MA Alumni Speak
Shlomi Deloia
shlomi.deloia@gmail.com
As a PhD student in the midst of writing a dissertation, I can now
fully appreciate the skills for close reading, theoretical analysis
and critical writing I have gained from my MA studies. In my brief
excursion into the job market after graduation I found that good
researching and writing skills provide an excellent background
for a variety of career paths in Israel's increasingly international market not only in professional editing, writing and teaching but also in administration, marketing and communications. But for me the most enduring result of my MA studies was the desire--sparked by several inspiring teachers and mentors--to take the next step forward in expanding and developing my research project and academic pursuits.
Aviya Hacohen
aviya@bgu.ac.il
Having recently submitted my PhD dissertation in psycholinguistics and after spending more than 10 years of my life at the department, I would like to recommend it to anyone interested in pursuing linguistic research. From the very beginning of my studies, the department, and in particular, the people who make up the department, have provided me with an incredibly supportive and stimulating academic environment that I think is rarely found elsewhere. Furthermore, despite the difficult financial "situation" inflicted on Israeli academia over the past decade (by some mysterious force of nature), everyone worked hard to provide me with as much financial support as was available, which – for me – meant 4 years of full funding during my PhD. As the next step in my academic career, I am looking for a post-doc position, a not-so-easy task in these times, but I hope to find an academic and personal atmosphere similar to the one I have enjoyed in this department!
A. Sobelman
sobelman@bgu.ac.il
When I began my MA degree in literature at BGU I was concerned that I might not find a job upon graduation. Nonetheless, I took the leap into my studies because I love literature and writing, and I knew that I would not be the same person if I left these subjects behind. But soon after finishing my thesis I found freelance editing jobs and was hired as a copyeditor at a major English-language Israeli newspaper. I now edit and contribute to the paper and I continue to use every single one of the skills I gained during my MA – from critical thinking to group discussion, to academic writing, to proofreading.
From the beginning of my studies, a teaching assistantship allowed me to gain experience as a tutor and decision-maker both in the classroom itself and through the grading of papers and one-on-one meetings with students. For two years I expanded my knowledge of texts and authors and soon found I could then teach them in ways that would eventually play a major role in how I read and write about literature in my work.
In my second year of studies, I applied for a scholarship which led me to a German university for two months during which I worked on my thesis and gave lectures on subjects of my choice. I left Germany with a stronger sense of my own ability to present my research in different environments, including in regular graduate seminars in the department.
I recently decided to go on for a PhD and will continue to pursue my other professional interests.
Hamutal Yellin
When I finished my BA at the Department of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics at BGU I had no doubt in my mind that I was going to do my MA in the same department. And the most important reason for my making that choice was the caring and nurturing staff. Our instructors, teaching assistants and the administrative workers always acted as if they were personally invested in each and every student's success and made themselves, their knowledge, and their time, freely available to us.
Today I work as a free-lance translator. During my MA studies I encountered many new literary and theoretical works, but still more importantly new ways of thinking, observing and theorizing, which were not only interesting at the time but still serve me in my work.
Miri Chertok-Gorodezky
Miriam.Chertok-Gorodezky@weizmann.ac.il
I completed both my BA and MA in the Department of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics. Just before finishing my MA in English Literature, I started to work at the Davidson Institute of Science Education at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot. I am the international liaison for one of the programs, and am also in charge of the donor relations, a job that includes correspondence with individuals and organizations in English, writing applications for donations, reporting to donors, and hosting guests to the Institute. I know that my MA in English was a consideration in hiring me.
My academic experience has unquestionably contributed to my success at my job. In the course of two degrees I was trained to think critically. Not only do literary theories have implications in everyday life, but they develop analytical skills. In papers for coursework and in writing a thesis, I learned to make an argument, to put ideas into words in a way that a reader can follow and appreciate. In today's job market the ability to work entirely in English is a priceless skill. Any organization involved in international business needs people who can correspond, write, and speak in English.
Please feel free to email me with any relevant questions.
Maha Alawdat
mahagaboa2008@gmail.com
By getting my MA degree in Literature, I gained numerous benefits as an individual and as a teacher. Studying literature in the Department of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics changed my vision of education. Today, I work at the Ministry of Education, the AMAL network, and Kaye College, training teachers and facilitating their work with literature in the classroom as part of the new Bagrut program. Many of the university courses that I took in the course of my MA degree continue to help me show those I teach the power of critical thinking, collaboration with others and diversity.. By next year, more specialized literature teachers will be needed in schools due to the dramatic change in the English Bagrut Curriculum. A degree in literature is helpful in so many ways -- I feel privileged to belong to the MA community!