Job Discussion Forums

[lucifer911]

I understand that many employers do not require you to understand the native language in their country but how important is it to know their language in terms of safety and going about your business?

Keep in mind you have to travel to work seeing road signs in a foreign language. You may have to communicate to strangers who approach you and ask you questions. You have to shop for food and other necessities while dealing with people who most likely will not understand english.

If you cannot speak their language doesn't this amplify your risk to yourself of being mugged or targeted by criminals? In Brazil if you walk around speaking english without understanding portugese you will be a target for criminals.

Surely this would be the case in middle east if you cannot speak arabic? I am just imagining situations where you could potential deescalate a hostile situation if you just knew some basic language. I get the impression that people seem to think being able to speak spanish is not important when travelling to latin america. Same thing with arabic in middle east - how many TEFL teachers are fluent in arabic?

[rtm]

[jtea]

I wouldn't say it's vital, it's definitely helpful.

Depending on where you go, you'll find signs, menus, packaging, etc written in English...especially if the place is popular for tourism. There have been plenty of people who lived for years in a foreign country without learning the language. They're able to get by using English or they'll make friends who know the language.

To me, I think it's important to make an effort to learn the language, even if it's after you move. You'll be missing out on a lot of culture experiences among other things if you don't. Also, it takes away having to depend on others all the time. You can communicate with police, set up anything from utilities to cell phone, etc all on your own. There's a lot of benefits to learning a language.

If you go to large cities or around large cities, you can generally find plenty of people who speak English. Course, one benefit of moving to place without any English knowledge is that you'll learn the language quicker if you make the effort.

I can't saw how safe it is to live in a country where you don't speak the language but you generally don't read about a bunch of English teachers in so and so place getting mugged or targeted by criminals all the time. Crime rate in an area doesn't increase just because you are a foreigner. If someone chooses to target a foreigner for that reason, it's more bad luck and the same can happen anywhere, even in your home country.

Also, when it comes to crime..I don't know how much better it'll make the situation with communication outside of someone saying "give me your wallet", you cooperate, and they leave you alone. You can pretty much gather they want your wallet without them having to say it. Any other crime is the same, if someone wants to do something...your chances of talking your way out of it are going to be slim anyway.

[nomad soul]

I've taught in two unstable countries in the Middle East---my basic Arabic tends to be useful for daily needs and conversation practice. But really, a little common sense goes a long way. Obviously, when abroad, don't be out in public wearing a cowboy hat and a t-shirt that reads, "USA rules!" or "Beer: the official drink of champions." Ditto for simply avoiding sketchy areas and situations (even in your home country).

Anyway, that could mean a lot of languages to learn for those teachers who like to work around the globe. For example, Spanish won't be useful in Korea, Chinese in Oman, Swahili in Indonesia...

[HLJHLJ]

Obviously learning the language should be a goal if you are living anywhere long term. However, for day to day survival it's no different to being a tourist. I haven't spoken a word of the local language in the majority of countries I've visited and I've always got by (though I do try to at least and learn 'please, thank you and sorry'). The only places I've been robbed (well, pick pocketed) are ones were I *did* speak the local language.

[lucifer911]

I grew up in a suburb in Australia which had a semi bad reputation for violence and theft. Ironically I did not get assaulted once while catching public transport from work to home late at night - though I did witness many uncomfortable situations. I'm the type of guy who keeps to himself but here is the reason why I'm posting this thread.

I moved away from my low socioeconomic region to live in the capital city. 2 years of living in a capital city I encountered beggars almost every week when I walked to the supermarket. I had a close call and was nearly mugged 11pm at night - lucky I had good reflexes to see the hooligan approaching me from behind. I also happened to live near a street full of bars and nightclubs which probably amplified my chances of unpleasant encounters. I did not wear expensive clothes while walking around the city either. On my first night in Melbourne I was approached by a beggar in the city and I was wearing normal clothes.. no signs of wealth. My first day in Sydney I ask asked for money.. when I walk around in Perth and Adelaide I usually get asked for money from time to time too.

