Job Discussion Forums

[Imdramayu]

Is there life after EFL? I've been doing English classroom teaching for the past 9 years. I'm almost hitting the 10 year mark. I'm starting to realize I need another profession. This survey is the start of my quest for answers. This is a survey question. Please respond with your thoughts!

1) How many EFL teachers make it past the 10-year mark in their profession?

2) What keeps them going?

3) If they change careers, what successful career did they transition into?

4) If they stay in EFL profession, what related profession did they enter (e.g., testing, curriculum/program design, policy, etc.)?

5) How did they know about that career? Sources of research?

5) What further education did they complete (PhD, EdD, MBA, MA speech pathology, BEd, etc.)?

[Mike_2007]

Hi Baedaebok,

I've been thinking a little about this subject recently too as I'm also approaching the ten-year mark. I was starting to feel that I'd done about everything I could - I've taught a wide variety of people in two countries, learnt two new languages, bought a flat, saved some cash, and filled my schedule.

The next natural step would seem to be to start up some company (rather than freelancing as I do now). However, I know very few people who've made that transition successfully. Mostly they've ended up with huge overheads, a lot more stress and a lot less disposable income than I currently have. As a result I'm hesitant to try something like that.

Then the other day a student of mine was talking about his son who is just embarking on his career in his father's industry. Now he's a junior engineer, soon he'll start an MBA, then he'll be promoted to a junior management position, then a senior one, eventually he'll be a plant manager, and so on. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with a sense of depression at pretty much having the next forty years of your life mapped out ahead of you. To be perfectly honest I couldn't think of anything more demoralising than a forty-year career plan.

I may be feeling a little stuck in a rut at the moment, but at least I have more flexibility. Once this student's son is well-entrenched in that career path, with the expensive mortgage, expensive car, expensive lifestyle and expensive wife, it'll be pretty hard for him to get out of it. Maybe he'll never want to, and fair play to him if so and if he's found his thing, but it sure would never be my thing and in a way I'm gratefully for having (albeit accidentally) avoided it.

Maybe I am a little bored at the moment as there are only so many times you can teach the present perfect and find it a stimulating challenge, but at the same time I could easily take a year's sabbatical and do something else and come back to this, or just up sticks and try a new country or a new teaching medium. I have worked myself into a position where I'm earning decent money, saving some, having few or no debts (a tiny student loan still outstanding), owning my own property. Of course, it takes some time to get thus far, and some sacrifice, but compared to all the corporate grunts I teach who spend their lives in badly-lit offices, working till late and bowing to the whims of idiotic bosses I don't think I'm in such an unenviable position.

If you've been doing this job for ten years then you've probably got a talent for it, and for sure there is something in it that appeals to you. If it's just the monotony that's getting to you, then you need a way to put more variety into your work or lifestyle. If it's the lack of money then you should consider ways to do the job and earn more, either by knuckling down for a few years in a high-end teaching position and making a wise investment or perhaps starting off on your own and cutting out the middle men.

Ultimately, one interesting thing to examine might be a comparison between the number of people who quit the corporate career path to do something like English teaching compared to those who quite teaching to become bank managers or salesmen. Personally I would think the former are more common and maybe that tells you something.

Mike

[Sadebugo]

Yeah, that's a tough one. If you enjoy teaching, you don't want to start a new career especially after you've invested 10 years in the old one. In my situation, I had taught exactly 10 years from Korea to Saudi Arabia and back again. I was contemplating becoming a certified teacher through one of the 'teaching fellows' programs but then found my current job in the federal government teaching ESL/EFL. I don't have to worry about the future anymore and can focus on what I love to do.

Good luck to you. I've been there and it's not a good feeling but it WILL pass.

Sadebugo
Djibouti, Horn of Africa
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/

[Justin Trullinger]

Hi there- also coming up on the ten year mark. My thoughts...


1) How many EFL teachers make it past the 10-year mark in their profession? At least one who's here in the room. Though I have several colleagues in the less than five year category, I also have several in the more than 20 group. As long as you keep progressing, why quit?


2) What keeps them going? If I stopped going to work, I would have a hard time eating. Also, I enjoy it! and I feel that it's useful!

3) If they change careers, what successful career did they transition into? Not relevant for me, at least not yet.

4) If they stay in EFL profession, what related profession did they enter (e.g., testing, curriculum/program design, policy, etc.)? A bit of all of the above- I'm the director of a rather diverse and thriving English teaching department. Do teacher training, course design, some teaching especially ESP. Also budgeting, but life is imperfect.

5) How did they know about that career? Sources of research? Stood still too long. Got promoted.

5) What further education did they complete (PhD, EdD, MBA, MA speech pathology, BEd, etc.)? A certificate in teacher training so far. An MA in TESOL or Applied linguistics starting soon.


Ten years is nothin! If you're havin fun, stick to it!


Jusitn

[naturegirl321]

I'm on year six. I keep going due to changing in jobs, different levels, ages, etc. I'd like to get out of teaching, do mainly writing, and private teaching, not working for someone else.

I'm doing an MA, should finish in a couple of months.

