Job Discussion Forums

[robhenniker]

Hi everybody and thanks for reading. I’m considering coming to KSA to teach English and I would like to ask you guys if you think I sound like a strong candidate for the better jobs over there. I’m pretty sure Aramco is out of the question, but I’m wondering if I would have a decent chance at the more desirable university jobs.

Quick quals:

American, early 40s, single.

13 years ESL teaching: 6 in Korea, 7 in a U.S. high school.

M.Ed. in TESL, done in-person (not online) at a U.S. college. (My Bachelor’s degree had nothing to do with education but who cares, the Masters trumps it, right?)

State certification in ESL K-12

3 of the Korea years were at national universities. Those 3 years plus the 7 at the American high school were all post-Masters.

Thank you in advance for your feedback. I have lots of other questions about living in KSA. If anyone (or a couple of anyones) would be willing to correspond in private emails, I would love to pick your brains. I don’t know what you’d get out of it, but… normally I’d offer to buy you a beer when I got there but I guess that’s not gonna work. Maybe I could smuggle you in a peanut butter cup or something. Anyway, cheers.

[lcanupp1964]

Even though you have a Masters in TESL, you still need a 120 hour on-site certification in TESOL/TEFL/TESL, or you need to get a CELTA. In KSA, it's a requirement that you really can't get around. They will not take any certifications done on-line.

If you do have one, I would only apply to KFUPM or KAU as a direct hire. As long as you can submit proof of your experience (letters of employment and other related documents), you would be highly sought after. You are in the "driver's seat", so you won't have to work with a recruiter that would only take a chunk of you monthly pay and provide very little in return. Money wise, you should be making somewhere around 17,000sr ($4,500) per month.

The reason I would go with either KFUPM, or KAU is due to the location of the two universities and the total amount of teaching hours you would be required to do. If you taught at a private high school (Jeddah Knowledge, for example), or worked for a military contractor, you would be teaching between five/six hours a day. At KAU would be teaching 18 hours a week and the rest of the time you would be off. At KSU, you would be teaching around the same amount as KAU, but you would have to be on site when you are not teaching and "work" a normal 8 hour day.

That would be one peanut-butter cup please.

[veiledsentiments]

Or if you don't have or want to do a cert, you can apply to any of the universities in the other Gulf countries where it isn't needed if you have a related MA.

And except for Saudi and Kuwait, you can deliver on that beer...

VS

[nomad soul]

I disagree with Icanupp on one point but only because he misread your post. Your M.Ed. in TESL + state ESL endorsement/cert is sufficient; there's no need to get a CELTA or equivalent TEFL cert.

[sicklyman]

[robhenniker]

Icanupp1964, VS, Nomad Soul, and sicklyman, thank you so much for your responses. This was exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Now, Icanupp1964, if you’re still reading, do you agree with nomad soul, that my state certification and Masters are sufficient? I really hope so. I like your explanation of the different jobs, it sounds like KFUPM and KAU are what I’m looking for.

And VS, I would certainly be open to the other Gulf states, I was aiming for KSA because the money was better (or course). Is that less true if we’re talking about Masters-required jobs?

As for ARAMCO sicklylman, my understanding (just from browsing the forum) is that a masters, state certification and experience in a U.S. high school might get me in, but only if they were something other than ESL. If I had all that in chemistry, I’d be in business, but why would they pay the high salary when ESL/EFLers can be found more cheaply. (Not to disparage any of you fine people, of course.) Please correct me if I’ve got this wrong.

Another question I have is about time. I’ve read it can take a looong time to get hired, provide all the necessary documents and so forth. I haven’t applied for anything yet, do I have enough time to get hired for September, lots of time, just enough, better hurry, or what?

Thank you all again for helping the clueless. So, the count so far is one out-of-kingdom beer and one peanut butter cup. Keep writing and watch the snacks accumulate! Cheers.

[SENTINEL33]

I have a couple of questions about your US ESL experience:

1. Is your K-12 credential still active? As you know, in many states, these credentials have to be renewed periodically even if you're teaching in the field. Of course, in some states, the credential is permanent once you get it.

2. In most states of the US, a credential is issued on a major subject, such as English or chemistry or history. ESL is generally not considered a "major" subject so what happens is that it is "added on" to a major subject credential and so the credential is for, say, history with an ESL "endorsement" (after taking a few ESL courses). What is your credential in? In a science? And is your ESL an "endorsement? What state is the issuing state?

Maybe in your state, ESL is now considered a full fledged "subject".

The reason I'm asking is because your going to find that in the Gulf, your pre-university teaching (grade, middle and high school) is often not taken into account either for salary purposes or for hiring purposes = that is to say, it doesn't count. So you're going to have to emphasize the MA in TESL (which is all you really need).

Which is a shame, by the way. I have long held that what the Gulf needs is high school English teachers - teachers that are certified by a US state to teach pre-university level students in English because that's the level (at best) most Gulf students are at when they enter university.

In fact, the LAST thing they need is an ESL teacher whose own command of English as an academic subject is frequently questionable. ESL and TESL is all about getting students to speak colloquial English in informal situations, such as going to the movies, having a party, asking directions in a strange USA city and so on.....you know, the kinds of things you teach in Thailand, Korea and Japan, places like that. It never was about teaching such esoteric subjects as GRAMMAR or (horrors) SYNTAX or COMPOSITION and "stuff" like that. (That's the origin of the truism that "anyone can teach English if he's a native speaker. All it takes is this 2 week certificate......")

Needless to say, my advice has always been ignored, not for pedagogical reasons, naturally, but for political reasons. Just thought you should know this angle to teaching in the Gulf.

[veiledsentiments]

[sicklyman]

[cultofpersonality]

A few places don't care about a CELTA if you already have an M.A. in TESOL. CELTA is only really necessary and sought after if your first degree was in something non-ESL or education related. CELTA is a really basic teaching qualification and a lot of places are OK with people just having the MA TESOL. I do not have a CELTA but I have a PGCE teaching credential which is more valued in certain parts. I will also have a Masters as well. I knew of a few teachers who didn't have a CELTA.

[robhenniker]

You guys have given me a lot to think about and investigate, thank you. Can I ask a question about forum etiquette? When someone replies to my post, can I go ahead and write them a PM, if I want to follow up on what they're saying or if I want to ask something that's not for whole-world consumption? I don't want to intrude on anyone's privacy or bother anyone. Should I get permission before I PM someone? Cheers.

[veiledsentiments]

Supposedly one needs 5 posts to do PMs (to slow down the spammers), but I'd say, go ahead and see if they will go through. People don't have to answer a PM if they don't want to...

VS

[ttxor1]

[sicklyman]

[johnslat]

Dear sicklyman.

Huh? Were they 'Mercans or Europeans? Most 'Mercans would think Delta was an airline. (and CELTA a basketball team.)

Regards,
John