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dragonpiwo
Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:22 am Post subject: Relations between native speakers and Polish colleagues. |
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How do you rate the management of the place you are at and its attitude towards you as a native speaker?
I've noticed a real disdain towards native speakers in some of the meetings I've had with school directors recently. One summed it up succinctly when she said;'There are many native speakers around but getting a good one is almost impossible.'
I've been appalled by some kieruwniks. Some schools don't let their native speakers teach Cambridge Suite exams, others don't let them teach grammar and others won't let them near the lower levels. Of course the 'method schools' will hire any monkey who can read a scripted lesson and/or drill like a mofo. I get the impression that we're not loved much. In the old days, it was cos we got paid more but now it seems to be because we're seen as being largely incompetent and poorly trained.
I've got the timetable I want but the amount of lies, false promises and BS I've had to wade through in the process of getting sorted has been incredible. It was never like that before. |
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iknowwhatiamtalkingabout
Joined: 02 Sep 2011 Posts: 97
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:41 am Post subject: |
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There are some decent schools there. I've got mates still working in Poland, although mainly in more out of the way cities and towns.
Seems like things are getting tough in general. Glad I'm not new. It must be quite tricky being new these days. |
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dragonpiwo
Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:27 am Post subject: um |
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I think a few people on this forum, myself included, have told a Polish boss to 'stick it'. |
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Sgt Bilko
Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 136 Location: POLAND
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Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2014 2:42 pm Post subject: |
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I had a year at a kolegium teaching conversation and culture classes to prospective English teachers as part of a three year course. I was treated OK but a lower level than everyone else. Conversation was definitely the 'non-academic, relaxing' time for the students and the class that 'anyone could teach' according to the other teachers.
Also had one year in a school which advertised for a native speaker conversation teacher. The problem was that the students' language level was so low that I had to spend half of each 'conversation class' teaching the grammar point that they were supposed to be practising and should have known.
I was treated well but I hated the lessons. Conversation only classes are a terrible idea for low levels, especially kids/teens. The only other place I've taught was IH which was all native speakers for most of the time. The director treated the teachers quite badly but nowhere near as bad as she treated the office staff. |
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mitsui
Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 3:29 am Post subject: |
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So they want quality but hire inexperienced teachers so they can pay them less?
Then complain about it.
I remember Poles being told to only teach grammar for the CAE, and heard about how Polish students could not relax with certain Polish teachers but could with foreign ones.
I taught CAE classes but was not allowed to teach the grammar part.
Office staff could be the worst, especially with paperwork.
One Polish teacher had disdain for Americans since they didn't speak proper English, according to him. My students were aghast at his rants.
I did feel that being a foreign teacher there, you had less room for error. I recall a Polish teacher showing up for work at 8:00 a.m. with alcohol on his breath. I doubt I could get away with that. |
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iknowwhatiamtalkingabout
Joined: 02 Sep 2011 Posts: 97
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Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 5:29 am Post subject: |
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Seems I've been quite lucky. Never experienced any divide of that sort in the staffroom. Teachers all taught their classes. No divide between grammar and conversation, no divisions at work. People generally got on well.
Obviously, in any workplace there are people who get on and people who don't. But it was never along the lines of nationality. |
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dragonpiwo
Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin
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Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 2:56 pm Post subject: erm |
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I just get the feeling that they think we're not qualified and that some resent the fact we get paid a bit more. The issue of Polish kieruwniks and their often tyrannical management style is another thing altogether. |
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iknowwhatiamtalkingabout
Joined: 02 Sep 2011 Posts: 97
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 11:10 am Post subject: |
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Anyway, when I saw this thread title I had high hopes... Never mind. |
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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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there's no question there's resentment.
they studied and got their "master's" and many spent time in an English speaking country in order to have the skill sets to teach. we just lived life and our speaking ability is superior to theirs...not to mention there are plenty of TEFL'ers that don't have any college education at all....and then we get paid more for doing the same job.
here's how I saw it: Polish teachers came to me with questions all the time. I never came to them with questions. My accent is also "perfect." Therefore, pay me.
It's like any other business. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2014 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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Look at some of the characters hired as native speakers ! Inability to speak Standard English. Semiliterate and with a very low cultural level ! If I were a Polish teacher with an MA In English Philology they would p*** me off too !
The same phenomenon was common in Bulgaria for a few years after the political upheaval of 1989. It did not take long for the Bulgarians to waken upto the undesirability of many "native speaker EFL teachers". |
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Master Shake
Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA
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Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 2:33 am Post subject: |
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I've only worked in schools which require a degree + CELTA so I can't say I have seen much open resentment from Polish teachers due to the fact that we (natives) are unqualified. Generally, I've found the Polish teachers helpful, though they don't always go out of their way to be friendly. They'd come to me with questions about how to pronounce a word; I'd go to them asking for activities to practice a particular language point.
The most difficult Polish teachers are the ones who insist on speaking Polish non-stop in the staff room. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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Poles speaking Polish in an institution in Poland ! |
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dynow
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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at one of my schools, the DOS told all the polish teachers directly at a meeting one day that there is to be no polish spoken in the halls or near reception, it didn't change a thing. polish all day. in the staff rooms, constant polish was common but i liked it bc i didn't need to practice my english. funny though, u'd think they would take the opportunity to speak to a native given the opportunity, considering most of them didn't have much exposure to live native speakers.
we all got paid the same there, btw. |
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delphian-domine
Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 674
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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Not really funny at all. In Sweden, the culture there is not to speak English when you're on a break/whatever. It's the same in many countries, and I don't blame them for wanting to use their native tongue when resting. As for the teachers not wanting to take advantage - exposure to a native doesn't necessarily mean very much. |
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sparks
Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 632
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Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with Delph. Language is a tool for communication, why wouldn't one want to use their native tongue when they are just chatting between classes. I can't stand the haughty Poles who fake Brit. or Am. accents and get all wrapped up in the culture, becoming Anglophiles or whatever, sometimes putting down all things Polish, it's nonsense. It's fine to only speak English when someone is in the room who doesn't speak Polish, that's being polite, but if there are a group of people who all speak the language just talking to each other, sticking with English seems pointless. |
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