It can get exhausting though. Different schools have different requirements. But paperwork gets to me. Also, the low salaries, difficulty to move up in this profession.

[fat_chris]

I like what everyone has written here. Many thanks!

I have been involved with one aspect or another of language teaching for the past 15 years.

About 5 years ago (woah, the vaulted 10 year mark for me as well!), after returning from a three year stint in China with the Peace Corps serving as a teacher trainer and a university instructor, I too, felt that I needed to do something entirely different. As I have enjoyed living abroad and learning about other languages and cultures, I began to make preparations for enrollment in an International MBA program.

I took the GMAT and did miserably on it, so poorly that I scrapped my MBA ambitions as soon as I got my result. I then took a year out of my life to reflect: I realized that I do enjoy teaching, I just needed a break from it.

After that year, I enrolled in an M.A. in TESOL program and haven't looked back. That program really switched me on to the many possibilities and opportunities that one can have in our field.

As I previously mentioned, I really enjoy learning about other languages and cultures. I have that opportunity to continue to do so in the TEFL field. The goal of a business career for me would be to gain a post abroad--but the problem with that is I would have to wait until the company decided to transfer me, if they would at all. I have realized that I have exactly what I want in TESOL: I can largely decide where I want to go based on where the jobs are. I'm not so much at the whim of a company deciding or not deciding to send me abroad.

I've no plans to leave this field now. Instead I want to get further into it. I've a friend who just completed all of her requirements for her Ed.D. (not in TESOL/AL) and that encourages me to look at doctorate programs as well.

I am enjoying a tremendous amount of professional freedom and flexibility these days, as well as job satisfaction. The money I'm currently earning is decent and I am making substantial payments on debts. I feel good about my involvement in TESOL.

Regards,
fat_chris

[Imdramayu]

I've only worked in EFL under contracts. Contracts seem so unstable and whimsical. How can you progress while working in a contract? Did you become director (or?) while in a contract? I fear the inherent nstability of EFL contract jobs overseas. It is not a career but a contract. Even if you do a good job, might you get yanked? How many stories are there like that?

I'm thinking of doing an International MBA so I guess I need to start studying the GMAT.

Teaching is not my passion. I don't really have a heart for classroom instruction. I'm thinking something related to that. Maybe with Pearson...testing...curriculum design...with government, policy. The big question...where can I find out accurate info about these kinds of careers?

[Thwartley]

Good thread with a lot of thoughtful posts.

I'm at a bit of a cross-roads myself and am seriously considering doing an MA in either applied Linguistics or TESOL. It's encouraging to hear some people say that having almost completed their MA, they feel energized and know there are related possibilities beyond the classroom.

I've even thought of doing an MA in another field, under the belief (not sure if it's a valid one) that it would allow more career possibilities while still satisfying the requirement to teach at many universities in Asia. MAs in writing, publishing and editing seem to be popping up at different universities. Would something such as this be a good way to enter the textbook publishing industry?

It's hard to find much specific info on these programs and they come off sounding a bit vague and lacking in practical aspects so I'm not sure.

It would be interesting to hear from someone who had a few years of teaching under their belt, did an MA in something other than Linguistics or TESOL, worked in a related industry and then at some point came back to teaching in universities and found their MA accepted by those in a position to hire.

I'm feeling rather burnt out with teaching but still love writing, editing, and the whole idea of teaching (if that makes any sense.)

Sometimes I wonder if I'm just trying to convince myself to make the best of things because choices have become limited.

[Teacher in Rome]

I think that if teaching English isn't a passion, then anything related to it (testing, writing, design etc) will also suffer from a similar lack of passion.

I've been teaching since 1987, but I had two breaks working in publishing in those years. From my early years in an EFL classroom, I've since branched out and had experience in curriculum design, materials writing, some teacher training, blended learning design and testing. It's not so much because I mapped out a career path, but more a question of being in the right place at the right time.

As much as I love classroom teaching, having a variety of work is also essential, or I'd just burn out. Working freelance is an ideal solution for me, because I can work on a number of diverse projects, and teach a good range of groups, rather than just doing the same thing day in day out.

There are huge possibilities for teachers, and I don't think the future has ever looked so good. I'm inspired by the vast numbers of websites and blogs dedicated to teaching and learning, and the ease of communication that can put me in contact with students and learners as far away from Italy as Asia and South America. I'd also say to people to keep going, and keep doing what you enjoy doing, and stay alert to new ways of doing it.

[fat_chris]

Teacher in Rome,

I agree with what you write. I keep "switching it up" to keep it fresh. And that has worked very well for me.

Regards,
fat_chris

[kaw]

I'm in my 9th year now - how time flies when you're having fun. Like the OP I have been wondering which direction when I finish up here in 2 and a half years.
Deciding to keep my options open as it were I'm now doing an MEd in Training and Development. If my dream of owning a hammock on a tropical island doesn't materialise, at least I'll have something to fall back on.

As for what others get up to - I know several people who have gone into teacher training of one form or another and seem to enjoy it.

[naturegirl321]

I'd love to get into teacher training in an intensive course, but unless I move to Cusco, looks like I'll be out of luck.