I’m thinking about getting my MA in TESOL. I’ve read mixed reviews but on this degree and wanted to know some opinions on it and if it was helpful in your career as a teacher in Japan.
It helped me to move from ‘unskilled’ teaching (eikaiwa, business English) to ‘skilled’ teaching (university lecturer).
But, if you want to go down the path of university teaching you’ll need to get a few research publications under your belt and perhaps start with some part time university teaching before you can move into full time.
Also, the above only really goes for contract lecturer positions. If you want to eventually get a tenured position you’ll need a PhD, good Japanese, and a fair few publications to be in with a shout.
Traditionally it gets you into a university job or other better paying gig. It has definitely been worth it for me, as the uni job paid for the MA.
Beware though, my opinion is that it’s a bit of a shakey future ahead in the field. The market is packed with teachers all of a similar background and so on and it is starting to look like the unis want to make us part time teachers rather than offer a five year contract.
I wouldn’t necessarily advise going into it at this point
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It helped me to move from ‘unskilled’ teaching (eikaiwa, business English) to ‘skilled’ teaching (university lecturer).
But, if you want to go down the path of university teaching you’ll need to get a few research publications under your belt and perhaps start with some part time university teaching before you can move into full time.
Also, the above only really goes for contract lecturer positions. If you want to eventually get a tenured position you’ll need a PhD, good Japanese, and a fair few publications to be in with a shout.
Traditionally it gets you into a university job or other better paying gig. It has definitely been worth it for me, as the uni job paid for the MA.
Beware though, my opinion is that it’s a bit of a shakey future ahead in the field. The market is packed with teachers all of a similar background and so on and it is starting to look like the unis want to make us part time teachers rather than offer a five year contract.
I wouldn’t necessarily advise going into it at this point