Most TEFL jobs are in capital cities and surely there would be homeless, beggars, and petty criminals in all cities abroad. I think its ignorant advice to explain to teachers that learning the local language is not important. If someone asks you for money in russian, portugese, chinese language you can't just say 'sorry I can't help' in english to them. Smart advice would be to study the local language for 6 months before travelling abroad. You can't just expect everyone to understand english.. except maybe in europe but not Russia or Latin America.

It just seems like if you don't learn the local language more people will know you are a tourist. Too many people assume tourists are rich too.. especially in Latin America.

Edit: I have used public transport for 8 years and during that time there were at least 3-4 situations where I talked my way out of a potential hostile situation.

[HLJHLJ]

Beggars in many countries can often ask for money in several languages, and you can say 'sorry I've got no money' with a gesture as easily as with a phrase.

As I said, learning the language before you arrive is certainly helpful, but it's not essential.

I've traveled all over Latin America, including most of the capital cities, and I take public transport to and from work here everyday. I've only once had to talk myself out of a hostile situation (about 10 years ago in El Salvador), and they spoke English. Once I convinced them I wasn't from the USA they backed off.

But if you feel like a potential victim if you don't know the language, then yes you do need to learn it before you go, because you might as well paint a target on yourself otherwise.

[nomad soul]

[rtm]

[golsa]

I agree with the others that knowing a bit of the local language won't help you in terms of safety issues.

However, learning the local language will help you understand the issues your students face when learning English. This is particularly relevant in the area of pronunciation as your students will probably be native speakers of a syllable-stressed language. Learning to speak a syllable-stressed language can really open your mind to the types of pronunciation mistake students make.

Knowing the local language can also help you correct errors more efficiently. Many languages don't distinguish between continuous and simple aspect, as we do in English. Perfect vs. simple is often a problem too.

And it helps with teaching lexis too. You'll begin to understand why your students say things like "Yesterday I did a pizza" and "I like fizzy drinks which are flavored by orange."

Another poster mentioned practicing what you preach and that is also true. My students in China were impressed by the fact that I attended Chinese lessons each day before coming to work to teach them English. It takes a lot of dedication to learn a foreign language and students seem to appreciate it when their teacher has (or is!) going through the same process they're going through.

One final issue is orthographic control. You'd be surprised at how many languages don't have capital letters and how difficult it can be for these learners to know when to use capital letters. Deciding when to teach students to write in block print vs. cursive is also an issue. For example, it's much easier to teach native Arabic and Persian speakers to write in cursive than block print. I'm currently learning Russian and have found handwritten Russian to be very difficult to read and write because virtually all of my Russian input has been from signs, books, print on packages, and the internet, where everything is written in block print. As a relatively young native English speaker, I mostly write in block print, but have found that proficient Russian speakers can't read my attempts to produce written Russian because they're used to seeing cursive in handwriting.

[Shroob]

[johnslat]

Dear Shroob,

I believe it's not the "medium" that's different; it's the style of writing: block letters (i.e. printing) versus cursive.

"The child who can read cursive can also read manuscript, but the reverse is not true."

http://www.blog.montessoriforeveryone.com/cursive-vs-printing-is-one-better-than-the-other.html

Regards,
John

[MuscatGary]

Apart from all the great points already made I think it helps to keep us in touch with how difficult it is for our students if we're experiencing the same problem of acquiring a language, L1,2,3... problems and so on.

[Chancellor]

Vital? No. Helpful? Yes. However, I did manage to get on pretty well in Kazakhstan without having learned Russian or Kazakh. I did manage to learn how to read words reasonably well (even if I didn't know what they meant), and was able to recognize certain common words for things like restaurants, notaries, and pharmacies, and I was able to tell taxi drivers where to take me usually by giving them the name of major nearby landmarks such as certain business centers or (when I wanted to get back to my apartment block) a school on a particular street.

[golsa]