Job Discussion Forums

[Le Petit Prince]

This is my first time posting on the Cafe, although I've been following it for some time.
This is my dilemma. I have about seven years EFL experience...one year in South Korea (yuck!), two years with the Saudi Military in the Eastern Province (double yuck..in fact, I skipped out before my contract ended.), and for the past three and a half years I've been working here in the Emirates. My job is all right...decent pay, long vacations, and the students ...well, let's just say they're not Saudi Military Cadets. I am just wondering whether I really need an M.A. in Tesol to secure a well-paying job in the years to come (my present contract is renewed annually..and is somewhat precarious). I have an MA in a totally unrelated subject so it does me no good here. My basic problem is that I'm not really all that interested in Tesol and harbor the faint hope of getting out of it eventually. Should I spend $25,000 or more for a second rate degree at some crummy university? Can I get by on my BA and CELTA alone?
Also, has anyone ever managed to make a decent living in ESL/EFL in another part of the world?
I would greatly appreciate advice/help from anybody currently working in the Gulf.

[PC Parrot]

Why spend $25,000 when you can spend $7,000- $8,000 instead by distance learning?

[veiledsentiments]

You can see what you get in this field with the credentials you have. Are you getting by? Do you like the positions that you are getting? If so, don't get the MA.

If you want to move to the better university jobs - which if you don't like teaching and/or TEFL at least pay a bit better, get an MA. Shop around for the cheapest one if it is just a stop-gap until you decide what you want to be when you grow up. (some of us never do figure that one out)

That said... look at how much more money it will get you to have the MA in the Gulf... and calculate how long it will take you to pay for even the cheap MA. If you are American, search about for the universities in the US that give assistantships/fellowships that have you teach a few classes a week and pay no tuition. At the same time you will be adding good university level experience to your CV. (I did this at AUC in Egypt)

Another option is to look at what you would get with a PhD that relates to your MA. Would it allow you to start looking at becoming a professor?

VS

[Le Petit Prince]

Thanks for the advice. Guess I'll be heading down to Sydney, Australia...I can knock this thing off in a year and get in some surfing...
What about my other question...Has anybody managed to make a reasonable (First World...with apologies to the more politically correct and sensitive posters) salary anywhere outside the Gulf?
I'll be in my late-thirties by the time I have my Master's and a few years post MA experience...any suggestions?

[adorabilly]

LP.

I know people with MA's in TESL (or related) who are makeing 20-30K US a year in China, and Korea. That doesn't sound great, but with the cost of living being soooooo low, I know people who are saving almost ALL of that salary in both places.

I know folks with the MA in TESL making 50K US a year in Japan, but that is the opposite the cost of living is extremely high.

And of course there are folks in the US, UK, Canada who make decent money.