Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jazblanc77]

Well, I am considering returning to Canada to go back to school. I want to become a professional ESL teacher who is employable both in Canada and Korea. I am only interested in teaching at the elementary level.

I was originally only considering master's programmes ie. M.ed TESOL/M.ed Applied Linguistics and TESOL. However, I would not be able to get accreditation in Canada with such a degree and would possibly be pidgeon holed into teaching at private schools/adult institutions. Attaining B.ed through an after degree programme (1-2 years), would give me accreditation and, with the addition of an advanced degree in TESOL, would get me into the ESL industry more solidly.

I'm just wondering if someone has gone through this decision process already and how they decided what to do.

BTW, I am not presently cosidering any sort of online degrees as I do not think that they would benefit me in my learning style.

[hellofaniceguy]

Seems like your question should be easy to answer from anyone! Of course a Master's is better!
In any society.
Does having a Master's make someone a better teacher, doctor, professor, nurse, etc. No, in my opinion.
It's just a piece of paper. But an important piece of paper like a driver's license or a marriage license or a passport.
I have seen many teachers with this piece of paper.... Master's and Ph.D's who are terrible at teaching!! And I have seen teachers with only a BA/BS degree who are great.
It all comes down to one's style, personality and how to interact with students.
However, society places emphasis on advanced degrees....most people seem to think "wow, you have a Master/Ph.D...you are smart and educated!"
And those that have them say "I took the time and spent the money to learn more and be a better whatever."
Agruements both for and against.
In korea...you need a Master's to teach at a university, most of the time. Hakwons? They don't care. They just want a smiling face to showboat you around.
But why...why...do teachers who have Master's agree to teach for 2.0 when a BA also gets 2.0!! If you have a MA, tell the university to stick it....2.0!
I know of SNU FT's teachers who get 2.0! And hakwon FT's who get 2.3! And teach less than the uni teachers! Go figure! They must be desperate for work or can't get a job back home is my thinking.
I have watched MA teachers teach and watched BA teachers teach and I have yet to see any difference. It all comes down to experience. We learn from our mistakes and become better teachers over the years whether you have a MA or a BA.

[OiGirl]

[jazblanc77]

[azjen]

Bachelor's are great for getting your foot in the door and enable you to gain the experience needed for licensing in your various state or province. The only problem I see with a Masters in Education is that they are commonly called terminal degrees. It sounds like you have made the decision to dedicate your life to teaching grade school esl.

If for any unforeseen reason you choose to change your mind, sure you have a masters. If you ever change careers that paper is only good as a title. It is completely useless outside the Ed world. I suppose this is the same with most Masters degrees.


Good luck on your decision.

[turtlepi1]

I'm in somewhat of the same situation (BEd. vs Masters in Canada)...(though I am not sure I want to teach children)

Of course there is no clear answer but you may want to go the BEd route. You need it to teach in the school system (Canada) and your time in Korea might even give you a grade bump..(IE higher salary here in Canada)

If you do decide to go the Masters route then if you decide to go back and complete the BEd then you will also get a grade bump for having a Masters degree. (assuming it is from an approved school)

Education is life-long. Assuming you want to be a teacher (career) then planning to complete both the Bachelors and Masters over time is the way to go. (Not necessarily one right after the other or full-time)

As a side note to the people suggesting a Masters is better for teaching in Korea, in general that might be the case but as (she?) *sorry don't want to look back* wants to teach children then there are many great positions that require a teaching certificate..(and for us canadians that is a BEd.)

Hope this helps...

My degree is a BSc. in Computer Networking. I am considering a BEd but will likely go the Masters route. I've been teaching computers in a college system that caters to non-native speakers for the last 6 years. I figured a brief stint in Korea would not only be an exciting adventure but would improve my understanding of teaching to this group of learners.

I figure I will do a Masters in Educational Technology (Focusing on on-line education) with a TESOL component.

[jazblanc77]

I'm actually starting to feel very discouraged about this whole issue. I just spent the past 6 hours (and the past year intermittently), looking for information pertaining to the type of elementary school esl/literacy/eld programmes in which I would like to teach. I couldn't find anything in the way of information or even job opportunities save a few in the Toronto District. I'm not even sure there is a market for a teacher like me.

Maybe I should just give up my dream of teaching children ESL and get a Master's degree so that I can teach adults (even though I loathe teaching adults, at least I can make some money doing it).

[turtlepi1]

[TECO]

[Cthulhu]

A M.Ed is a great addition to a B.Ed as far as getting in the door, increased salary, possible administration jobs once experience is accrued etc.

An M.Ed without a B.Ed just doesn't look right to most employers and is far more useful in Korea than back in Canada. The M.Ed is supposed to be made up of theory based on (an extension of) the practical stuff learned from a B.Ed. The M.Ed might help for ESL jobs in Toronto if you prefer a job over a career, but that's about all. As TECO said, the licensing is key and no one will hire someone with an M.Ed for public schools because an M.Ed is mostly theory, not practical classroom experience, plus once you finish there is no teacher's certificate to go along with it and without the teacher's certificate you can't teach.

[OiGirl]

[TECO]

International schools would require you to have a B.Ed or teaching licence from your home country.

Some of these jobs can be quite lucrative (NET scheme in Hong Kong, for example) and other countries such as Thailand, Japan and Taiwan.

I applied for one in Brunei after graduating with my M.A. TESOL (Faculty of Education) and they said, "Great, but you need a B.Ed!"

So, IMO, a B.Ed can be maybe even more useful than an M.A. TESOL in securing a good TESOL gig with great pay and benefits overseas.

Plus you can use the B.Ed to teach in the school system back home.

[Ryst Helmut]

[Kwangjuchicken]