Job Discussion Forums

[wayne1523]

Hi, I'd like to know, given the English language teaching market today, if not the next few years, the difference in employment opportunities for one who is an education major and is a certified teacher back at home, and one who just has a general bachelor of arts degree with a TESOL/TEFL/CELTA and some teaching experience abroad. In a year or so, I will become the latter with more than a year worth of experience teaching public elementary in Korea. Briefly, what is the difference in opportunities given this difference in credentials in countries such as Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, China, and Japan. I am heavily looking at the first three of the aforementioned five countries as my next destination to teach.

I'm still a 23 year old male, and for now it may be swell that I have a BA majoring in History, a CELTA soon, and some teaching experience for the next 5 years. But for the person who nears the age of 30 or exceeds that, who starts to look to settle and look for a spouse and a family, would one live comfortably? Again, just a general perspective as I know the definition of "comfort" is very subjective. I'd like to know in terms of wages, hours, working conditions, etc. In a way I'm kind of regretting not being an Education major, and would contemplate possibly pursuing that according to some of the feedback.

Thank you! =)

[BadBeagleBad]

If you plan on staying in Education long term, you are far better off having a degree in Education, and certification from your home country. It opens up many more jobs, and they usually pay better than just ESL jobs. If you have both a degree in Education and a CELTA, or comparable certificate, you have many more jobs open to you as well. But, if it is something you are just going to do for a few years and not make a career out of it, then any degree and a TESOL certificate is the way to go.

[wayne1523]

For now, it seems that I'd like to stay in ESL for quite a while.

[fladude]

I can't imagine any advantage in getting a BA in education after already having a BA in history. There are advantages to becoming a certified teacher. But you can become a certified teacher without getting a BA in education. Since you already have a degree in history, I assume that you have at least 30 hours of credit in Social Studies type classes (history, poli-sc, anthropology, geography, etc...). So you can become certified as a Social Studies teacher fairly easily in pretty much any state. If you want to be certified in English you may have to take a bunch of English classes (30 hours of 300 or higher level college courses is the norm). Or you may just have to take a test (it depends on your state and where you want to work). Either way though you don't need a new degree.

Almost every state has alternative certification for non education majors. You need to look that up in your home state. You will probably have to take some classes and take some tests. But it won't be nearly as hard or expensive as going back and getting another BA. So look at your home state and figure out what you need and go from there. Once you get certified, then get 2 years of experience at a US public school and then you will be good to get back off the plantation and work at an International School (I know that working in the US public school system for 2 years does not sound fun.... but you gotta pay your dues). After you get 2 years of experience, and get settled down in the job you want to work at for a few years then you might want to get a Masters in Education, but I wouldn't bother with it until you get some experience teaching at a real school first. The education courses won't make nearly as much sense without practical experience. And you will get a lot more out of the classes if you are teaching while you take them.

The other idea would be to get a Master in TESOL and maybe a CELTA/DELTA. There are good paying jobs in ESL for people who are qualified.

[Zero]

[fladude]

It really depends on YOU. There are jobs out there, jobs in inner city schools, jobs in rural schools (not suburban but true rural where you have to teach 5 or 6 subjects every day), jobs in districts in failure, jobs on reservations.... they are out there. You have to look for a job where other people don't want to work. If you are committed to working in a suburban school district teaching AP kids then you aren't going to get a job. But if you are willing to move around and work ANYWHERE then you will get a job.

[Glenski]