Job Discussion Forums

candykisk · Joined: 19 Apr 2011 Posts: 29

In the future when there is no need for English teachers, what do you think will be the career options for people who like to travel? What would you choose if there were no need for English teachers today? I imagine that within the next 50 years, English will become more widespread in non-English speaking countries, therefore making it unnecessary to hire foreign teachers from abroad (like as has happened in the Netherlands, Iceland, Finland, and other countries as such).

MuscatGary · Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2015 4:15 am Post subject:

gigolo

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

You mean when the world returns to normal. The recent boom on EFL has only been big since the 1970s.

candykisk · Joined: 19 Apr 2011 Posts: 29

Muscat Gary, lol. And Scot47, hmm. I've never looked at things in that way. But how will things return to normal if there really won't be a need for English instructors in the future? What do you think?

En929 · Joined: 22 Feb 2015 Posts: 25

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Of course English is big, but that doers not mean there will always be a demand for "native-speaker" teachers. The days when someone with a BA from Wigan Poly could easily get a job teaching English in Asia or the Middle East are already coming to an end.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 7:27 am Post subject:

Yip. It'll be the new Latin. Original powers that spoke it will have long faded into obscurity, but English, or a version of it, will likely continue to be used.

teacheratlarge · Joined: 17 Nov 2011 Posts: 192 Location: Japan

I suppose it depends on the time frame we are looking at. Even now, you get teachers who have forgotten what their original nationality is until they need more modern medical treatment. In countries where ESL/EFL opportunities are growing, the demand for teachers with a good grasp of the target language is still strong. Sometimes the local population either doesn't have a good grasp of English or is just not interested in using the language for teaching purposes.

happyinshangqiu · Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 8:59 am Post subject:

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

buravirgil · Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:24 am Post subject:

For as long as English speaking people advance technology (and its disciplines), English will remain an important language to learn. I suppose you could draw a parallel to Rome's taxes, roads and military, but Russia's military parity with the US hasn't forwarded its own advancement. The "digital revolution" did much to secure the dominance of English for the coming century.

The most surprising example (of late) to me is crime science/investigation. It spawns a lot of television shows, but that's just an echo. Its topics, application and documentation require an English proficiency to adopt and implement.

When significant advances in technology cease to be developed by people speaking English, why would it matter?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Spiral
The dig at forgetting your nationality until you need medical treatment is aimed at those who return to the UK to use the National Health Service. Guilty as charged, Your Honour !

It does not apply to Americans since they have no NHS !

adaruby · Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 2:08 am Post subject:

happyinshangqiu · Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 4:09 am Post subject:

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world