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McGarnagle
Joined: 13 Jan 2014
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 8:24 am Post subject: Qualifications vs. work experience |
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I'm about to launch into a TESOL course this year, and wanted to know how employable I would be upon completion. I already completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and Linguistics, and will be studying MA TESOL through a reputable university (although I am considering transferring into MA Applied Linguistics). If my finances are still alright by the end of the year, I think I'll try get a CELTA qualification.
However, this TESOL course doesn't leave me qualified to teach in my own country, so my only way of getting any teaching experience here (short of undertaking another 2 year course) is to volunteer as an ESL tutor. My question is, would this be substantial teaching experience for employers, or should I focus less on 'qualifications' and more on teaching?
For reference, I am a native English speaker with dual Australian and EU citizenship/passport. |
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Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339
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| Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 8:48 am Post subject: Re: Qualifications vs. work experience |
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| McGarnagle wrote: |
I'm about to launch into a TESOL course this year, and wanted to know how employable I would be upon completion. I already completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and Linguistics, and will be studying MA TESOL through a reputable university (although I am considering transferring into MA Applied Linguistics). If my finances are still alright by the end of the year, I think I'll try get a CELTA qualification.
However, this TESOL course doesn't leave me qualified to teach in my own country, so my only way of getting any teaching experience here (short of undertaking another 2 year course) is to volunteer as an ESL tutor. My question is, would this be substantial teaching experience for employers, or should I focus less on 'qualifications' and more on teaching?
For reference, I am a native English speaker with dual Australian and EU citizenship/passport. |
It depends on the type of job you're after. 'Substantial' experience means different things to different employers. For most of Asia I'd say you're actually overqualified, but for other employers your lack of experience may hold you back. Definitely try and get some experience, it will flesh out your qualifications. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 10:37 am Post subject: Re: Qualifications vs. work experience |
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| McGarnagle wrote: |
| I already completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and Linguistics, and will be studying MA TESOL through a reputable university (although I am considering transferring into MA Applied Linguistics). |
Why are you considering transferring into MA AL? Keep in mind that the name of the degree doesn't matter as much as the content.
| Quote: |
| However, this TESOL course doesn't leave me qualified to teach in my own country, so my only way of getting any teaching experience here (short of undertaking another 2 year course) is to volunteer as an ESL tutor. My question is, would this be substantial teaching experience for employers, or should I focus less on 'qualifications' and more on teaching? |
Substantial? Probably not. But, it's more than nothing. In my experience, it's useful to be teaching (in any capacity) while doing an MA TESOL, as it gives you a context for interpreting what you are learning. As far as the teaching context, the more official the better. Does your university have an ESL center for international students? Work there would be more useful (for finding a job) than private tutoring.
As far as what potential employers will want, it depends on where in the world you want to go, and what type of teaching context you want. Shroob said you'd be overqualified for most of Asia -- in Japan, you'd be overqualified for many language school or public school (assistant language teacher) jobs (though your qualifications would make you stand out in a very competitive market), but would be just right or a bit low for university positions (many universities also require research publications and Japanese language ability). A private high school position would also be an option, but these are much more rare. |
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Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339
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| Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 10:52 am Post subject: Re: Qualifications vs. work experience |
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| rtm wrote: |
| McGarnagle wrote: |
| I already completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and Linguistics, and will be studying MA TESOL through a reputable university (although I am considering transferring into MA Applied Linguistics). |
Why are you considering transferring into MA AL? Keep in mind that the name of the degree doesn't matter as much as the content.
| Quote: |
| However, this TESOL course doesn't leave me qualified to teach in my own country, so my only way of getting any teaching experience here (short of undertaking another 2 year course) is to volunteer as an ESL tutor. My question is, would this be substantial teaching experience for employers, or should I focus less on 'qualifications' and more on teaching? |
Substantial? Probably not. But, it's more than nothing. In my experience, it's useful to be teaching (in any capacity) while doing an MA TESOL, as it gives you a context for interpreting what you are learning. As far as the teaching context, the more official the better. Does your university have an ESL center for international students? Work there would be more useful (for finding a job) than private tutoring.
