Job Discussion Forums

marg252 · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Posts: 55

I've been looking at a few options-all US based and all online. There is the applied linguistics ma. There are the Masters of Arts of Teaching Languages programs (concentration in ESL). There is the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction There is TESOL...

My goal is to make this my career. I want to teach overseas for a few years or more. After, I'd like to come back and teach in the US. I want to teach in universities and community colleges. I also would prefer to teach adults.

Any recommendations? Thanks!

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I'd say possibily the Applied Linguistics. It'll be good overseas and in the US for universities. Just make sure it's accrediated. About the MA in TEFL. I did one and I think it's too general.

GlobalDawg · Joined: 24 Jan 2003 Posts: 91

I'd suggest that you consider completing two masters--one to get you in the door and one once you've settled into an overseas teaching position. Applied Linguistics would be helpful with respect to teaching a specific language to non-native speakers. Additionally, I'd suggest Curriculum & Instruction with an emphasis--not particularly in ESL if you are going to complete the AL masters or something related like TEFL/TESOL. Curriculum & Instruction will provide you with good foundation in pedagogy--history, theory and methods as well as keeping you abreast of trends and current issues. The second masters degree with an emphasis in online learning would be wise to consider. Online learning--regardless of what others say--is here to stay and more educational offerings are moving in that direction; preparing online courses is not as easy as some would think and the facilitator assumes a somewhat different role in comparison to a classroom teacher.

GD

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

TESOL and Applied Linguistics are generally interchangeable, and there are many ads that will ask for either one. A good MA should include curriculum design, and a few years in a good job can give you experience designing curricula--might be more practical than getting two MAs in such closely related areas.

I didn't find my MA to be too general at all--it gave me exactly the training I needed for the jobs that I've had. Granted, it did seem focused more on teaching academic English/university students/adults, at the expense of instruction in teaching young 'uns, but I'm not interested in teaching kids anyway, so it was a good fit.

d