Job Discussion Forums

housecat · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 104 Location: usa

Hi. I'm considering applying to teach in Alaska next year--09-10--and wonder if anyone has experience living and/teaching in Alaska.

Basically, I lived outsid the States for 10 years in a very different culture from my own. I miss that! I don't fit in here (AR) now as no one can relate to my experience and I don't relate well to live in my home town. I want a challenge and a new environment. I'd love to have a chance to learn another language again, and I want my son to be exposed to something different than main stream USA.

I do fear the winter, but what can I expect, really?

Thanks!

tek44 · Joined: 25 Feb 2007 Posts: 32

How will Alaska solve your problem? Sounds like you need to go overseas again. Alaska is some pretty simple, down-to-earth-living: Pick ups, Hunting, guns, fishing...I think you get the picture. I lived there for a year.

housecat · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 104 Location: usa

Thanks for your reply. I was thinking about Alaska because there has to be at least opportunity to learn different culture and language.

I know you're right, I do need to go overseas again. I wish I could be happy at "home," but I'm just cut from different cloth, I guess. Time to accept it.

flutterbayou · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 244

Here's a link to ESL jobs at Alaskan universities: http://www.eslgold.com/alaska.html

Please pm me if you find others. I'm with you - it is hard to go home after working abroad, and Alaska has an appeal as our last frontier.

The question is whether any of the universities have stable and recurrent programs running that keep people continuously employed.

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

It has a surprisingly large Orthodox Christian population, especially among the native peoples. You'll hear about St Herman before very long...

Sherri · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject:

You could also consider Hawaii. You get the benefits of living in the US and the stimulation of being in a multicultural environment.
Sherri

ETG · Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 67

I'm curious..what language do you plan to learn in Alaska? Palinese?
E.

housecat · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 104 Location: usa

[quote="ETG"]I'm curious..what language do you plan to learn in Alaska? Palinese?
E.[/quote]

I don't understand posts like this.

ANY language other than English. All language has value and all learning is healthy and good. Any amount of language aquisition of any language is a good thing for your mind and helps you learn more about your own first language and other languages. Every language is also like a cultural map of sorts and helps us learn about ourselves and about others.

What difference does it make what language I might learn in Alaska?

ETG · Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 67

OUCH
it was a joke! Palinese. However, it would be interesting to know what language instruction is available in Alaska.
E.

housecat · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 104 Location: usa

Sorry, I didn't even pay attention to "language" you suggested. I'm not very political.

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

Once you realize that in politics what ordinary people discuss and vote for is quite separate from what is actually enacted as policy, then all politics becomes uninteresting BS pushed on us from above (the media that belong to a small circle of rich people that want us to waste our time thinking we can change things via their system). Political jokes cease to interest at that point, too.

When you get there (Alaska), let the rest of us know what it's like!

jillford64 · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 397 Location: Sin City

I too was curious about which language you thought you would be able to learn in Alaska, since for the most part people speak English. I finally decided you meant an Inuit (is that the right term?) language.

housecat · Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Posts: 104 Location: usa

[quote="jillford64"]I too was curious about which language you thought you would be able to learn in Alaska, since for the most part people speak English. I finally decided you meant an Inuit (is that the right term?) language.[/quote]

I was actually thinking of Upic (sp?) in particular. Not that I think it really matters.

like2answer · Joined: 21 Sep 2006 Posts: 154

Here is a list of the different languages the "first people" of alaska may or may not speak.

http://www.alaskool.org/Language/languageindex.htm

I have friends who teach in Alaskan state schools and nothing other than English is taught.

flutterbayou · Joined: 01 Apr 2006 Posts: 244

Yes, but what kind of jobs are there in Alaska, and how do we find them?