Job Discussion Forums

[Sextus]

Out of prurient interest, how many of our posters possess high-school or pre-school teaching certification from their home countries, and / or possess a Master's degree or above in a field relevant to the teaching of English?

I'm not trying to start another flame war about unqualified yahoos jumping on the ESL gravy train, or anything like that. This is a bona fide enquiry.

[Super Mario]

[Pericles77]

I have MA. In political science, so. I don't speak english too good.

[vikdk]

I have a degree in pedagogy from Denmark � a course, which leans heavily on the child development and learning patterns � and is the prerequisite qualification for working as a �teacher� (teacher is pretty krap word for kindergartens) in most Scandinavian kindies.
From my home country � The UK � I have a degree in agriculture which explains my bad English � oink oink moooooooooooooooooooooo

[Roger]

Where I got my education you differentiate between primary, secondary, and finally, tertiary education. Those who get secondary education are heading for tertiary, while primary education leads on - if not to secondary education - to vocation schools.
The secondary schools - lycee in French, Gymnasium in German, high school in some other countries impart a more broad-bsed and more comprehensive education than a Bachelor's does but not as high; you can't claim to have any "education" if you don't go on to a tertiary institution (univesity, polytechnic). The American term 'bachelor" derives from the French 'baccalaureate'.
I majoried in modern languages at secondary level.
At tertiary level, I studied linguistics and I took a degree in tropical agronomy, with a view of teaching modern agricultural practicees in some African country. I ended up in East Asia, not teaching agronomy at all.

[ebolayatollah]

I hold a Bachelor's in English with a focus in lit and creative writing along with a minor focus in journalism.

To top that off, my professional experience is over three years working for an educational multimedia toy company.

[Sextus]

So: we have a political scientist, a chap who's not happy with the concept of "bona fide prurience", and an explanation of -- what appears to be -- the British education system. Thanks, Dave's. Way to answer my question.

I'll put it another way (and to be fair, the MA in political science got it straight off, spelling aside): who here is 1) quailified and / or certified to teach in their home countries, and or 2) possesses a Master's degree or above? As I understand it, a Bachelor's degree does not qualify one to teach at secondary or primary school level -- regardless of whether one knows its etymology -- not in the UK or Canada anyway.

I ask because I've heard of positions for qualified seconday / primary teachers (which would mean PGCE or the primary school equivalent in Britain) and or qualified university-level teachers (which would normally mean at least an MA). The pay begins at 10,000 RMB / month. Wenzhou, Zhejiang. I just wonder how many people of that kind there are in here. The answer seems to be: not very many.

[ebolayatollah]

[struelle]

I just got my teaching certificate, or PGCE. Man I tell you, it was hard work, but it was SO worth it.

My next plan is to get a Masters in TESOL or Applied Linguistics, but that is some time down the road. Right now I want to enjoy life a little

Steve

[vikdk]

I obtained my scouts cooking badge in 1966 - on a bad day i sometimes feel that "exam" pass makes me overqualified for the jungle of Chinese TESOL

[Laoshi1950]

I hold teaching qualifications from my home state in Australia. Addditionally, I have two (2) Master's degrees - one in Educational Administration, and the other in Business Administration, from reputable Australian universities.

I am retired from my education career at home, so now I am working at a university in Wuhan. This is my fifth year of working in China.

[Super Mario]

Yeah, I'm the chap who found your language choices amusing.
I'm all qualified to teach in my home country - in fact I currently am - and have post grad. qualifications in TESOL.
But so what?
People who have nothing are unlikely to post here. Some are likely to be doing a better job than you and I, too.

[vikdk]

[Sextus]

Jeez!

Back off guys! I never suggested that having a qualification is the same as being competent; if you're offended, it was a taken offense and not a given one, as Milton puts it in his Civil Power. I note, though, that a few of you have -- quite competently -- managed to slur yourselves.

However, the chap in question wants qualified teachers. For some weird reason, he feels that people with teaching qualifications might just know a little more about teaching, and that people with higher degrees might just know a little more about their subjects. Go figure. Crazy or what?!
(Have we really come to the point where it's offensive to ask for an appropriate degree? Surely it's not that difficult to understand ...)

Anyhoo, if you are interested, he says he has positions from March next year at, as I say 10,000 RMB / month. The address is [email protected]. You can take up the argument with him directly.

[vikdk]

Who hasn't met a Chinese professor of English who apparently Can't speak the language - I know I have - The only time my clients are interested in my qualifications are when they make an advertisement telling they have a foreign qualified Kindy "teacher" � Unfortunately I suspect this bloke also has an eye on the cash - but then I suppose I�m being cynical � must be one of those days, I hope I�m wrong.