Job Discussion Forums

[OneLove23]

Hi everyone and thanks for your time,

My question is regarding the qualifications which you would recommend. My aim is to teach at the university/college level in the gulf region and the UAE appeals to me the most.

I am well aware that I need to upgrade my credentials and education and would appreciate your advice. I have a BA and 2 years experience teaching adults in Japan.

I am planning on doing a Master's in Applied Linguistics/TESOL and am wondering if you would recommend that I get a CELTA/TESL/TEFL certificate as well as the master's degree? Basically, how can I make myself competitive at the post secondary level?

I appreciate your suggestions!

Take care, Kathryn

[veiledsentiments]

I'd say that it depends on your MA program. Some of them have a practical portion where you do some supervised teaching, but most don't. Of course, if your BA was in education and you did the usual "Student Teaching" for 8 weeks, you have already done it. If you have never had supervised practice teaching in front of real students - the key here being "supervised," a CELTA would be very beneficial. And the employers are thrilled to see them both. (a very few even require both)

Always good to see someone who is ready and willing to so what needs to be done to be a more professional teacher. Not that there aren't some great teachers who haven't got these bits of paper.

VS

[OneLove23]

Thanks for your reply VS,

My BA is in Political Science - International Relations. I have had a lot of supervised teaching with the company I work for and the supervisor is a Canadian teacher but there has been no supervision tied to a certificate or degree program. I realize now that I wasted money when I did a GlobalTESOL certifcate in the past (like Oxford Seminars). It was sufficient for some countries but invalid for many countries as well. So, I need to dish out the funds again to do another certification. ;)

I see that some positions ask for the MA and some ask for the MA and certificate. The MA I'm looking to do has a dissertation and project but not a practical component. So it seems from your reply that a certification with the MA would be the way to go.

Thanks again VS! Kathryn

[nomad soul]

OneLove23, since you're already teaching, you might check if your grad program will allow you to include a supervised teaching practice component with your MA either as a customized, self-study course or an elective, possibly even as transfer credits from another university. If so, then you won't need to tack on a TEFL cert and can state on your CV/resume that your degree included a practicum. Plus, it will be indicated on your transcript. It might be a doable option for you since grad programs generally offer some flexibility in terms of content.

[OneLove23]

For those of you working in the UAE or other gulf countries, do you have a master's and CELTA/TESOL/TESL/TEFL, etc. :) Is the certification so necessary?

onelove

[nomad soul]

[veiledsentiments]

I am similar. My original BSc had 8 weeks of supervised teaching - though not in ESL. But, there are few - don't know of any offhand (though Scot47 said that there are a few in Saudi) - who require a CELTA if you already have an MA. I was never asked about one in any of my interviews.

But IMHO, if you have never had good supervised classroom training... ie a related MA, but little or no experience, a CELTA is worth the investment in improving your skills. For relative newbies, it may very well be an "unstated" requirement to get an offer.

VS

[OneLove23]

Thanks for your replies! You're definitely helping me out :)

I'm also trying to decide between 2 master's programs at the moment. One is a Master's in Applied Linguistics with a Major in TESOL. It is through the Department of Humanities and the other is a Master's in TESOL through the Education Department. Would either one be good on a CV?

A million thanks!

[nomad soul]

[OneLove23]

Thanks nomad soul. I think that about covers my questions :)

Have a great day and thanks for spending the time to help!

[Eisenhorn]

[mimi_intheworld]

I am trying to clarify this issue as I try to sort my summer plans. I currently teach high school in the UAE, have 5 years experience in secondary classrooms, a BA in English and an MA in a semi-related subject. I understand that an MATESOL or MA Applied Linguistics would generally be required to teach university in this corner of the planet. I wonder if a CELTA (and, inshallah, next year a DELTA) would suffice to cover the gap? I'm not in a financial position to get another degree at this point, but a CELTA is do-able.

[Eisenhorn]

A BA in english, a related MA and a CELTA w/ 5 years of secondary teaching experience should get you an interview at some places. It also depends on the job you are looking for. Some of the bachelors of ed degrees want high school teaching experience.

They would prefer that MATESL/applied linguistics and many of the employers here actually seem to prefer a DELTA over an MA, unless your MA has a practical.

[mimi_intheworld]

Thanks for those notes, Eisenhorn. In a perfect world, I'd stay 3-5 years where I am, but who knows if that's even an option? So I'm seeing which certificates I should go collecting. One must have a goal, after all.