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MikeySaid

Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 509 Location: Torreon, Mexico
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:19 am Post subject: |
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| Orpheus wrote: |
Since this thread got bumped, I figured I'd provide a little update on the state of the economy in AZ, since I said it was pretty strong a little while ago. Sadly, things here are going downhill pretty fast. People are turning out in droves for job fairs and such, and I recently got "laid off" from a crappy restaurant job I was working for a while. I wouldn't tell anyone to stay away, but you better really do some research if you're thinking about moving to AZ.
Same story all across the country, though. |
Not what I want to hear. Wife got accepted to PhD program at ASU and I obviously need to be able to work there. All I see in terms of job openings are customer service positions. |
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paddyroyal
Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 24 Location: Mexico
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:35 pm Post subject: Best MA Programs |
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I just graduated from St Cloud State University in St Cloud, MN. I know, I know...and it`s REALLY cold in the winter.
Although the faculty were too overworked to give good attention, IMHO, there are many graduate assistantships available which put you in the classroom, pay your tuition and a stipend, and give you experience.
There is also a wonderfully diverse international student body. In one class last spring I had students from eight different countries: Senegal, Cote D`Ivoire, Burkina Faso, China, Saudi Arabia, Albania, Nepal, and South Korea. |
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hollyl1003
Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 7 Location: United States
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 7:45 am Post subject: |
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| elamericano wrote: |
Speaking of Arizona schools, I'd appreciate any comments on the MA TESL program at Northern Arizona University. I am considering the teaching track.
http://www.cal.nau.edu/english/tesl_ma.asp
http://www.cal.nau.edu/english/forms/grdadvising-tesl_phd_handbook.doc
According to the handbook, the MA program doesn't seem to have a thesis but rather just a "writing requirement" where you rework a paper submitted for one of your classes until the faculty approve it.
A big draw for NAU in my situation is the chance to live in Flagstaff, but that won't be a good enough reason if the educational program isn't acceptable. |
Did you end up enrolling at NAU, elamericano? |
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elamericano
Joined: 10 Nov 2007 Posts: 65
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 3:30 am Post subject: |
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I probably will this coming fall. After doing more research, I found the academic features to be acceptable.
I had been thinking about some of the private colleges mentioned here, but they are too expensive for me. I don't trust TESL/TEFL jobs to have the payscale or security to justify that level of debt. |
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Chris_Crossley

Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 1797 Location: Still in the centre of Furnace City, PRC, after eight years!!!
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:31 pm Post subject: It depends upon the job you have |
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| elamericano wrote: |
| I don't trust TESL/TEFL jobs to have the payscale or security to justify that level of debt. |
If I had been reading this message eight-and-a-half years ago, I would've agreed wholeheartedly with this point of view.
I was up to my neck in debt at that time, not to mention unemployed, with student and credit card debts to repay to creditors at the going rate.
Ironically, when I actually managed to get a job in China, the creditors actually agreed to reduce my monthly payments and one lender even zero-rated the interest for two years - albeit without telling me!
Now, though, I am happy to say that I am in the sort of TEFL job that I wish I could have landed all those years ago because, compared to most front-line classroom teaching jobs in China, the one I have had for almost exactly five years now pays quite well.
The creditors have by now all been paid off, I'm glad to say, so now I am able to put money by each month instead of just surviving on what I get.
One never knows: one could strike it lucky job-wise even in TEFL. |
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elamericano
Joined: 10 Nov 2007 Posts: 65
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Posted: Mon Feb 15, 2010 7:51 pm Post subject: |
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| The creditors have by now all been paid off, I'm glad to say, so now I am able to put money by each month instead of just surviving on what I get. |
You are still years behind in terms of savings because of having to make those loan payments. As well, creditors these days are much more inflexible. |
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Chris_Crossley

Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 1797 Location: Still in the centre of Furnace City, PRC, after eight years!!!
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:33 am Post subject: Think ahead, not behind |
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| elamericano wrote: |
| You are still years behind in terms of savings because of having to make those loan payments. As well, creditors these days are much more inflexible. |
Is the glass half-empty or half-full?
I prefer to think of the years ahead, not the years behind, in this respect. |
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fat_chris
Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing
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Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:24 am Post subject: |
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Agreeing with what Denise has mentioned in her posts here, I attended and graduated from Teachers College at Columbia University with an MA in TESOL. Expensive indeed, but it was definitely worth the investment. I greatly cherish my time at Columbia and in New York City. The classes were great, the professors were excellent, and most importantly, the collaborations with my fellow classmates were incredibly rewarding.
I'm glad that a few posts here have mentioned Arizona State University. I have been looking at their new PhD program in Applied Linguistics. I particularly like it that they offer a concentration in Language Policy and Planning. I am also looking at Northern Arizona University's doctoral program. Arizona is the state for PhD programs in Applied Linguistics!
Regards,
fat_chris |
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ajnabiyya
Joined: 21 Jun 2008 Posts: 8
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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| I recently graduated from the MATESOL program at SFSU (San Francisco State University) and I highly recommend it. In my opinion, the professors are excellent, the program is well thought-out and does a good job connecting theory and practice, and there are lots of opportunities to get teaching experience while in the program. For example, I have been teaching at the intensive English program on campus, the American Language Institute, which is probably the most professionally rewarding job I've ever had. Another good thing about SFSU is that it's a state school so the tuition is very reasonable if you are a California resident. |
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dantana
Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 19
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Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:37 am Post subject: |
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| Anybody here knows of a reputable University in Canada that one can complete a degree online? |
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Molson
Joined: 01 May 2009 Posts: 137 Location: China
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Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 4:10 am Post subject: |
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| dantana wrote: |
| Anybody here knows of a reputable University in Canada that one can complete a degree online? |
The University of Calgary and the University of Toronto both have MA or M.Ed programs in TESL online. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan
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Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 9:10 am Post subject: |
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| Molson wrote: |
| dantana wrote: |
| Anybody here knows of a reputable University in Canada that one can complete a degree online? |
The University of Calgary and the University of Toronto both have MA or M.Ed programs in TESL online. |
Note: UofT requires initial teacher training (a one-year university TESOL available through UofT, York, Carleton, Brock and maybe a couple of others) certificate or a B.Ed as a prerequisite- and neither the TESOL certificate nor the B.Ed can be done by distance. However, Brock University has a B.Ed in Adult Education that CAN be done by distance (it doesn't lead to certification by the Ontario College of Teachers)- I don't know if UofT would accept that as the prereq for their masters or not- I don't think it requires the same number of course credits as a B.Ed, but then neither does UofTs TESOL certificate (I remember looking through the requirements of each and thinking that Carleton's looked a lot better than UofT's. The bizarre thing with UofTs is that the TESOL certificate is housed in Woodsworth, but the masters is housed in the Faculty of Education. At Carleton, both are housed in the Linguistics department).
Trinity (a Christian denominational school- maybe that removes 'reputable' in some peoples' eyes- it did mine) in BC and Canada Providence College in Otterburne, Manitoba (same issue as Trinity, and I'm not entirely sure that it is a degree granting university and not a diploma granting college) have them, too.
It's still a lot more common for Canadians to do their off-campus masters degree through universities in the UK or Australia than Canada. Birmingham (the one in the UK, not the one in the US) is the most common- but mostly because it's advertised so heavily (through David English House). UNE and USQ (both in Australia) are also pretty well known. I've known Canadians with degrees from Leicester (in the UK), Birmingham (in the UK) both University of New England [UNE] (Australia, not the one in the US) and University of Southern Queensland [USQ] (Australia). My masters degree was from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia and it was great (from talking to others, it seem that Deakin has a much better on-line library system so researching is a lot easier, and unlike other universities, they don't cut you off when you've graduated or, in the case of some schools, when you've finished core courses, even though you still have a thesis to write!!! ) |
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Molson
Joined: 01 May 2009 Posts: 137 Location: China
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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:54 am Post subject: |
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| Molson wrote: |
| dantana wrote: |
| Anybody here knows of a reputable University in Canada that one can complete a degree online? |
The University of Calgary and the University of Toronto both have MA or M.Ed programs in TESL online. |
Here is the link for U of C
http://educ.ucalgary.ca/gder/specializations/teaching-english-second-language
Their admission requires are less stringent than the University of Toronto. |
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smee3life
Joined: 23 Apr 2010 Posts: 1 Location: Chicago, IL
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Posted: Sun May 02, 2010 10:10 pm Post subject: northern arizona university |
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| hey elamericano-have you selected northern arizona? i applied very late this year after freaking out about paying for the teachers college at columbia, and just got accepted.i was wondering if you had any more info or interest in pm-ing |
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