As far as what potential employers will want, it depends on where in the world you want to go, and what type of teaching context you want. Shroob said you'd be overqualified for most of Asia -- in Japan, you'd be overqualified for many language school or public school (assistant language teacher) jobs (though your qualifications would make you stand out in a very competitive market), but would be just right or a bit low for university positions (many universities also require research publications and Japanese language ability). A private high school position would also be an option, but these are much more rare. |
I've heard a few people on these boards say that an MA in AL is preferred over a TESOL one. I'm not saying I agree or disagree, just that there is a view out there that which does prefer one to the other.
Also, if you look at job offers, those that ask for an MA usually state AL (though they also say 'or equivalent' frequently). |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:20 pm Post subject: Re: Qualifications vs. work experience |
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| Shroob wrote: |
I've heard a few people on these boards say that an MA in AL is preferred over a TESOL one. I'm not saying I agree or disagree, just that there is a view out there that which does prefer one to the other.
Also, if you look at job offers, those that ask for an MA usually state AL (though they also say 'or equivalent' frequently). |
That specific preference or requirement for an MA in Applied Ling must be regional. For instance, that's not the case in the picky Middle East where job ads generally state applicants should hold an MA in English, Applied Linguistics, TEFL/TESOL, or other related field. |
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MuscatGary
Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...
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| Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 4:11 am Post subject: |
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| Some places don't recognise unpaid teaching experience.... |
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McGarnagle
Joined: 13 Jan 2014
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 12:04 am Post subject: Re: Qualifications vs. work experience |
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| rtm wrote: |
| Why are you considering transferring into MA AL? Keep in mind that the name of the degree doesn't matter as much as the content. |
The MA TESOL looks too theoretical, so I'm a bit worried that I will finish it and know all about the strategies of classroom management etc. but forget the linguistic side of things! I also wanted to transfer into the MA AL because I feel like I need to brush up on what I learnt during my BA.
| rtm wrote: |
| Does your university have an ESL center for international students? Work there would be more useful (for finding a job) than private tutoring. |
I'm pretty sure there is, but I assume that one would need a background in ESL and language teaching to work there. I will look into it!
| rtm wrote: |
| As far as what potential employers will want, it depends on where in the world you want to go, and what type of teaching context you want. Shroob said you'd be overqualified for most of Asia -- in Japan, you'd be overqualified for many language school or public school (assistant language teacher) jobs (though your qualifications would make you stand out in a very competitive market), but would be just right or a bit low for university positions (many universities also require research publications and Japanese language ability). A private high school position would also be an option, but these are much more rare. |
I was leaning towards Europe and the Middle East, but if I had to choose Asia I would aim for Japan or Korea. At this stage I'm not too fussed about teaching settings, so I'd try for university positions but wouldn't be disappointed if I landed in a language school.
| Shroob wrote: |
| I've heard a few people on these boards say that an MA in AL is preferred over a TESOL one. |
Whereabouts were they looking for work? |
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CP
Joined: 09 Jan 2007
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 2:21 am Post subject: Basically.. |
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Simply put.
IT DEPENDS ON THE EMPLOYER!
Some will care, some won't. Just send out your resume and see what happens. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:15 am Post subject: |
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| McGarnagle wrote: |
...my only way of getting any teaching experience here (short of undertaking another 2 year course) is to volunteer as an ESL tutor. My question is, would this be substantial teaching experience for employers, or should I focus less on 'qualifications' and more on teaching?
