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tokyo_
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 8
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 Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:03 am Post subject: re: unusual masters |
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i posted this in the general discussion forum as well. it was suggested i post it here.
... some background info on me.
-i'm a 35 y.o. australian male.
-i'm working as a FT ALT (assistant language teacher) in tokyo elementary and juniour high schools.
-i have almost 8 yrs ESL teaching experience. 9 months in a korean cram school, 5 yrs in one of the big 3 japanese conversation schools, a yr in a private conversation school back in australia n the last yr as an ALT.
-i have a BCA(creative arts, commonly referred to as fine arts) and a grad dip in law.(all from an australian university).
-i do not have any TESOL qualifications.
my intermediate goal is to obtain a teaching position in a university, or anywhere that will give me greater financial support. of course, i would also like to maintain the lower contact teaching hours and lengthy holidays that i currently enjoy as an ALT. i'm also open to which country i work in, though i'm looking closely at japan or HK.
my longer term objective is to move into the area of training (possibly consulting). this doesn't have to be restricted to the TESOL field, although most of my working experience has been accumulated there. it may be nice to marry the two.
this yr i will be undertaking a masters by distance (from an australian university). i would like to invite feedback on the course i am currently looking at.
the course is a masters in professional education and training (MPET). there is a specialist strand in TESOL offered with this masters. i'm considering this course bcos it may straddle 2 goals. it will give me a foot in the door to the training n consulting world, but i'm also hoping it may give me some credibility in the TESOL field.
http://www.deakin.edu.au/courses/search/course.php?customer_cd=D&service_item=E796&version_number=1&year_offered=2005
i welcome any comments or feedback on the course. i'm particularly interested to know how it would be viewed by potential TESOL employers in asia.
thankyou in advance for any feedback.
tokyo |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:24 am Post subject: Re: re: unusual masters |
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| tokyo_ wrote: |
i
i welcome any comments or feedback on the course. i'm particularly interested to know how it would be viewed by potential TESOL employers in asia.
thankyou in advance for any feedback.
tokyo |
I dont know so much about the course but i do know that Deakin University is a fully accreditted university in Australia so the credits and degree should be recognised in Japan and/or you want to do a PhD.
I work at a university in Japan, and what many require of a Masters degree varies: some want any Masters degrees, others want TESOL, English Masters or Applied Linguistics. The course looks like it falls under the subject of TESOL, but it has a mouthful of a title. Hate to have to explain that everytime you mention it to someone. Does it have an "initial"?
As for "Asia", distance degrees are not accepted or recognised in Taiwan but they are in Japan, so it depends on where you look for work. |
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tokyo_
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:44 am Post subject: |
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PAULH> thanku kindly. yes, it is a mouthful. lol. it can be shortened to MPET(TESOL). gordon made a similar point elsewhere... he decided against doing this course bcos he was concerned abt having to explain it to potential employers.
i had read quite a few old posts on master quals in japan. i'm also aware that the requirement does seem to vary greatly from place to place. i also thought that this masters would fit under the general TESOL umbrella.
yes, distance ed does seem to be a prob for taiwan n parts of the middle east. nevertheless, i hadn't really planned to work in either, n am set on studying while i continue to live n work in asia. i'm not overly concerned abt lacking any practicum in my course, as i think my experience should cover this amply. i really need the paper quals n credibility at this stage.
as a further question... what is ur opinion abt doing a coursework only masters? i wasn't really planning to do a research component, but i also know that japan is big on publishing. is it possible to deal with the publication issue further down the track, even if i do a coursework masters?
thanks again
tokyo. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 11:04 am Post subject: |
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| tokyo_ wrote: |
Pas a further question... what is ur opinion abt doing a coursework only masters? i wasn't really planning to do a research component, but i also know that japan is big on publishing. is it possible to deal with the publication issue further down the track, even if i do a coursework masters?
thanks again
tokyo. |
I did my Masters at Temple University in Japan which was coursework only. No thesis requirement which is causing me problems now in my present course of study as Im doing it from scratch with no help with the actual writing. TUJ also was a brick and mortar chalk and talk course but you are talking about distance which is what im doing (PhD) and its a whole different ballgame. its just you and your computer and email etc.
Coursework will give you some signposts and short term goals, books to read, papers to write so in that sense its manageable. research is a lot more of a difficult thing as you simply start with a couple of questions that require about 50-100 pages to answer and there is a certain method to the madness as well- collecting data, analying results, making conclusions etc. With coursework etc its all pretty laid out for you and you are spoonfed topics and readings and assignments.
Despite what a vocal minority says, I think publishing is part and parcel of being an academic and a university teacher and in many full time places you are expected to publish if you want to get your contract renewed. you can get hired with no publications, but you wont last long if you sit on your arse for three years and do squat. There is a lot of competition for jobs and my guess is the ones that dont ask for publications just want a gaijin with a Masters to act as window-dressing for 3 years. A few here see university teaching as being like a glorified NOVA teacher with long holidays and an office and the less they have to get to get a job here, the better.
Publications can be anything from a one page article in refereed journal to presenting at a conference. You could even get a couple under your belt in Australia by subimitting something at JALT and writing it up as a paper. My first ones were in university journals and were unrefereed. Out of 6 or 7 articles only 2 or 3 are refereed. You can put it off if you wish, but it reallly just puts off the day of reckoning and you should be thinking of possible topics, how to turn a university term paper into afully fledged article and where you might publish it. Smart small, feel out possible research or study topics and journals in Japan. Many Japanese teaching associations (JACET, JASEC, CALL etc) will accept submissions as well. I want to do more but am simply too busy. |
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tokyo_
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:02 am Post subject: |
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PAULH> very helpful thankyou. perhaps i was being a little naive. i was assuming i would need to do a masters by research to get into "publications". however, i can still get "published" even if i stick to a masters by coursework only. as you indicated, it just may make life a little more difficult should i decide to move on to a phd...
good luck with the writing for your phd. |
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