Job Discussion Forums

[thezwashere]

I'm interested in teaching in the Middle East, but I wanted some advice.

I'm a 22 year-old female, not Muslim, but not religious either. Basically, my background is that I have a BA in Japanese and International Studies, a year of teaching experience (more than 2 if you count private tutoring/part-time teaching, which as I understand it, they typically don't in the ME), and will be getting a CELTA soon.

I'm interested in teaching in the ME because I want to study Arabic while I am there. Essentially, I want to know two things: 1) What is the sort of salary that somebody with my limited experience and educational background could expect in the ME and what is the typical cost of living in that area of the world? Can I save any/much money? Having perused the forums, I understand that I will not be making a "great" salary, but that's not what is really important to me, as long as it's a decent one. I also understand that it might not be at the best school, but as long as I get paid, it's not a big concern of mine. 2) If my primary goal is to study Arabic, are there any particular countries that I should either avoid or focus on? I have found in my previous experiences living abroad that my language ability improves the most when I can actually interact/speak with people- and judging from what I've heard about some countries, as a foreign women this seems like it might be difficult.

Finally- would it make a huge difference to consider getting an MA in Applied Linguistics or perhaps TESOL, especially since I would not be teaching the ME for more than a couple of years?

Thanks!

[veiledsentiments]

I'd look into getting the CELTA at the British Council in Cairo. Check out the Cairo branch for discussion of this idea. North Africa and the Levant are the best places to learn Arabic.

Your credentials are too minimal for the Gulf anyway. I don't think I'd go to the expense of getting an MA in this field if you don't plan to continue in it. Get your CELTA, teach for a year or two, and then decide if you want to do an MA. Look around at some of the places that offer teaching Fellowships.

VS