Job Discussion Forums

[karmaking]

Hello all. It seems like every week someone is posting questions about coming to the UAE from Korea. I'm one of those newbies. My soon to be wife and I will be leaving Korea in March and are wondering:

1) When do most school hire and start?

2) I have my teaching certification from the states, and I majored in English/Education. I also have TESOL Cert, but from one of those sixty hour schools. I am also half-way through completing my masters in Technical and Professional Writing. Having said all of that, the significant other and I are planning to go to Thailand to get CELTA certification. Would you recommend getting the CELTA to teach in the UAE? Are there any other type of certification that you think would be useful? Do you think this is necessary with my other qualifications?

3) I haven't decided if I want to teach adults or kids. Are there public school jobs in the UAE where native English speakers teach English to the kids (Something similar to JET in Japan or GEPIK in Korea)? Are there any kids language school anyone can recommend?

4) Do you have any good websites on what to expect as far as teaching and living in the UAE goes? Any websites that help with the job hunt?

Any info is appreciated.

[veiledsentiments]

If you spend a bit of time reading on the board, you will find many of your basic questions have been answered... in the last couple days actually. So, I won't repeat. (school year is same as US - hiring early in year for August)

My advice to you is... finish that MA. The best jobs in the UAE (for both pay/benefits and conditions) are at university level teaching Academic Writing (basically standard US Freshman Comp 1&2). Writing is the weakest skill for the vast majority Arabic speakers.

Your second option is taking your teaching certificate... adding the CELTA... and looking into the better International schools. You need to research carefully as many (most?) of these schools are places that you don't want to work.

There are no programs similar to those in Asia... and the teaching is quite different. In Asia, the stress is on their weakest skills of listening and speaking... in the Middle East, the stress is on reading and writing as these are Arabic speakers weakest skills.

BTW... cohabitation by unmarried couples can be an issue, so I would suggest getting married before you apply to simplify the application process.

VS