Job Discussion Forums

robertokun · Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 199

Hi,

I'm curious about the M.A. Applied Linguistics/TESOL degree, which seems to be the about the best qualification in the field. If there is anyone posting on here that has one, I'm curious about what your thoughts on it are.

Was it worth it? Does it allow you the job opportunities that you hoped for? What has your work experience been like? Do you teach at a university, community college, K-12, some kind of private or other work? Would you have rather done something differently? Even if you don't want to be two specific, how is the pay? How was your job search after getting it?

I'm thinking of going back to school to get one, but I'm unsure if it's going to be worth it. I really want to continue a career in TESOL, but I could be two years older, thousands of dollars poorer and still have to fight for a low paying teaching job.

Thanks for any input

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

What are your qualifications now? Unless you have a B. Ed. + teaching credential in your home country (or are planning to get either of these), you are limited without an MA. Some people do manage to move up into DOS positions, get plum university jobs, etc., without MAs, but they either have something else going for them or they were just in the right place at the right time.

I've taught in universities for the past six years (since finishing my MA). Two of my jobs required MAs, although in my current job some people have been hired without one--no idea how they managed that. One job paid more for MAs and even more for PhDs. And one job didn't require one and didn't pay more--I think I was one of only two people out of 30ish that had one.

I wouldn't do anything differently because universities are exactly where I want to be, and they generally require MAs. (I imagine some people will say that you can get into certain jobs--China??--just with a BA and a smiling white face, but those aren't the jobs I'm after...) When I finally make it back to the US, I will look for work in universities, where again an MA is generally required.

d

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

It depends on what cuontries you want to go to. For example, in China, I think you'll only get about 50 usd more for an MA. At least in the majority of jobs. For Peru, it doesn't matter, but place like the Middle East, it's often a basic requisite. there are distance programmes out there as well.

Chancellor

spanglish · Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 742 Location: working on that

Here in Bogota, I'd recommend the DELTA over a masters - takes much less time to get it and seems to command just as much respect (if not more) as a masters. A DELTA is good for British Council work and to teach at the top universities (which other than international schools which require teaching certification are the best English teaching jobs in Colombia). A number of supervisors at good schools are very aware of the CELTA/DELTA. Don't count on it doing anything for you in the US, though.

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

Don't count on it doing anything for you in Japan (or probably Korea) either.

robertokun · Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 199

Actually, I have an M.A. and a teaching license in my home state, so getting a teaching job isn't a problem. I just prefer TESOL to my area of certification and am toying with the idea of working at the university level. That's why I wanted to get some feedback from some people that have done it. I'd use it to work in the U.S., most likely.

Chancellor · Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 12:55 pm Post subject:

robertokun · Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 199

Thought about that, but it's lengthy and expensive and you're still stuck in the K-12 system. Might as well just spend a little more time and get the M.A. If there was like an alternative endorsement route like there is alternative certification that would be an interesting option.

leez · Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2009 5:34 pm Post subject:

robertokun · Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 199

No worries for the long post at all. In fact, that's what I'm looking for. It sounds like it was a good decision for you overall. Thanks for the info.

Englishish · Joined: 01 Oct 2009 Posts: 78

Well, I've seen a lot of discussion on the various forums about the DELTA and MA but I'm still not sure what exactly the advantages/disadvantages are. I previously heard that the MA is considered to be more useful in the US and the DELTA in the UK. I've got the CELTA and a few years experience teaching and this is going to be my work for life. I only want to teach adults. It seems that the DELTA and/or MA is for career advancement but while I'd like to 'advance' in terms of getting more money and fewer hours(!) as well as gaining more experience and training, I want to remain a teacher, NOT become a DOS or Teacher Trainer or go into that type of admin. So my questions are...

1) Is the DELTA/MA any use to someone who doesn't want to go into admin/become a DOS?

2) Which one would be better? (I plan to continue working abroad and I wouldn't bother doing the UK certification unless/until I was planning to settle down in the UK which won't be in the near future).

3) Would it be worth doing the DELTA followed by the MA or is it better just to get on and do the MA? I think I'd like to do the DELTA next, especially since I can get a discount with my current employer. I've heard that you can get credits towards the MA if you've already done the DELTA but in practice, would this mean that a substantial chunk of the MA is already done or would it only be a negligible difference to the total?

The British system doesn't work the same as the American system so I'd particularly like to hear from any Brits because I guess I'll end up teaching there again eventually. (I previously worked in a college in the UK and would be happy to do that again at some stage in the future. They had just brought in a mandatory 1 year qualification for teaching in colleges when I was teaching there in 2004 but I didn't do it as it was the wrong time of year). While I'm happy to do more studies, it's starting to seem like a never-ending quest to get qualified and I'm not quite sure what the benefits are! However, I'm not planning to teach in the UK for a while so I'd be interested to hear everyone's thoughts, whether British or not.

Cheers!

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I hold an MA TESL/TEFL from the University of Birmingham (English edition, to be crystal clear).

Having the MA has
1) allowed me to get work at two very decent universities so far
2) has not taken me out of the classroom, but
3) has given me opportunities to write curriculum and work with teachers and 4) means I make a bit more money, and have more job security.

If your current employer will subsidise a DELTA, I'd go for it, and then the MA after. I won't go back and do one myself now, but I like it's practical basis.

Englishish · Joined: 01 Oct 2009 Posts: 78

Thanks for the reply. I can definitely see the appeal in an MA. I'm not sure I've put this topic in the right place because really I want to hear what everyone thinks, especially people who are considering/have chosen one over the other, not just people who have already got an MA so I think I'll start a new thread. I know an MA is good for working in a university but I'm not sure what advantages the DELTA would bring me. Looks like most places in the UK will credit you with about 30 credits (out of 180) for having already done the DELTA which isn't much of a bonus considering it would take a year to complete.

jgmodlin · Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 120 Location: USA

It seems like the MA reaps better rewards for those teaching overseas. As a public school ESL endorsed teacher in the US, the difference between having a Master's or a Bachelor's was less than a couple of thousand dollars where I was teaching. It would take a decade or more to make up the cost of grad school at that rate. As to teaching at the college level in the US, most of the ESL positions I know of in the mid-Atlantic would be part time community college gigs (forget full time they rarely exist anymore) that pay $20-30 an hour for maybe two or three classes a semester. The teachers in my area who taught community college all had regular public school ESL jobs during the day to pay the bills.

IMHO, getting a Master's in TESOL or Linguistic Arts makes good sense abroad but may be of little extra financial value back home. A PhD, however, would obviously be a good move to secure a tenured American university position.