Norwegian friend once had a man shake his p****s at her even though her visiting father stood by her side. The average Yemeni�s only experience of �the West� is what he sees on TV so he naturally expects foreign women to sleep with him after around 50mins or so (depending of what film he�s seen) or if he simply shows you some skin!. If you're male then you'll have slightly fewer problems just don�t talk to any women out in the street (you�ll get a �feel� for it once you�re in country). As always with the Middle East remember that you're not in the US, the UK, the �West�, or Kansas anymore. This may sound flippant but a friend of mine almost started a riot when he decided to walk down the street with a t-shirt with CIA emblazoned across it. He thought it was funny, but grew up pretty sharpish. Another decided to query Mohammed�s credentials as a prophet given that �no 50 year old would want to marry a 6 year old child unless he was a pedophile� and was almost stabbed with a janbia (something all Yemeni males carry about their person, Kalashnikov�s having been banned from the city). Think before you do anything and cover your flanks.

Best of luck