Job Discussion Forums

[Deicide]

aged to escape the profession? For example has anyone managed to move into high academia from EFL?

[denise]

What do you mean by high academia? Top-rated universities? And how would that be moving out of the profession? I suppose that if you transition into teaching in MA programs, courses like SLA or methodology, you'd be moving out of EFL.

I tend to move around geographically every couple of years, so I have an eclectic mix of experiences--mostly university, though. I'm just now starting a new job, and it looks like I'll have more chances here than anywhere else to do research, present, and publish (it'll just be a matter of personal motivation...) I feel that I have moved up, but not out of the profession--nor would I want to move out. I do have some experience teaching pre-service teachers in a BEd program, but so far my heart remains in the EFL classroom, even though academia and credit-bearing courses may be more prestigious.

d

edited twice... damn prepositions are getting the better of me today...

[Deicide]

[johnslat]

Dear Deicide,
I was in EFL for over twenty years, and I escaped - into prison.
Now I'm working for the state of New Mexico teaching GED to inmates at the New Mexico State Penitentiary, just outside of Santa Fe, NM.
It's a great job, full benefits, retirement in five years (if I want it) and, for a teacher in this state, a very good salary (about $52,000 a year.)
It's not "high academia", but I'm quite content.
Regards,
John

[Deicide]

[JZer]

Deicide,

Save some money and start your own business. Of course why would anyone want to escape.

[Deicide]

[Marcoregano]

There is no escape - you move from one thing to the next, until the lights go out.

But seriously, high academic jobs don't really exist in TESL per se, but with a PhD in linguistics or similar plus tertiary experience you'd be well placed to move into a university linguistics or mainstream English faculty.

I no longer teach, I work as an editor/writer, but stay in touch with the TESL world as an IELTS examiner and via this website, and my wife and most friends in HK are in TESL of one sort or another. And I certainly don't rule out the possibility of returning to TESL some day.

[johnslat]

Dear Deicide,
I'm sorry. I suppose I misunderstood. Apparently what you want to escape is not so much EFL but teaching.
I assume that because, in my previous post, I mentioned that I was quite content. But I guess that you didn't see that as an escape since I was still teaching.
Regards,
John

[Sadebugo]

I'm not sure if you mean a complete escape from teaching or a move to a more secure position. For me, I loved the teaching and the travel but not the insecurity of working for a foreign employer on a one-year contract. Like John Slattery, I now work for the government but as an ESL/EFL instructor who can travel at will. I am currently in Afghanistan (Yuck!) but have had some great assignments in Slovakia and Japan. So, there are ways out if you're fortunate enough to find them.

Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/

[denise]

Publishing papers as a career? Like, being a professional researcher? Hmmm... I think that's one big problem I have with research. If the people who do it are not actually actively working in classrooms, whether EFL or other, even if for just a few hours a week (a reduced courseload would give them the needed time for research, of course--even taking a semester off would be OK), then to me their studies lack validity.



d

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

If you want to be able to do something else, it's really very simple. Go back to school to learn to do that something else. Or figure out what you need to do on your own to get that job in the something else (example: if you want to be a copywriter figure out how to make ads and make your portfolio- go for informational meetings with people, find out how they got in etc). Where I'm from (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) formal qualifications are usually required (unless you know somebody) and so going to school for a year is pretty much expected (we have a lot of one, to one and a half year post graduate certificate programs, and two year post graduate diploma programs, that include a internships at colleges).

If you want to make the switch to writing papers about theoretical linguistics as a career then you will probably need a PhD in (theoretical) linguistics, not applied linguistics, and that will mean an undergrad and then a masters in linguistics. Same as if you wanted to be a history professor, you would need an undergrad in history, then a masters in history and then a doctorate in history.

I think it's very common (considered normal and to be expected) for people to have three different careers in their worklife nowadays. Sometimes going back to school will be required. Sometimes it won't be. That's life.

[Deicide]

Well, that's the plan to some extent; in October I start my MA in Lingustics (Theoretical) at the University of York in England. Once I am done with that I may work for a year or two and may possibly go back for a PhD. I certainly don't want to give up living abroad; Hungary (because I am Hungarian but don't know the language would be appealing) or Japan; I spent 2 years in Korea and didn't like it much; I hated my job and most of all the trash and pollution but I still want to give the Far East a try but I am open minded; I would even go back to Korea for a year or two because of the possibilities to save there and the relatively relaxing positions offered at universities there. But first things first, MA in Linguistics probably with a specialisation in Phonetics or Language Variation and Change and then I have to see...

[Deicide]

[Marcoregano]