Job Discussion Forums

[overhere]

I am interesting in teaching ..I will turn 50 this May..I have unrelated masters but am looking at a M.Ed in TESOl from the University of Missouri (distant learning)...I am also planning to pursue a CELTA...I have been volunteering as an ESL instructor and most of my work experience has been in career development and coprorate training. I have also had taught at a couple of colleges as an adjunct instructor.

I am an American citizen and native speaker.

My main interest in teaching adults or in an university setting...I love Asia but am also open to South America or the Middle East.



I guess I am wondering if the M.ED will help me overcome the age barrier I may face? Also would a M.Ed in TESOL be an advantage if you already have an unrelated masters?

I plan to pursue the masters either way, if nothing else to be better prepared in the classroom, however, I am interested in your thoughts.

Thanks!

[Glenski]

In many places in Asia, your age is something employers actually look for! They tend to revere people with more life experience in some cases.

Plenty of people in their 50s working in Japan, for example.

But just a master's degree will not get you a uni job in Japan, regardless of age. See the FAQ stickies at the top of the Japan forum for more info.

Teaching adults often means business English. No master's is needed there, either. What employers often look for is a degree suitable for immigration to offer a visa, and the right experience in a field that is the same as their clients, so they know the lingo.

But, just where in "Asia" had you hoped to work? It's a big place.

[Zero]

The better question might be whether the M Ed TESOL is worth it at any age. Where does it get you ahead? The Middle East. But they usually don't accept distance degrees there. (Which brings up another question: Is it worth doing an M Ed TESOL in person? Sure, if you are extremely sure you want to work in the Middle East, and for quite a few years. Because economically, you'll have to make up the cost of the degree PLUS the years of lost earnings from when you were sitting in the classroom rather than working.)

Not sure where else the M Ed TESOL is a significant help. Maybe Hong Kong? Japan? I don't know; others can say.

In any decision to pursue higher education, if you want it to make economic sense, you have to first figure out what job you want. Does it require a particular degree? How much will it cost to get the degree, in tuition and in opportunity cost? Will there be a payoff, and if so, how far in the future?

If you are starting by saying, "I have the degree picked out; what job can I get with it?" then you are going about it backwards, from a dollars and cents perspective. Maybe you don't need the degree in the first place!

I respect that there can be other reasons to pursue education, besides pure dollars and cents. That is fine. But, as with any other good or service you might wish to purchase, you have to be able to afford it. So it's still dollars and cents!

Good luck to you.

[james2187]

No distance degrees are accepted in the Middle East? Strange.

[naturegirl321]

[Dedicated]

Overhere said

[Zero]

[Chamomile]

An MA can get you a university position in Korea (actually, a few of the rural universities will even consider someone with a BA, if they have a few years experience). The pay isn't much better for some of these positions than jobs that you could get with a BA, but you're teaching a lot fewer hours and getting a lot more vacation time than you would at a typical after-school kids' academy. The kids' academies usually pay the equivalent of about $2000/month, plus a free apartment and airfare. Even with the high cost of living in Korea, it's still possible to put quite a bit of money into savings.

Of course, some people earn a lot more than that.

Check the Korean job listings.

I don't know what the universities are currently paying.

[naturegirl321]

[nickpellatt]