Job Discussion Forums

[Sudz]

Hi everyone.

I'm enrolling in an MA TESOL program (probably), and I'm wondering what a practical BA might be down the line? Yes I'm taking the slightly uncommon MA - BA route!

Would having a BA in English be of any benefit, or might a random BA (say psychology) be all the same?

Btw if things work out with just the MA, I think I'll stick with that. However, I might decide to chip away at some classes though (distance) down the line (there are a few countries where I'll be compromised by just having the MA)

[s10czar]

You get level 2 pay in a public school job in Korea with a BA in English.

Level 2 is the same rate that you get with one year experience or a CELTA and is 200,000 won more than level 1

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

It sort of depends on what you study in your English degree. If all of the courses are English lit types of courses (so you're reading novels, short stories, poetry and plays and writing essays) then no, it's not really directly applicable- probably. Although, if you do a lot of comparative literature (between different cultures and countries), then that would be useful (especially if your masters degree is from Australia, New Zealand or the UK). And children's literature may be useful as well. Depending on the level you teach and what you teach, courses in creative writing would be useful (journalism, too- but often journalism is separate from the English department).

A degree in psychology, though isn't a random degree for this area- having a background in developmental psychology would be really useful.

A degree in linguistics is really the most directly applicable (especially if the masters degree is from a North American university). But linguistics is the scientific study of human language, and people with a background entirely in that can have a bit of an issue when it comes time to being unscientific.

By the end of a masters in language teaching, your head will be in language teacher mode. If you go on to study another area after that that is even remotely connected (basically any of the humanities subjects, plus business communications types of subjects [journalism, public relations, advertising, international relations- I'm not sure if that's really a 'business communications' area, though]), then you will likely find that you figure out ways of using it in your teaching. Double majors are possible at a lot of universities- you could do English literature AND psychology (that seems to be a common double major in Ontario, actually) or English literature AND linguistics, for example.

[fladude]

It probably depends a lot on where you want to work. If you would ever want to work at US style International School, then having an English degree could be used to make you "highly qualified." Being highly qualified is a big term in the USA. And as such it would be big at an International School that uses the American system. It would also help you get a job in the USA at a public school if you ever wanted one. I don't know anything about the British system so I can't comment.

I would also recommend a double major. If you want to teach having a second degree in communications is always nice. It seems like schools like to stick new English teachers with a journalism class or two (and hand the year book off to them). Also it might open up other jobs such as being a news correspondent or whatnot.

I think a double major in psychology would also be great. That is still taught in a lot of schools and having the degree would make you highly qualified. So you could apply to teach both English and Psychology. Also you might want to get into school counseling down the road. Being a school counselor can pay well and can be a fairly "cush" job.

Bottom line though, watch your costs. Don't spend 10 times on college what you will earn.

[naturegirl321]

I'd say any random one will do, IF it's from a proper uni, people usually specialise with their MA anyways.

[somewhere_else]

I think for your BA you can probably study what interests you more and as long as you have your MA specializing in TESOL it will be fine.

[fladude]