Job Discussion Forums

irish rover · Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Posts: 1

HELLO FROM A NEWBIE.AFTER 10 YEARS IN THE GULF,WAS JUST WONDERING IF ANYONE KNEW OF DECENT TEFL GIG?

johnkg · Joined: 06 Feb 2009 Posts: 127

Yeah. There's a group of guys from one of the unis that do great Frank Zappa covers in one of the Dubai hotels on Friday nights.

kiefer · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 268

I've heard that band. "Don't You Eat That Yellow Snow" loses something translated into Tagalog.

Anyway--OP, what are your quals? Have an MA? Dont mind teaching absolute beginners who are on Pass/Pass system?? Working split shifts? PM me for some ideas.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Why is this OP yelling? Does he think we're deaf?

Is that eau de troll?

VS
(after 10 years why would he need to ask us?)

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

Some surfing high school kiddie who couldn't even think of anything but the very obvious to write.

opus1 · Joined: 04 Mar 2009 Posts: 1 Location: Ontario

Hi all

I have really enjoyed reading all the fantastic advice about working abroad in various threads (VS, the guinness guy (my favourite beer!), johnkg especially).

I am a Canadian woman, mid-50s, former journalist, just finished TESL certificate, currently working at a Canadian college, and will soon begin working on MA in Adult Ed. I long to work in UAE but I gather universities there are not looking for "older" folks - I gather the best-before-date is 55.

Does anyone know if this is an absolute cut off age? I look way younger, am incredibly fit (rode a 100-mile cycling marathon last year) and have bags of energy.

I know life is not fair, but ...

Is it pointless to even try to get work in the Middle East?

thanks in advance!

helenl · Joined: 04 Jan 2006 Posts: 1202

If you check some of the more recent threads you'll see you don't have the qualifications for the most desirable (better paying, reliable employers HCT ZU UAEU etc.)

Your age is less of an issue than the lack of quals at this stage.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Another problem is that by the time you finish your MA (and many/most of them insist both that you have an MA and that it be TESL/TEFL related), you will be pushing the age issue. It is late 50's where age becomes more of an issue.

One option is a place like the University of Nizwa in Oman. They have hired a few 'mature' teachers Cool

but they had more teaching experience than you. But one must be more adaptive to cultural issues in a smaller town in Oman's hinterlands.

VS

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

Agreed. As someone who recently taught in the UAE for nine years, I think I can safely say that you have missed that boat, Opus. There won't be any good teaching jobs for you in the UAE.