Job Discussion Forums

[think_balance]

A bit of a long post, but I hope all this information will garner me some good advice.

My demographics:
Age: 37
US Citizen
Taught as an English Assistant in France in 2005/06.
B.A. in English
Graduating next week with an M.A. TESOL from my local university.

My situation:
I had surgery for cancer in 2009 and have been cancer free for two year. However, in order to be 'certified' cancer free, I need to be tumor free for five years, thus I have three years left in my count down.

My financial situation:
I have a good job in the tech industry currently. I'm debt free and have a bit saved for retirement. Whatever initial job I take needs to pay enough for me to live comfortably and send home at least $500 a month.

My current thinking:

Once I get my certification, I'd like to move abroad.

I know money is insanely good in the Middle East, but I also hear that one should wait until one is a bit older to teach there - as life there is a bit more mellow and settled.

I've planned on teaching in Japan for a few years, but with the EQ / Tsunami, I am not sure what the TESOL situation will be like in three years.

I've also wanted to teach in the Peace Corps (preferably Morocco) but I am not sure if I should do this as my first move in my TESOL career or wait.

I also hear that Turkey is looking to start something similar to the JET Programme - though, obviously, not in Japan .

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-239130-turkey-to-hire-40000-native-english-speakers-as-guest-teachers.html

Lastly, it might be nice to teach somewhere that is somewhat carefree and fun loving for my first gig.

My questions, then, are all about timing. Which should I do first? Am I going to be too old for Japan when I am finally cancer free? Should I jump in to the more lucrative areas first? Get some experience and connections in the Peace Corps?

How would you handle this? I have three years left - that gives me a chance to take some language / culture courses in the area to which I'll move and, hopefully, get some experience teaching ESL stateside.

If there's a thread I missed that discusses how to plan things like this, please let me know.

Thank you in advance.

[Denizen]

Japan may be a nice fit.

Here's what I'd do if I were in your kutsu...

1. Get some documentable ESL teaching experience in the States, if possible.
2. Take some Japanese language classes.
3. If you can, try publishing some ESL related articles in journals to boost credibility.
4. Save around $5,000 as startup money for a stint in Japan.
5. After that, connect with people on this board (Glenski, for example) who are in universities for further advice.

If this sounds intimidating, you may want to get your feet wet at an Eikaiwa or as an ALT for a year before pursuing a uni job.

Good luck on your full recovery!

[think_balance]

[Glenski]

Good grief no, you are not too old for Japan! You seem to have an ancient view on who gets jobs here. TEFL is not primarily for the 20-year-old set. Far from it.

As for what the situation will be here in 3 years' time, who can say? I'd strongly suggest you read up on the market from now till then. It's not getting any better.

You're likely not going to get a uni position without some Japanese language ability and Japanese teaching experience, and certainly not without several publications! Read the FAQ stickies and internal links in the Japan forum for more.

[naturegirl321]

[Happy Everyday]

Will someone please suggest ESL journals?

Journals are the creme de la creme. Don't rule out participating in symposiums, publishing in magazines, and publishing a book and articles via Amazon.

Personally, I've switched from focusing on publications to focusing on more performances. "Oh, you're an actor? Let's see your demo reel, let's see your resume. Can you teach it?" I've gotten good at using some of the showbiz razzamatazz to get shy students talking. Education has been my sideline jobs for years. After refining pedagogical methods, designing fun classes for conversation and learning were the next step. I would prefer to do more in the professional arts though, and if it must be teaching, the arts are also ideal and should pay more.

No offense to the linguists, whom I respect even moreso after learning IPA for acting and ESL, but I'm not the kind of guy who gets jollies out of debating whether or not a prohibition against clause-final prepositions is an arbitrary rule... even though most linguists today would file it under "prescriptivist poppycock".

My point is that I would climb the ladder more as in instructor because it is how I earn a living. Is getting published the only way?

[Glenski]

[Happy Everyday]

Ah, you could suggest a few by name and title.

What ladder? Look, most people who teach in the arts do not always seek to do so in an accredited school because it pays more to do it on your own. AND the idea is to make art, not write theoritical research for publications.

But I don't mind working in universities. I was asked to TA at UC Berkeley and Stanford before going to grad school. I've studied pedagogical methods with leaders in their field at a birck and mortar school. GSI positions are common within grad school, so no, you do not need a MA to teach in a uni. the degrees raise your income.

Tenure track is very demanding but includes great benefits. Making art on the side instead of writing papers is normal for some teachers. The climb I'd like to make is one where I'd get a raise, have an iota of "job security" without having to write for journals as my career. Most people in academia experience the same career process-- it's publish or perish. That's not the case for ALL teachers in a uni. Heck, technically, a research school gives teaching duties to GSI while the faculty member conducts research, publishes, and seeks grants grants grants.

I'm not knocking teaching as a career. If I must teach forever, out of a need for income, then I'd like to do so in my field. I'd like to earn more than a basic ESL teacher. And I'd like to *not* have to dedicate my time to writing papers for journals. Not all schools demand papers. Certainly not most performing art universities. I'm thinking that some of you have more experience than I do abroad. I know how it works in USA.

What are our options as foreigners abroad? Yeah, I'd like to climb the ladder a bit in education because it's the only job we are allowed to do. I started six years ago, and the salaries have not increased a lot with the inflation.

I'm not being snotty. I just know in USA there are other options in the classes you teach and how you can advance a bit in your school career while still persuing your own projects-- be it research, wiriting, performing, or whatever. I do not know all the options in foreign countries. You probably know much more than I do

[naturegirl321]

Happy Everyday, I PMed you with some ideas for getting published.

Funny you should mention MAs and higher ed jobs, I've been researching the TAFE system in Australia and think that the US has a long way to go to follow in their footsteps. Working in the arts is great and is fantastic for those students who aren't so book smart or like hands on learning.

My BA was in studio arts, I'd like to do something with it, but think I've been teaching for too long.

Hope it works out for you, it seems like you have good plans.

[Glenski]

[Denizen]

I appreciate the links as well, Glenski.

[think_balance]

Thank you for the advice, everyone. Oddly enough, I only got one notification of a response, so didn't see all the rest of you until today.

Living Comfortably: Dinner out and a movie once a week. Able to take national (Japan based) or nearby international holidays once a year. Not a big consumer of tangibles - and in Japan that is likely an asset due to space limitations.

Would prefer to work in Osaka - would like to be somewhere with a good English based ex-pat community.

And yes, as mentioned earlier, took a job through the French cultural exchange office to teach English in France.

http://www.frenchculture.org/spip.php?rubrique424&tout=ok

Would love to do it again, but I'm too old.

[Glenski]

[think_balance]

[quote="Glenski"]That should be no problem even on entry level wages.[/qoute]

Really? Do you mean these 250k yen / month jobs?

[Glenski]

You can eat out a couple of times a week and take in a movie on entry level pay around 250,000 yen/month, yes. Figure things like this:

Half your salary goes to basic necessities:
tax
rent
utilities
phone
food

So, 125,000 is left over (roughly). Go out drinking moderately a couple of times a week, and you'll still have 75,000 left over. It's all up to you to decide how much you want to tuck away before you even spend it, and how much you want to spend on other things, frivolous or otherwise.

expensive hair care
satellite TV
video rentals
car or scooter expenses
emergency medical care
dry cleaning
gifts and souvenirs
sightseeing
trips to the homeland or nearby countries
boyfriends/girlfriends

A while ago I started a thread on "cheapskates". Look it up to see sensible and rather insane ways that people wrote in to describe how to save money.