Job Discussion Forums

[PaulV]

Hello, this is my first post on these boards. I'm currently an ESL teacher and, I hope that I can learn from the experience of other's here on Dave's cafe. I am posting this though with hopes that someone can give me some career advice as right now I feel kind of disoriented.

I'm graduating in May with an MA in Linguistics with an applied specialization, and I need to find a job that pays decently. How can I best put my MA to use? I've been teaching ESL at a local language school in L.A. since 2008, and my wife is a Japanese citizen. Furthermore, I've studied two years of Japanese at SDSU. Although I don't have a CELTA or TESOL credential, I started out as a TESOL major at Cal State, and I finished most of the coursework for the TESOL MS before switching to pure linguistics.

I was thinking that being married to a Japanese citizen might give me an advantage with Japanese schools since they wouldn't have to sponsor my visa. Or could I make more money by staying here in the U.S.? My wife really wants to live in Europe for a while, but from what I've read on these boards, it doesn't sound like that's a feasible option for an American citizen.

Whatever the case, I need to find something to sustain my wife and me by June.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

[spiral78]

My wife really wants to live in Europe for a while, but from what I've read on these boards, it doesn't sound like that's a feasible option for an American citizen.


While you could definitely get any job going in the European countries where US citizens can work, which are limited to Central/Eastern Europe, salaries there simply aren't more than very,very basic even with higher level quals. I've got an MA and 13 years of experience at this stage, and strong connections to the Czech Rep, and can't find a job that pays well enough to do more than just support me. I also had a uni job in Western Europe for some years, but I had contacts in the area who were willing to jump through the legal hoops to get me. This is pretty rare.

I think your best bets would be Asia and perhaps the Middle East - and take your wife to Europe on glamourous holidays with your much higher earnings!

[naturegirl321]

YOu might want to try contacting Glenski about working in Japan. He knows a lot about that.

If there's anyway that you could use some of your credits and get a teaching license, that would open up doors to intl schools, such as those at www.tes.co.uk and www.ibo.org

YOur MA will help as well. Jobs in the Middle East sound like they could work for you

[PaulV]

[spiral78]

The pay in Central/Eastern Europe is subsistence level only. You can live ok, but not pay off debts or save up much. If you will need to support your wife and/or pay off debt, this is probably not a feasible area for you.

[tttompatz]

Truth be told, you realistically have 2 options:

1) front your own start-up, transition costs and choose a market like Japan, Taiwan, or Korea. You will certainly be able to land a university job in all 3 but you will need between $5000-10000 to relocate, setup and maintain yourself until you find and start work and get your first paycheck.

2) choose a lower level job, take the perks (supplied airfare, housing decent pay), bank some cash and use your time (typically 1 year contracts) to network into something better.

-Korea has the best pay for the least amount of work and minimal difficulty getting hired.
-Japan has OK pay and decent savings but it will be hard to find well paid, regular work without connections. Depending on your age, the JET program might be a decent bridge into Japan.
-Taiwan limits you to universities (low pay but low hours), language academies (long hours but OK pay) or public schools (if you get home country licensing (great package).
-HongKong is an option with decent packages (NET program).
on your age, the JET program might be a decent bridge into Japan.

There is no shortcut.

3 things come into play:

1) fast (get there quick),
2) easy (all the visa and related work done for you),
3) cheap (minimal transition and start-up costs).

You can pick any 2 of the 3.

Fast and easy won't be cheap; get on a plane, land, get settled and go to work (all the costs are yours to bear but it is easy to find work).

Cheap and easy won't be fast (you have to find someone willing to hire you from abroad, to do the paperwork and bear the relocation costs).

Fast and cheap won't be easy (you're gonna do all the legwork).

.

[Perilla]

I agree with spiral that your best bet is probably Asia in terms of job availability and income. Doubtful you'd find anything better than subsistence-level pay in whatever Euro countries you can actually legally work in. And TBH, even IF you could work in western Europe, you'd be lucky to find anything that pays much better once you've factored in the higher costs of living.

As NG mentions, getting QTS would boost your options hugely, but with the MA you should still find reasonable work OK in Asia. It might be wise to get your CELTA.

[PaulV]

[naturegirl321]

[80daze]

[naturegirl321]

[tttompatz]

[Perilla]

[Kofola]

The reason some employees ask for both CELTA and MA is that not all MAs are equal; some have no practical component.

I think that can easily be overcome by making it clear in the cover letter that the MA included observed teaching practice.

[sisyphus]

IMO an observed teaching component on an MA is laughable. Most people who do MAs have years of teaching practice and a 4 week course cutting up pieces of pink paper is not going to change that. I remember applying to do a Delta course and withdrawing when I realised that people with less qualifications and experience ( also non native teachers) would be 'evaluating' me in a classroom. Risible.