I was leaning towards Europe and the Middle East, but if I had to choose Asia I would aim for Japan or Korea. At this stage I'm not too fussed about teaching settings, so I'd try for university positions but wouldn't be disappointed if I landed in a language school. |
Volunteer tutoring won't count as "substantial" anything in the Middle East; employers want to see professional (paid) teaching experience. However, a related MA + zero experience can get you work in Saudi Arabia, but that most likely will be with a sketchy contracting company and not directly employed at a university. One of the contractors in Oman might be interested in you, but forget about Qatar, the UAE, and Kuwait, where a related MA + 3 years of university-level teaching experience is the norm. That said, many newbies gain their first years of experience in Asia before heading to the Gulf. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:37 am Post subject: Re: Qualifications vs. work experience |
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| McGarnagle wrote: |
| The MA TESOL looks too theoretical, so I'm a bit worried that I will finish it and know all about the strategies of classroom management etc. but forget the linguistic side of things! I also wanted to transfer into the MA AL because I feel like I need to brush up on what I learnt during my BA. |
That's interesting. I think the general trend would be for an MA in App Ling to be more 'theoretical', and MA TESOL to be more practical/applied. It really depends on the content of the specific programs you are talking about (i.e., the name of the program alone won't tell about the differences). That said, I would think that simply at an employability level, knowing how to manage an ESL/EFL classroom would be more useful than 'the linguistic side of things'. If you want to be a language teacher, a language teacher preparation program (i.e., MA TESOL) would probably be more useful, especially if you don't already have much teaching experience.
On the other hand, if Shroob is right, and some employers (in regions you want to go to) do prefer one to have "Applied Linguistics" as the name of the degree, rather than TESOL, it would be good to consider that (though I have never heard of this).
| Quote: |
I'm pretty sure there is, but I assume that one would need a background in ESL and language teaching to work there. I will look into it! |
If you are taking an MA in TESOL, that is your background -- usually enough to work as a graduate assistant or to do part-time tutoring. |
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Gummy Bear
Joined: 11 Jun 2013
Posts: 36
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| Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:19 am Post subject: |
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I agree with CP. I really doesn't matter much what we think is more important.
Also, it will also vary by country. For example in China experience is not a big requirement but if you are good looking and have the "entertainer" personality" you are a prized teacher that can help then sell mothers - which often is their priority - not actual schooling. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2014 10:24 am Post subject: |
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Language teaching is one application of linguistics.
Another is speech pathology (but if you majored in English literature, and then went to a university to get a masters degree in applied linguistics, you probably aren't going to come out as a speech pathologist in a year).
A masters degree in applied linguistics is only going to be in a single area.
Therefore you can see things like MA Applied Linguistics (TEFL) on offer. And it's why when you look through programs, some schools offer BOTH an MA TESOL and an MA Applied Linguistics... and they are the same courses. What's an elective in one, is a requirement in the other and vice versa. But really, it's the same thing. It'd be like majoring in English literature, and if you took a course on Shakespeare's early plays before taking a course on Hemingway, then your degree was somehow a substantially different degree than the guy who took the Hemingway course first and still took that same Shakespeare course. And so the university called it a different name.
The name of a degree is part of its marketing. People who want to sound very 'teacherly' will take TESOL- because it has the word 'teaching' in the name. People who want to sound 'impressive' (to imagined hiring committees [who in reality already know what's what] or to the people they went to high school with or whatever) will likely steer to Applied Linguistics. A lot of people don't actually know what linguistics is (because it isn't a subject of study until university in most countries- and the majority of people major, at the undergraduate level, in something that is recognizable to high school students [if they choose their major when in high school]) and if it's 'applied' it must be even more arcane).
Musicology (actually, "historical musicology") means "The history of music". One name is very easy to understand (it's like art history, but for music) and the other sounds like "maybe it's somehow related to working in a museum, but I'm too embarrassed to ask, so I'll just guess that it's like the Da Vinci Code or something".
(Don't forget that there are also M.Ed in TESOL, and SLA [Second Language Acquisition] as well. And Aston at least calls it's off-campus programs, but not it's on-campus programs, "MSc" for some reason). |
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