Job Discussion Forums

[Trident]

Hi everyone! I'm a newbie on here but not to TEFL or Japan. After nearly 5 years' post-CELTA experience, I'm thinking of taking the plunge and doing a Masters' Course, with a view to trying to secure a full-time, Japanese uni post. I'd therefore be grateful for any thoughts and/or advice on the following:-

1. Which course to take, ie an MA in Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, TESOL, Applied Linguistics (TESOL), TEFL/TESL, Education (TESOL), etc, etc, etc??? Is one course particularly preferred over the others or are they all much of a muchness?

2. I don't really want to study part-time/by distance, so am thinking of doing the full-time, one year course. The problem is where? Courses in the UK (I'm British) are getting much more expensive now plus I'd prefer to live somewhere else for a year, so am thinking of other countries including, interestingly, some non-native-English-speaking countries such as Holland. However, I've heard that Japanese university employers have a list of preferred unis so I don't want to waste my time and money studying in "the wrong place". Has anyone heard the same or better still, does anyone know who or what is on said list??

Thanks in advance for any replies! yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

[Glenski]

[Trident]

Thanks for the reply Glenski!

To be honest, I have no particular leaning towards of any of the courses, so long as they're viewed equally by university employers. Someone told me about that list but I've not been able to find it myself, hence the question. Would be useful to know though! Thanks again!

[Vince]

I don't believe that there's any such list. As Glenski said, just make sure it's from a legitimate school. Avoiding distance degrees is probably a good way to go, if only because of pervasive stereotypes of them. For that same reason, I would think twice about getting the degree outside of one of the major English-speaking countries.

[reddevil79]

On the question about differences in applied linguistics, TESOL, etc., I would say think carefully about your choice as there are some significant differences.

Applied linguistics is a much broader look at language theory and learning, while TESOL places more emphasis on methodology and classroom practice. I friend of mine completed his masters in TESOL a couple of years back, and I�ve just completed mine in Applied linguistics, and while there was some overlap in our studies, it was clear that our courses each had a very different focus.

Have a good look the course details and the modules on offer.

[Mr_Monkey]

[It's Scary!]

I found that my M.Ed. in TESOL (TUJ...no longer offered in Fukuoka) had a good mix of history, theory, and practice. In fact, I was surprised (recently) that many of my colleagues were visually surprised when they learned of the French influence on English pronunciation and lexicon.

This was basic to my TUJ studies.

It's an eye-opening experience!

[Trident]

Thanks for all the advice guys - much appreciated! At the end of the day it's probably all going to come down to cost, which is a shame because some of the interesting-looking courses I've seen are SO expensive! I guess you get what you pay for, and all that!

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[base5555]

I enjoy teaching ESL quite a bit but I wanted a degree that was a little less specialized and one that would open a few more doors. So I chose a MS in Teaching & Curriculum Design from Drexel University (which is a pretty good school in the States with an online option). Once finished I can apply for a teaching license which will open the door to International schools as well as ESL. Anyways, something to consider.