Job Discussion Forums

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

I hear the market is flooded, but can anyone elaborate on this? What is the general qualification for those who are already teaching in the system? The main thing that I would like to know, is if those people have completed their PDP and teacher certification.

I have checked the job openings for the schools in the lower mainland, and it appears that there are quite a few openings.

My qualifications (will be):

Bachelor of Arts, Joint Major in English and French (Both teachable subjects, possibly with honours), Simon Fraser University
TESL Certificate, University College of the Fraser Valley (25 university level credits)
Including teacher certification and SFU PDP

I really can't see all those who flood the job market having those qualifications, I have already done 3 years in university and still have another 3-4 to go. I lack experience though.

I don't want to end up like my friend who has a BCIT diploma and a crap job Sad

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

The PDP is the 18 month teacher training program required for all k-12 teachers in British Columbia. It does not have to do with ESL specifically. I would like to teach in the public high schools Smile

I am not particularly interested in language institutes but I am open-minded about it.

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

If things don't work out for you in BC, you would almost definately have no problem whatsoever getting a job in Ontario, especially if you happen to be Catholic (Seperate School Board is about half of the government funded schools in the province and they require a parish priest letter). You would have to get Ontario certification, but that wouldn't be hard (you would not need to do a B.Ed - one year in Ontario after B.A./B.Sc.)

lucy k · Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 82 Location: istanbul, turkey

Do you have any idea what teaching ESL at the University level is like in Ontario? Is the market as flooded as Vancouver?

I'm very interested in working in Canada. Unfortunately the main thing working against me is the fact that I'm American. Embarassed

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

lucy,

Over half of the teachers at my university in B.C. are American (all have degrees from Harvard, Brown, Standford, and even little old Texas private colleges). As long as you can get into the country legally, you should have no problem! Ontario might not be too different.

GambateBingBangBOOM,

I'm definently not Catholic or interested in Ontario (if I'm moving anywhere, it will be the beach! Shocked

). Thanks for the info.[/code]

lucy k · Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 82 Location: istanbul, turkey

Marblez.... Thanks for your repsonse! That's encouraging news! My first choice of locations is Vancouver, actually. Are you at Simon Fraser University? That's one I am very interested in.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for universities/schools that have good ESL programs? I have an M.A. in TESOL and several years experience teaching academic English at the university level. The research I've done seems to turn up Capilano College, Vancouver Community College, University of British Columbia as well at numerous langauge shcools. Any general advice or information about these places would be great!

Merry Christmas!!

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

OK this is long!

I am at University College of the Fraser Valley, and I am transferring to Simon Fraser (SFU) in May.

Capilano is a good college, and is usually for those who are going to transfer to University of British Columbia.

Vancouver Community College - I don't know much about it, but it is not exactly considered a scholar's paradise. It's more of a school for those who didn't graduate or have a 1.0 GPA from Capilano. Sorry for the downer on that one!

University of British Columbia (UBC) is a highly regarded school, infact the highest in the province, where I am sure you will find excellent pay. It's about as high as it gets in B.C.

The difference between SFU and UBC is that SFU is mostly business and education BA, MA and PhD programs, with no medical school. UBC is for BA, MA, PhD, and Md programs, focusing mostly on science. The grades to enter each is at least 3.2-3.5 GPA in 60 credits.

Career:

You will probably enjoy Capilano and SFU the most. SFU is a wonderful school with excellent professors (they dual-teach at my school too). SFU is on top of Burnaby mountain, and only 10 minutes away from surrounding suburbs. 5 minutes from Vancouver.

UBC is in a bad location. Within 45 minutes, a one-bedroom apartment will run you anywhere from $1500-3000 per month in rent. On the bonus, it is near a nude beach! But it's just isolated.

At UBC and SFU, your students will all be rich, but focused, because the second their GPA drops below 2.5-3.0 they will be kicked out. Lazy brats do NOT attend these schools for very long.

I cannot say anything for language institutes, except to use them as a stepping stone. There are good jobs. Here's a great site for you:

http://www.educationcanada.com/browse.phtml?sid=bc&lang=eng

Also, to give you an idea, this is from my college calender. The education levels listed after teacher names in the ESL department:

BA, MA (Seattle Pacific) Department Head
BEd (Kansas) Professional Teaching Cert. (BC)
BA (UBC) BEd (Toronto) MEd (Toronto)
BA (Toronto)Prof Teaching Cert (Ontario)
BEd (UBC) Prof Teaching Cert (BC) Childcare Certificate
BEd, MEd, Prof Teaching Cert (BC)
BGS (SFU) ESL Certificate (VCC - Vancouver Community College)
BS (Washington), ESL Certificate (VCC)

So as you can see, many Americans.

Good luck and feel free to ask more. I've been doing a BA in English for 3 years now, so I know all too well about this!

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

I forgot to add my recommendations.

http://www.sfu.ca
http://www.ubc.ca
http://www.ucfv.ca (My small school, but I like it)
http://www.unbc.ca (If you like wilderness)
http://www.douglas.bc.ca
http://www.capcollege.bc.ca/index.html

If you are Christian, you may want to consider Trinity Western. It is an excellent academic university, but has very strict rules (no alcohol, no sex before marriage, etc.). It has a good program.
http://www.twu.ca

Another alternative is the Open University, which is online. It is not a university "in itself", but a combination of SFU and UBC distance courses.

BCIT is up there with SFU and UBC but I do not think it has an ESL program. If it does, go for it. Sorry, but I just hate VCC.

Like elsewhere in the world, there are sketchy "academys" (Yes, this is in the TITLE!). Run, run away!

lucy k · Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 82 Location: istanbul, turkey

Thank you so much for the great (and detailed) information! That's exactly what I needed! Laughing

Happy New Year!

canucktechie · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 343 Location: Moscow

Don't mean to be a downer, Lucy, but you are not a Canadian you can forget about getting a job at a Canadian university, unless you are a world-class scholar. It's true that there are many US-born faculty at Canadian universities, but most of them came up decades ago when it was much easier to immigrate.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Thank marblez for the info. Many of us have been away from the Lower Mainland for a long time now and are out of touch with what is going on. If you don't mind, what are you teaching at UCFV? What will you teach at SFU? I would consider SFU a dream job and is where I did my undergrad work as well. Congratulations. I am surprised that you got a job at SFU without a Masters (or PhD for that matter).

I wouldn't be so harsh on VCC. I taught there for 2 years and thought it was a great job. The students are interesting, it really isn't a college like Capilano or Langara. VCC is predominantly an ESL program for new immigrants. It does teach trades but that is not applicable for anyone on this site. VCC had massive layoffs 3 years ago and I was one of the 150 ESL teachers who lost their jobs due to budget cuts. At the time VCC I believe had the biggest ESL program in the world. Truly remarkable. For anyone interesting in working at VCC now, forget about it as the layoffs were so large it will be a long time before they hire people back who had not worked for them previously. I would love to go back to the $55/hour job if I could.

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

You're right about that Gordon, I don't mean to be an educational snob because I'm sure it's good for lots of people (my mother is a cosmetology graduate herself) but for what lucy is looking for, it is not really suitable.

canucktechie, you are also right about that. All my American teachers are in their 50's, at least. My youngest prof was 27 or 28 (!) but she was Canadian and very well-known in her field.

marblez · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 248 Location: Canada

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Do you know where he got the degree from? Who is it? I took a lot of psych courses at SFU (a minor) and wonder if they taught me.

To answer your other question, a vast minority of ESL teachers have their PDP. Most who want to continue in this field as a career get a masters, not a BEd.