Job Discussion Forums

[mrbiru]

I am wondering how easy it will be to make the transition from teaching kids English to teaching at university level in the future. I've been working at a kindergarten and lower primary school in Thailand for a year and a half. My last job involved teaching adults and kids English for a year at a conversation school, also in Thailand. And before having a break from teaching for three and a half years I worked in Japan at a conversation school teaching mainly adults for three years. I am thinking about moving to the Middle East next year to teach adults, once I have completed an online Masters in TESOL and Applied Linguistics. I'm would like to know if working as a primary and kindergarten English teacher for another year and a half will make it harder to get a university job. I enjoy teaching kids for the most part at my present school, but think I'd prefer teaching adults in the long run. Would getting another year of experience teaching adults here in Thailand make it much easier to get a university job, or is it fine to teach at kindergarten and primary until moving next year? Is is important, when looking for a uni job in the ME, to have recent experience at the relevant level?

[nomad soul]

If you're seriously set on teaching in the Mid East, there are several issues you'll have to overcome:

First, your experience teaching adults seems to have been limited to conversation schools. Many Mid East universities prefer teachers have experience teaching writing since this is a weak spot for Arabic L1 students. Also, they want that experience at either a high school or tertiary level. The second issue is that online degrees---even those that are through a well-known western university---still don't have full credibility, especially in Saudi Arabia. Lastly, many employers only count experience gained after obtaining your graduate degree, and they want several years of it. That's not the case with all Mid East employers, however. Just be aware that the better jobs in the region require teachers to have solid, relevant experience and credentials.

If you can, enroll in an MA TESOL program that includes a practicum with observed teaching practice with real students. I would also suggest the "theme" or content of your studies focus on the language learning needs/problems of Arabic speakers. In other words, use your coursework as a way to make yourself more appealing to Mid East employers. For example, if you have a class assignment about language transference, present your findings based on Arabic L1 issues. You get the idea. And for your practicum, see if you can do it through a college EFL/ESL situation. Of course, you're not likely to have Arab students if you're in Asia, but you'd still get in some observed teaching experience at the level employers want. Your education is worth what you put into it, so plan accordingly.

In the meantime, check out the Mid East forums and Dave's job board to get an idea of what's required to teach in the region. You'll find some employers will take an experienced teacher with a BA, but it looks like the trend is moving towards a preference for MA degree holders.

[mrbiru]

Thanks for the reply Nomad Soul. I am almost half way though the TESOL MA, and there are no necessary practical teaching observations as part of the course, but I could contact universities and try to observe some classes anyway. I like your idea about basing assignments on Arabic learners...I guess even doing one or two theoretical essays on Arabic learners of English would help when it comes to finding a teaching job in the region.

[nomad soul]

Mrbiru: The practicum is critical if you're completing your degree online and plan to apply for jobs in the Mid East. However, you can always get a CELTA after you graduate. Another option is to see if your university will approve an elective practicum course through another university, or self-study in which you set up your own observed teaching practice experience based on standard practicum requirements at the graduate level. That way, you'd get the graded credit on your transcript indicating you completed this component. Moreover, it won't raise any questions from potential employers about the delivery mode of your degree, unless of course, the university your MA in TESOL is through is specifically an online institution.