Job Discussion Forums

[jennjenn]

Hi everyone! I'd like to start by saying that I've just officially registered with this forum but have been glued to it for several weeks now...it seems like there are so many interesting people with valuable information to share. Just being honest...not trying to kiss butt.

I'm an American undergraduate student, currently working on my general ed classes but will soon be starting classes in my major, religious studies. I've always been fascinated with other cultures and beliefs, which is why I chose that field of study. It's just out of personal interest....my ultimate career goal is to be a small business owner (and no, I will not study business in college, the classes just seem boring.) Naturally, I've wanted to travel internationally, but just never had the money. Ever since I found out about TESL, I've been wondering if I should change my major to Linguistics...if I do, I can concurrently get a TESL certificate! I've been tossing and turning about this for several weeks now...

Yes, I do have a point. It seems to be in my advantage to switch majors to Linguistics, but how great is it, really, to be an English teacher in another country? I know that every job/career has its ups and downs, but in my own little mind, I think I'd love life as an esl teacher overseas. I'm patient, honest, friendly and openminded (is this a personals ad?). I'm just paranoid about switching majors from something I already love to something that may not be as wonderful as it seems.

What I'd like to ask you is this:
Do you love your job?
What's the best part of your job? The worst?
Do students show you respect? Do other teachers or administrators?
WHY are you an esl teacher?

Also, I'm American-born and bred but of Asian descent...Vietnamese, specifically. Other than my physical appearance, I am as American as they come...but does that matter? I'd honestly say I have grammar, spelling, and speaking skills at a higher level than most of my peers. (I'm 22.) I did read a posting on here about an Asian-Canadian woman having difficulties finding employment, which makes me a little skittish. I don't want to have to limit myself to only Latin America, and obviously I can't teach in most European countries, but I want to see "the whole wide world!"

Sorry for going on and on. Any comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. If you could just answer the above questions, that would be wonderful, too. Thank you!

[marblez]

Judging from your post, it sounds as if you haven't taken either linguistics or business courses yet, or have you? It's really hard to say without confirmation of this.

Linguistics is a very methodological subject, akin to a science. I personally find it horribly boring. I loved religious studies, and if you like that - you'll probably hate linguistics.

Either way, if you are just doing ESL as a stepping stone in life, don't switch. It doesn't matter and wouldn't make much sense.

[Gordon]

Jenn,
Your undergraduate degree matters little when applying for jobs. You just need a degree in anything and a TEFL certificate is a big bonus. Study what you want and are interested in. Few of us here have a bachelor's in English or Linguistics. That does not stop us from teaching. If you do end up liking this job, teach a number of years and think that this could be a career then you can go back to school and getg a masters in applied linguistics. Again your undergrad major will not be all that important when applying for grad schools.

[denise]

I agree with Gordon. Study something that you enjoy--your major should not hinder you at all. Get a TEFL certificate for starters (e.g., a one-month course), teach for a year or so, and then decide from there whether you want to further your education (DELTA, MA, etc.).

To answer your questions:

Yes, I LOVE my job! Frankly, I get a bit put off by people constantly complaining about the working/living conditions, because I have willingly chosen this path for myself and have always landed decent jobs.

The best part? Soooo hard to say... The feeling that I am doing something meaningful that might actually help someone. Sometimes I feel like I am talking to a brick wall, but even then it occurs to me that some of what is going on in the classroom is going to stick in some of the students' brains, and maybe they will remember it years later. That makes it worthwhile. Students explaining things to each other, sticking around after class to ask questions, sheepishly apologizing for oversleeping, smiling and saying thank you at the end of the lesson, striking up conversations with me in the hallways, etc. All warm fuzzies for me. And I like the EFL lifestyle: being somewhere in between a tourist and a local, being able to both integrate with the locals and maintain my own identity with my fellow foreign teachers, etc.

The worst? Knowing that there are many schools and many teachers who belittle the job. I fully understand and am OK with the fact that for many EFL teachers, it is a short-term job, a way to see the world, etc. I fully support new teachers who are just getting their feet wet. That said, I do expect them to take their jobs seriously for however long they last--six months, two years, whatever. I think it is grossly unfair to the students not to take the job seriously, and my students are my top priority.

