Masters in TESOL

Any advice on doing a TESOL Master in Taiwan?

I don’t know much about doing an M.A. in Taiwan. I guess the most important thing is to make sure the school is accredited…

I came back to the UK to do the course as some countries don’t recognise qualifications obtained through distance learning and I couldn’t be bothered stretching it out over several years doing it by post while still working full time. This way I can bang it out in a year with few distractions.
Not sure about returning to Taiwan after the course. The Middle East and tax free wads spounds a bit tempting.

I’m waiting on details of distance programs from UK universities. I understand - and may be wrong - that these are acceptable in Taiwan if you do a certain amount of the study at the uni’s physical location. I think the requirement is just a few months a year, ie it’s do-able if you are prepared spend your summers in blighty.

Will post more info as I get it.

you have to do at least a third of your program at the university’s physical campus. i believe this is to prove that the university in question really exists, and your piece of paper is more than just a piece of paper signed by dr. harry cotton, or whatever his name was.

also something to do with taiwan protecting their own universities methinks, so that all the students don’t rush to do online degrees from those schools (esp. american big-namers) in the west, as western school degrees are still quite sought after.

[On-line TESOL courses...would I be wasting money?

D’ya think these threads should be merged?

I’m thinking about doing a distance Masters in TESOL/Linguistics but getting a bit confused with all the options. Can anyone recommend any good courses, especially for UK-based degrees, or Australian. Thanks a lot.

A distance MA? If you’re really just in it for the money, it’s fine. If you want a REAL education, there’s lots of good programs in the US. I know Univ. of Cambridge (?) has a program. Learning how to teach effectively is also hands-on to a healthy degree.

Why is a distance MA not real? If the MA is from an accredited and established university then what’s the problem? I was actually just asking for information but thanks for making lots of assumptions about me that are completely wrong, it’s quite funny!

a distance master’s won’t let you teach in a university here. i have no idea if that’s a goal for you. they are not recognized.

there were some threads about this a while ago, i believe in this forum. have a look back about 4-5 months …

good luck no matter what you decide to do.

I am going to Taiwan in a couple months to stay for a year, and teach English. However, I have thought that after a year I can come back to the US and get an MA TESOL degree at MSU.

Now the question is will it benefit me in finding a better job, or am I out another 20 thousand dollars in loans? I am also curious as to what the requirements are for a college English teacher. Do you need a Ph.D in Linguistics?

[quote=“jason242”]I am going to Taiwan in a couple months to stay for a year, and teach English. However, I have thought that after a year I can come back to the US and get an MA TESOL degree at MSU.

Now the question is will it benefit me in finding a better job, or am I out another 20 thousand dollars in loans? I am also curious as to what the requirements are for a college English teacher. Do you need a Ph.D in Linguistics?[/quote]

Having higher quals will not get you any better positions at bushibans or most junior senior high schools.

Colleges and universities set their own requirements for tutors and lecturers. Some require Master but most seem to be heading towards PHd level applicants. Linguistics would not be the only suitable qual for teaching English at a tertiary institution. The salaries offered by the institutions here are not world class so it’s a question of what you want to do long term with your career.

The Ministry of Education requires that all teachers at a post-secondary institution have a masters degree. For native speakers of English, this can be a master’s degree in any subject. The reality of the current hiring situation is that an MA in TESOL is increasingly necessary. Many schools are looking for candidates with a PhD, but there are still great opportunities for those with an MA. for example, Ming Chuan University, where I teach, hired at least 5 people with an MA for this fall semester.

It is true that the base rate for positions at universities and colleges is not great. On the other hand, it is competitive with similar positions in Korea and other countries that employ large numbers of foreign English teachers. Many positions provide extensive vacation time, a limited number of teaching hours, as well as many other benefits. If you plan to stay in Taiwan a long time, teaching at a post-secondary institution is the best employment situation.

I have talked to Jefferson who is pretty knowledgeable in this area. I had thought of doing my MA in applied linguistics rather than pigeonholing myself into a TESOL degree, but I am leaning more towards an MA in education instead. At least then you can use it for more than just teaching English as a foreign language (or second language).

Hey Dear Posters,

My name is Andre, I am interested in teaching English in Taiwan. I was wondering what kind of work could one get with an MA TESOL? The uni I am considering (New School in NYC) is accepted by the Taiwan MOE according to their web page.

I have lived in Taiwan before (I went to ShiDa to learn Mandarin), and I can speak Chinese ok. I’ll probably come back to Taiwan before I teach to go to ShiDa again and get Mandarin to the last level. I can read and write Chinese just fine. I’ll be getting two Bachelors degrees, one in English the other in Chinese. I might add Spanish translation. I’m origionally from Chile, but I have lived in America for a long time, I was adopted as a child. I might also go to South America to teach, if any of you know anything about that I am open to reciving your knowledge :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

I am familiar with bullshit and racisim in Taiwan and I am willing to return anyway, I liked living in Taiwan and the food was fantastic.

Thanks in advance for recieved wisdom! I just basically want to know if it would be a good idea to get an MA TESOL, and if I did what kind of job do I expect here in TW? Is a uni position possible? Thanks!

Do you have a US passport or a Chile passport? You’ll need a US passport to get legal work here.

an MA would allow you to get a FT uni position, but be aware that these spots are drying up rather quickly. many schools now want PhD faculty to pad their stats (re:faculty highest degree earned), so you’d be better off doing post graduate work in any field you wish and then applying (i’m not kidding) …

An MA will get your foot in most doors. It’s a good thing.

jds

I think it’s a great idea to go back for an MA, in TEFL/TESOL, education, or anything really. Although there are fewer and fewer university positions these days, there is also a lack of skilled and certified persons to fill those positions. So, an MA will get you a position IF you also have the qualities and abilities.

One good thing about teaching with an MA is that you are able to get away from the “racial” teaching positions. Many people complain about the preference for blond, blue-eyed teachers in cram schools, kindergartens, and children’s schools. But if you have an MA, your teaching options are much broader.

Speaking from experience, I think that you should study something that you are interested in, rather than worry about the certification aspect. An MA/TEFL can be boring and you will need to supplement it with something you are really interested in. But when you are applying for positions in universities in TW, an MA in a related topic is also acceptable.

One other bit of advice is to make sure that you enjoy teaching before you embark on this educational and life plan. There are so many who feel trapped here in TW because they don’t want to be teachers anymore. If you are not a teacher, don’t go back for an MA/TEFL.

BUT – 99% you will still be teaching only “conversation” or “listening”, because even with an MA in TESOL, you “naturally” cannot teach grammar as well as a Taiwanese teacher. This is pretty much true wherever you end up. In an English department for a university, you have the potential to get other classes as well but don’t even think about being free of the dreaded “ying ting” (“English listening”) class.

Very difficult to get full-time (visa-granting) university jobs with an MA, unless it’s in a very remote place, AFAIK.