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MU grads teach English overseas

Jenna Kruse

With an increasing number of graduates opting for non-traditional post-graduation plans, some Miami University students have found a calling teaching English abroad.

As opposed to other government-sponsored programs, students certified in Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), can be hired by independent agencies to travel abroad and teach English in countries where it's not the national language.

Students with a bachelor's degree in education can also become TESOL certified to teach English language learners within U.S. borders.

Vincent Palozzi, visiting assistant professor of linguistics, said the education requirements for teaching English abroad vary by country and the age group receiving instruction.

"As a native English speaker, you can get a teaching job with only your four-year degree but, those jobs normally focus on teaching conversational English," Palozzi said. "To get a better paying job and one with more advancement possibilities, you generally have to have a master's degree to teach reading, writing and advanced grammar to English language learners."

Josh Shaman, 23, is a Dayton native who graduated from Miami in May with a degree in creative writing and a minor in Jewish studies.

After applying to graduate school, Shaman said a friend suggested he look into TESOL. Shaman conducted his own research online and ran across a California-based company called English Apple that sends English-speaking college graduates to South Korea to teach conversational English to either children or adults.

"I've always wanted to be a teacher," Shaman said. "I never traveled outside of America, but I really wanted to. You speak English and probably have since you were little. It's not like teaching chemistry or trigonometry, you're a teacher but it's not impossible."

The TESOL field is replete with acronyms to describe the exchange of language including English Language Teaching (ELT), English as a Second Language (ESL), and English as a Foreign Language (EFL), to name a few.

According to the TESOL, Inc. Web site, the average pay and benefits of ESL/EFL programs vary widely depending on whether it is full- or part-time, an annual salary, an hourly wage, a fee per class and the country of instruction.

For example, a recent posting on http://www.esljobfeed.com for Bright Future International Training and Services requires that applicants hold a bachelor's degree to teach in Bangkok, Thailand for 11 months. After calculating the initial salary and hourly rate, the pay amounts to nearly $17,000.

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While some TESOL jobs require only a bachelor's degree and English fluency, some foreign countries ask for a TESOL certification, which can be obtained online or through some higher education institutions in Ohio for a minimal fee.

Carine Feyten, dean of the School of Education, Health and Society (EHS), said Miami received a five-year $1.5 million grant in 2008 from the U.S. Department of Education to help prepare EHS students to work with English language learners.

"ELL instruction has become a part of the overall curriculum," Feyten said. "We don't prepare students to become teachers of English, but we do prepare teachers in their subject areas to deal with students who do not speak English as a first language."

Feyten said the school is developing a certificate program for public education K-12 teachers who want to get certified for teaching English as a second language.

Shaman said he teaches in a non-traditional school where children ages 5 to 12 learn English in primary school then attend his classes. To keep the children's interests piqued, Shaman and other teachers at his school have adopted one particularly unique practice.

"They run up to me and say, 'JELLY!' because we give ourselves food names like strawberry, watermelon, apple pie, so it's easier for students to remember us," Shaman said. "They're so happy to see me and it makes me feel like I've really made an impact in their lives."

Palozzi attributed the worldwide demand for English speakers to globalization and the increasing need for countries to communicate effectively with one another.

"English is the predominant world language in science, politics, education, and other fields so it's often necessary for students in other countries to have a working knowledge of English," Palozzi said. "And, in some situations, it's necessary to go to an English speaking country to get higher education."

Shaman said he feels he's making a positive contribution to the country of South Korea and its people.

"Consider this, Korea was ravaged by war 60 years ago and then occupied by the Japanese," Shaman said. "Now, it's a top 15 economy. The country is booming and its economic success will propel the people and the education system."