Job Discussion Forums

[Jwana]

Hi - I'm a TESOL professional currently living & working in Australia. My husband & I would like to live & work in the ME, preferably UAE or even Kuwait (although I gather from reading some of these threads some people have had negative experiences in the latter location!) & need some advice.
I have a BA Degree with Honours + Grad Dip in TESOL (5 years' study total) from Australia & have worked in China for a year & in Australia for 14 years in TESOL with tertiary students at uni & TAFE (vocational training). I have also written TESOL materials, including online material.
I have a few questions about trying to get work in the ME, so am hoping some of you with experience of this region can help me
1. From my research it seems that many ME teaching insitutions require a Masters so the first question is whether or not my current quals + experience would be enough or would I need a Masters? If so, does it matter which type of Masters - e.g. a general Masters in Education or Masters in Applied Linguistics etc?? I would prefer to teach students at tertiary level as this is where I have had all my TESOL experience in China & Australia.
2. My husband is originally from the ME (Kurdish from Iraq) so speaks Arabic as his second language. He is hoping to find work in either hospitality or IT as he has qualifications in both these areas from Australia & Netherlands respectively.
Do you think it would be better for him to find work first & then sponsor me to go there or vice versa? He already has contacts there so it is quite likely he could find work initially but if he does sponsor me there, can I work easily in terms of my visa situation - i.e. being someone's spouse?
3. Finally, any tips on the places I would be likely to find work would be great. I have taught ESL/EFL to migrant & international students in a range of disciplines, including tourism, IT, engineering, marketing, hospitality as well as teaching ESL to migrant students.
Anyway guys thanks in advance for your help!
Jwana

[veiledsentiments]

Hi Jwana,

Getting an MA would certainly broaden your choices in the Gulf, but there are places that hire a BA+cert+experience. It especially helps that your experience is tertiary. But, the teaching here is mostly oriented towards basic academic skills - mostly reading and writing as these are the weakest skills for Arabic speakers.

For instance, there is HCT in the UAE (very competitive - many apply, few get jobs. ) and SQU in Oman (Oman pays less, but it is a great place to live and work). HCT has the CERT program which may match a bit better with your experience. There are some smaller colleges that are more vocationally oriented, but be sure to check them out thoroughly as some of them are a bit dodgy.

Definitely it would be better if you got the job and sponsored your husband. Jobs in education tend to have great benefits and housing while the hotel industry does not, except for the very highest levels of management. But, some of the smaller institutions may not be helpful to sponsor husbands.

Good Luck

VS

[Jwana]

Thanks veiledsentiments (great name!)...I'll start looking into the various job possibilities keeping in mind the points you've raised. I have taught EAP at uni here & TAFE so think I would cope Ok with that aspect. I hadn't really considered Oman before - though a friend of mine taught there & loved it. But not sure how my husband would go getting work there?
Anyway, many thanks once again.
Cheers
Jwana

[veiledsentiments]

Jwana,

A thought just occurred to me related to your husband. Oman is very aggressively Omanizing various occupations, so I'm not sure how the hotel industry is these days. You may want to check that situation out beforehand too.

VS (who confesses that she stole her screen name from a book title... )