Job Discussion Forums

[MikeySaid]

Can I?

I've got a BA and a crappy online tefl cert plus two years down experience here in Mexico. What I am wondering is this...

upon returning will I be flipping burgers and taking out loans to get a Master's degree or is there work for people without an MA?

[Glenski]

Lots of people teach ESL/EFL around the world with only a bachelor's degree. You won't get ahead much without something more (whether it's a master's degree, PhD, or just supplemental training/certification). What are your goals?

[denise]

I've seen ads for private language schools that don't require an MA. Community colleges and universities generally require them, though.

Seriously, flipping burgers might be better for you financially--I have seen job advertised that paid as little as $12 per hour, and those were WITH MAs.

d

[naturegirl321]

small town colleges might offer you a job. Never hurts to ask.

[fladude]

I doubt a college would hire you. I think in Florida that State colleges can't hire you without an MA/ PHD or in some cases other various graduate degrees (JD/ME... etc....). So I'm doubtful that you would get much going there. Where you probably could land a job pretty quickly is teaching at a high school in Texas or one of the other border states.

[Marcoregano]

[jillford64]

Mikey,

Getting a decent job (full-time with benefits) will be hard without a masters. But as Marcoregano said, there are private language schools that do hire TEFLers (well it would be TESLers in the US) without a masters. In addition, adult education programs (if all you want to do is teach and not go into management) hire without a masters. Each private school or adult ed program will have their own requirements, but a few years ago when I was actively looking for a job teaching ESL in CA, NV, and CO, I found private schools and adult ed programs that only required a bachelor degree or a bachelors degree and TESL certificate. The adult ed schools at least did not seem to be too picky about the kind of certificate, especially if you had experience.

The problem is that these jobs will almost never be full time so you have to cobble a few jobs together, usually driving between several different schools each day to make any kind of a living. Depending on where you are, it may or may not be possible to find enough part time jobs to make a full time living. In Los Angeles and Orange County it is possible (at least a few years ago) and the people who do it call themselves "freeway fliers" because they are driving between jobs two or three times a day. Here in Las Vegas it would be difficult to find enough work to make a full time job without having a masters or K-12 certificate.

The pay compared to the cost of living is much lower than in Mexico, especially compared to a good job at a Mexican university. The two adult ed schools I applied at paid much better than the languge school jobs I've seen, but they only gave you 8 hours a week.

Jill

[Orpheus]

I know of a couple of places that you might be able to check out around here; don't really know much about them, but I'll give you what information I have. Send me a PM and I'll get right back with you.

[paddyroyal]

I started at a community college and got a lot of good experience. The problem, as others have mentioned, is that is doesn`t pay well. I worked my way up to $20 an hour after four years. If I wanted to work 20 hours a week, it meant separate morning, afternoon, and evening classes, and they didn`t come easily.

Even in the time I was there, I saw the hiring become more competitive as the market tightened. I`ve noticed far fewer job postings this year on the TESOL website.

I did a lot of tutoring, but to make money, I think that generally solid academic skills are needed. Most of my private students were visiting scholars and professionals since they were the ones who had both an investment in improving their English AND the money to pay for private classes.

[MikeySaid]

Ultimately...

I don't know what the heck I really wanna be.

That's not true. Slightly true, but I've the feeling that my ideas