So far, yes, I have found jobs where I've gotten respect. Just lucky?

The last question for me is kinda tied to the first one. And I fear I have already rambled on long enough.

d

[yeka]

Just to let you know, I have a B.A. in religious studies, and I am currently employed in the EFL field... granted it's an English conversation school (eikaiwa) in Japan, but my chosen field of study did not hinder me at all in finding a job.

[ls650]

[dmb]

[jennjenn]

I appreciate the responses! Has anyone joined the Peace Corps? I was looking at their website and the benefits seem great: health insurance, personal advisers, and a big bonus when you come back in two years. Plus I would get student loan deferment and round-trip airfare. They offer a stipend that "allows you to live like native people in the area," which I'm assuming means it's very little, but money isn't why we go, of course. Anyway, to teach secondary or University English w/ Peace Corps, they want you to have an English/TESL major!! It seems like this is the only case in which I would need to pursue that major. What do you guys think? Is joining Peace Corps, instead of looking for a job independently, worth the benefits?

More comments of any kind, are welcome

By the way marblez, I have taken one introductory course each in linguistics, business, and religious studies. I actually did find the linguistics somewhat interesting, but definitely not the way I was enthralled by my religions class. My heart tells me to stay with that major but my brain isn't so sure. Damn you, brain.

[vochinch]

I was in the Peace Corps in Armenia a few years ago. It is a great way to get into the field without any risk on your part. They pay for everthing and take care of you each step of the way. The stipend is basically nothing when compared to the dollar, but in country I found that you live way above the standards of the locals.
One of the biggest complaints that I hear about the PC is its inflexibility. Once you are given an assignment, it is pretty much written in stone. This includes your initial country of assignment as well as your local placement after training. My biggest gripe was with the training. It did not emphasize the practial aspects of classroom teaching at all but was geared toward the experienced teacher, which most volunteers in my group were. I had absolutely no teaching experience before service and it really hurt me once I had to start teaching in a village secondary school. This kind of teaching is not for the faint of heart, and is probably the most challenging you could encounter. But having said that, there were several young twenty-somethings that did very well. It's what you make of it.
You will need a bachelor's degree, but it doesn't matter which field. Mine was in management and that was not detrimental to me being accepted as an English teacher. You can PM me if you need more detailed information.

[amandajoy99]

jenn -
as most everyone has already said, for your undergrad major do what you love! but from your interests i think you might enjoy studying anthropology, especially linguistic anthropology. it depends of course on what kind of requirements your school has for fulfilling a major, and what sorts of departments and courses you have. but i loved my anthro major because it allowed me to study a variety of things that interested me - religion, language, culture, literature and how all those things are tied together. good luck!

amanda

[moonraven]

Depends on where you want to go when you consider the Peace Corps.

The PC had a deservedly bad rep in Latin America, and got itself booted out of many countries. The US is always trying to weasel it back into those countries, as PC volunteers are less expensive than CIA agents....

[travelingirl68]

Hi Jenn, I did my Peace Corps service in Kazakstan from 2002-2004 and loved it. I agree with the previous author who worked in Armenia - it is what you make of it. I had the opposite problem, I was an experienced teacher in a group of 20 somethings who had little experience. (Every country, country director and pre-service training is different!) I do believe it is a great way to get a first experience in this field and see how much you really like living abroad - living and travelling are two very different things. PM me as well if you want more information.

For moonraven, I can't speak about PC's experiences in Latin America, and I am truly hoping you are being ironic or sarcastic, but I personally disagree with you on the CIA connection comment. I have read many of your other comments on-line and do not think you would purposefully try to stir things up... Maybe I am sensitive about this because we were constantly accused of being spies by locals, and all I could ever think of was: "Yes, we will be reporting the number of cows and sheep you own back to the CIA as soon as I can get this dial-up modem to function!"

[jennjenn]

Thanks so much for the responses! Great info.

[Jolly]

[jennjenn]

Okay, now I am really confused. So I ought to change my major, then? I was planning to stick to Religious Studies but if it really helped Jolly THAT much, then maybe I ought to do it too? Didn't everybody else say that their field of study didn't matter...just that they graduated?