Korean Job Discussion Forums

[laogaiguk]

Ok, with the recent spat of moronic, arrogant MA people on this forum (guy who wanted a plane ticket without it being in the contract, the anti-korean article poster and that guy from New Zealand who doesn't want to teach there for example, though no names), I have a question. Does the MA make them arrogant jerks, or does an arrogant jerk make the MA Seriously, computer science, engineering, physics and psychology MAs (I met all in uni) were all pretty normal (for someone doing a postgraduate degree). What's with the MAs in Linguistics and TEFL. I know some good ones (on this board too), but I am sick of working with many of these other arrogant ones and hearing about their horrible lives. Seriously, do I have to worry when I get my MA (I don't know which yet, maybe an MEd) that I will turn into an arrogant *beep*?

Now, I was browsing some other forums and came across this guy. The company is crap after looking at several threads about the company. And they did make mistakes with this guy. But still, please read...

Link to International Forums

[thegadfly]

Part of the reason I went back to school to get my MA was because I was tired of listening to the arrogant MA-holders in my school's English department...now I can say, "shut up, I got one too, yer still an idjit!"

I think the arrogance comes before the MA, perhaps even compels it -- an arrogant doorknob or other junk-drawer tool probably won't be happy without some pretty piece of paper to lord over others -- like I said, a part of why I got my own pretty piece of paper was to bust the chops of just such tools.

Ya don't need to be arrogant to want an MA, but if yer an arrogant cuss, ya pretty much gots ta get one....

[Milwaukiedave]

I agree maybe the people you are pointing out are arrogant. However, you should try to avoid making sweeping generalizations about people. Are all those who have earned their MA arrogent? No.

I happen to have a masters degree as well. Am I arrogant? I'm far from it.

There are quite a few arrogant people on this forum. Whether they have their masters or just a bachelors has nothing to do with it. Now do I sometimes wish I could kick their arrogant butt, that's another story.

[laogaiguk]

[Woland]

It's the man, not the MA. Some people see themselves in constant competition with others and have to show that they are better in whatever way they can. If they can point to a degree as a way to do this, so much the better. But if not that, it'll be something else.

Anyone who thinks that their MA makes them special just because it is an MA should be sent here:

http://www.drscience.com/

Today's question and answer:

Q: Is there a reason for not ending a sentence with a preposition that you can think of?

Submitted by John Mostrom from Seattle, WA

A: I must admit I don't know where you're coming from. Correct usage in English and Science is something I've devoted my whole life to. Of course, if I say anything you can't understand, it will just become a new hammer you can try to hit me or another expert over the head with. There are plenty of people like you I can't hope to change the mind of. But then, I've dealt with people like you before. People who don't really want to learn, but just hope to find someone they can publicly disagree with. There's little I can say that your type won't find something to object to. But getting back to your question, no there's really no reason for not ending a sentence with a preposition, at least none I can think of.

[spyro25]

i'm sure you will meet all the arrogant MA's you want on this board, but i do have one issue with this

'but the guy only has an online degree'

try having a fiancee you can't leave for 2 years to get an MA in a country whose universities suck balls, and devoting all your time to work and study, then tell me the guy 'only' has an online degree.

if you had even got onto an MA course, you might have some idea of what you are talking about. see you in that awesome 1.6 million BA in balloon blowing 2 week vacation korean uni job you probably applied for this year.

[Missile Command Kid]

I can't speak for anybody else, but the two years in my MA program were, hands down, far more challenging and thought-provoking than the four years in my BA. I had to laugh at the responses in this topic, however, as going through the thesis/dissertation process is extremely humbling. I can't count the number of times that all the mistakes I made in a particular round of corrections were gently rubbed in my face, and my thesis defense was quite literally a verbal defense from a hostile examiner. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that I went through several thousand sheets of paper during my thesis revisions. I came out of the experience a much humbler person, but at the same time I do take a lot of pride in my degree.

Would I sneer at anybody who doesn't have an MA? Of course not. I've met some terrific teachers here, better than me, who have a "lowly" BA. On the other hand, is having a Master's degree something of which to be proud? Absolutely.

[EFLtrainer]

As I continually get low-balled for having a BA but no MA, while having 11 years of teaching and training experience... and have had "kids" with half my experience and one-half to two-thirds my life experience balk at being "trained" by someone with a "lesser" degree... let me just say it is all quite dependent on the individual. But most individuals don't really give half a damn.

That is how you can spend several years in Korea and NEVER have a substantive discussion about teaching with co-workers and why you can go to the conferences and watch less than a tenth of all foreign English teachers show up and a tiny, tiny minority of Korean English teachers show up.

[Ryst Helmut]

I'm arrogant, not because of my glorious MA in TESOL, but because I am pretty, and well, people like me.

!shoosh,

Ryst

Oh, and of my classmates I only knew 1 that was arrogant (so much so that his personality was so grating that we thought...oh, his poor future students!).

[laogaiguk]

[Green Tea]

MAs teach English in Korea ???? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH


All that education and Korea is the best they can do?


That's sad really!

[mrd]

Greentea,

Is some cases people decide to teach in Korea with an MA for life experience and to connect with other cultures.

My fiance is a Korean Canadian for instance, so I'm going to Korea (with a humble MA) to learn Korean and to better understand her culture.

But I guess that is just a laughing matter!

You shallow, shallow little man.

[gang ah jee]

[laogaiguk]

[laogaiguk]