Job Discussion Forums

[slinden]

(cross posted in newbies forum)

Hello,

I've been considering teaching English abroad for some time now. I have a husband (who isn't necessarily interested in teaching at the moment, but he does have a Bachelors of Science degree, and 32 hours of a MS in Biology, so he theoretically could if he felt motivated to do so) and a 4.5 year old son. We are all US citizens by birth.

I have a BA in Anthropology and a Master's in Library Science and have been directing libraries for over 3 years now, with additional experience in libraries beyond that (not in management). I have always been interested in other cultures and places and have a strong command of English. I've been applying this past month for librarian jobs in international schools but my teaching experience is limited (2 years in grad school, mostly) so I have a feeling I won't be a very strong candidate.

I am in the process of weighing my options WRT TEFL. My end goal is to make a good amount of money so we can save a lot and travel the world to give my son some really unique experiences in his childhood (homeschooling is definitely an option for now but as he gets older I'd consider the international school scene if I ended up hired at one). Ultimately I'd like to get a good idea of living in a variety of places. My parents (retired and in their 60s) would consider moving out of the country near us to a place with a low cost of living, as they are on a fixed income. Places in South America and SE Asia come to mind as options. For instance we maybe would live in the city and they would live in a smaller area... I'd like to be able to save a nice amount each year (I don't know, is 30k unreasonable?) and eventually (maybe in 5-10 years) move on to the really high paying positions in the Middle East. Our expenses in general are pretty basic, tv isn't necessary, we don't really go out, probably the biggest thing would just be travel within or outside of the country every so often.

I'm considering getting a CELTA or IDELT in the next six months to a year and get things going. Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Thoughts on how my son and husband would fit in these respective countries as dependents? I'm open to any suggestions or comments. Thanks for reading!

Sara

[spiral78]

Save 30,000 USD/equivalent per year?
Support a family?
On a teacher's salary, at a CELTA level? (your unrelated quals are, well, unrelated - unless you can get a job in a library - not terribly likely unless you have a good grasp of the local language).

[slinden]

Yeah, I guess that'd be more likely for the higher end of the spectrum, like in the middle east perhaps. I don't think it seems super unlikely having a master's degree, several years of experience, and CELTA or IDELT, to look for that kind of $ after a few years of teaching, is it? I wouldn't expect it my first year, but I would, of course want to live "comfortably" as a family--no scrounging to get by, as we have a child to consider. But of course, I'm open to everyone's comments, that's why I'm here

[spiral78]

An unrelated MA is unrelated these days. Some years back, it was far more likely for a university or international school to consider any old MA as desirable. However, these days there is lots of highly-qualified competition.

I've served on university hiring committees (in Europe and Canada, not in any of the regions you are targeting) on and off for over a decade, and an unrelated MA simply isn't considered a plus. I'm afraid that's more and more the case in most parts of the world these days.

You've got an awful lot of stiff competition. In the ME, an unrelated MA + CELTA + some experience elsewhere isn't going to get you the big bucks. You might post in the ME forums below for definite info.

[slinden]

You keep saying unrelated masters, however in applying to international schools, if I did at some point in the future after teaching English for a few years, I would be applying for librarian positions. So, I guess it's pretty related. Now, I'm thinking that an ability and qualifications to TEFL, plus the desired librarian's degree would give me the option to TEFL and/or work at an international school as a librarian, depending on available openings. Does that make sense? Thoughts?

[spiral78]

Yes, if you can land a (fairly rare) position as a librarian at an international school, it will work. However, I think you may be overestimating demand. Others will have more info on this.

You are also thinking of two quite distinct positions. A qualified librarian with basic TEFL quals would be desirable for a school that 1. needs a qualified librarian (again, considering whether local language skills are necessary to work in a library in a non-Anglophone country) or 2. needs a basically-qualified TEFL teacher.

It's not a natural combination, I don't think.

[slinden]

spiral78, I see on another post you said you have an MA TEFL... do you think that's a better/more useful credential than, say a CELTA? Thanks for your responses--

SL

[MuscatGary]

I'd be amazed if you could save anywhere near that amount, a direct hire position with the MOHE in Oman for a related Masters and at least four years teaching experience pays 46,000 USD out of which you have to get your accommodation.

[D-M]

[nomad soul]

[HLJHLJ]

[nomad soul]

[spiral78]

Yes, I have a related BA and MA (plus some other useful stuff). No, I don't save 30,000 usd/yearly, though I have a very good job.


As has already been pointed out, a CELTA is very much an entry-level qualification and won't qualify one for the top-of-the-line jobs that pay well.

Some years back, the demand for native English speakers in many countries far surpassed the numbers of potential teachers willing to live abroad. The past couple of decades has done much to reverse the situation - tough economic times in North America and the UK (and Australia/NZ) have greatly increased the flow of native English speakers on the world's job markets. Increased competition has the expected effect; wages are relatively less, and employers have far more choices in terms of who they choose to hire.

Library positions are likely to be somewhat restricted unless you have some proficiency in the local language as well - though there are a few university/international school libraries with most/all of their resources in English only. Having a husband with no particular qualifications and a child limits you to the pretty rare openings that will support a family. I think your chances are slim, though of course you may get lucky and find something, given your willingness to lower your savings expectations.

[slinden]

Wow, thanks everyone for the replies. Sorry for not responding earlier, for some reason I stopped getting notifications of replies. Anyways...

OK, regarding the $ figures... I wouldn't expect saving that kind of dough in South America, not at all. That's more of a "projected" figure, which according to everyone's comments is apparently high. I was getting my number figures from this http://www.bridgetefl.com/jobs-at-a-glance/ site, using the United Arab Emirates figures. Is the feeling that the chart they show skews high?

With regards to teaching at international schools, I'm aware that they typically use English as the accepted common language. That would be an important point for me as although I can speak another language, I don't know if I'd be comfortable working solely in it at this point. I have been doing quite a bit of applying for librarian positions (probably 20 openings that I've found so far) this past month, as IS hiring season has just opened. Nomad Soul, I appreciate the suggestions and links you've posted. I have a bayt profile and have visited some of the other sites you mentioned, but it's been a while so I'll revisit them.

I asked about the MA TESOL because I have a program available to me that offers it, and some scholarships are available and so forth. As of course you all know, it is longer than things like the CELTA and so I feel a bit torn between wanting to get something started in order to start building up more teaching experience vs choosing a track that will, in the long run, be the best choice for my career.

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. Any additional remarks are welcomed.

SL

[nomad soul]