with a master of arts from a top university in the states (though not in tesol or related field) i have two professional interests. the first is to continue teaching english in china (2 years under my belt already). the second is to teach at an english center in an american college. i'm wondering what further academic qualifications are needed? i have no interest in spending a lot of money to get a tesol MA in the states, so i've looked at programs in applied linguistics in hong kong (much cheaper). but, would a MA from the the university of hong kong(for example) be helpful in securing a job teaching esl at a college in the states? with my experience teaching esl in china and since i already have a MA from a top university in the states, would a strong tesol certificate be enough to make me competitive for this kind of job in the states? if not, would the MA in applied linguistics from HK be a good choice?