Job Discussion Forums

BajaLaJaula · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 267

@kiwi

I harbor no mistrust of intellectuals or of researchers, per say. I do not, however, put much stock in studies that have been done that try to prove that native language speaking ability is not an important asset, especially when dealing with accent and pronunciation.

I did not mean this to be some sort of personal attack on you if you find yourself lacking in those areas. My point was simply that it can can proven that the reason for SCHOOLS to hire non-native speakers often amounts to an attempt to save money.

Good luck to you in your endeavors and I hope that your non-native speaking colleagues are handsomely rewarded for their efforts, even if their pronunciation may not be to my liking.

Enjoy KSA...so happy I no longer have to put up with it.

kiwiinksa · Joined: 05 Sep 2012 Posts: 26 Location: Nan Jing

BajaLaJaula · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 267

You are right. There are several different accents of English. The most in demand are likely to be British and American. It is what it is. The market determines which ones are most desirable.
Non-native English speakers, who learned English after early adolescence, will usually speak with a less desirable and less marketable accent. The market determines which ones pay more. Unlikely that research findings that show that accent doesn't impact learning will change the perception in the Middle East.
Again, if it were up to me as a parent, I would not send my children to a school where their English teacher was a non-Native English speaker.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Baja

The new technologies mean that exposure to an endless number of speakers is possible. In the past we were limited to using the teacher in class a a model. That started to change with the use of recordings. Now, with access through electronic media, there is a huge bank we can use.

ayatollah · Joined: 16 Jun 2017 Posts: 46

siologen · Joined: 25 Oct 2016 Posts: 336

BajaLaJaula · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 267

Good point Scot. Ideally, language learners would be exposed to many different accents and this would actually reinforce their ability. But, since I was talking about my aversion to non-native English speakers teaching English, the issue would not simply be an accent.
Then again, how many Americans teachers know correct grammar anyway.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I have native speaker competence in German. None of my teachers were native speakers of German and I never even met a native speaker until I had been learning for 3 years ! And in those days we only had radio broadcasts and tape recorders as back-up !

desertfox · Joined: 14 Jun 2015 Posts: 120

The non-native speaker debate is a fascinating one.

But it should be borne in mind English as a culture and a language has got a fairly unique role and background.

A long colonial history has meant that there are high numbers of 2nd generation (relative) newcomers to the UK.

This means that, for example, people of an Arabic/Islamic heritage, as native speakers, can now find jobs teaching in the Middle East.

The pull and attraction for them is not just economic, but multi faceted.

BajaLaJaula · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 267

True that.

desertfox · Joined: 14 Jun 2015 Posts: 120

Lord T asked: "Teachers usually ask about contact hours and class sizes when they apply for new jobs. Can you give us any information regarding contact hours and class sizes at the Applied Engineering College, Riyadh?"

Kiwi - This pertinent question was asked by Lord T, but you omitted to reply.

Can you please answer as this forum is an information exchange and posters would like to know the situation at Applied Engineering.

I am obliged.

Balzac · Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 266

kiwiinksa · Joined: 05 Sep 2012 Posts: 26 Location: Nan Jing

I don't think they're hiring at the moment.