Job Discussion Forums

[dominika]

Hi there! My name's Dominika and I'm Polish. I've been browsing the job net for some time now and what I sadly realised is that the vast majority of offers is directed to native speakers and EU members. I understand the legal basis of this but could anybody tell me if there are any chances for me to get a teaching position abroad? I would be really gratetful for any sort of tips. I have CELTA, 5 yrs teaching experience, BA in English Philology and used to live and study abroad during my college days. Is there anything I've been missing, except for a Brit/US passport?

[scot47]

I think it varies from place to place.

Here in the Middle East my wife, who is Bulgarian, had terrible problems being recognised as a teacher. She is a graduate in English Philology from Sofia, has native speaker competence, and experience with a wide range of levels and abilities. But many schools preferred totally unqualified, untrained native speakers. Maybe if she had a UK passport !!!

In the end she decided it was not worth the hassle of trying to prove that she could the job better than the competeitors. One example was a hairdresser from Luton who had left Comprehensive School at the age of 16, and found reading the "Sun" intellectually demanding.

It could be that in other places it is easier. Taiwan ? But I think your passport is what counts !

[ghost]

There are places where you could teach as a non native. I teach in the Dominican Republic, and they take anyone who has a minimum level of English. However, the pay and conditions are not good.

I have also taught in Guatemala and Honduras and Nicaragua, and I'm sure that you would find work there, with better pay and conditions than the Dominican Republic.

Forget Europe, you would have problems there. And the same goes with Asia.

In Latin America, if you walk into any language school and you look white, you will be offered a job. To most language school owners any "white person" fits the image of being an English Teacher. It's sad, but all white people are basically considered "gringos" here, and it is assumed that all gringos speak English.

[Roger]

Dominik,

I live in China and have seen Russians, Dutch, Filippinas, Africans, one Nepalese, one Afghani, as well as Americans of immigrant backgrounds.
Some people make euro 1000 a month, live in rent-free flats. Most make about half, which is still quite reasonable by local standards.
The downside is that teaching here is not intellectually stimulating. You will most likely be doing conversation classes, and they can be a real drag! Kindergartens can be interesting, though, but you have to accommodate a few whimsical ideas from CHinese parents and educationists that may contradict your accepted teaching wisdom.
Anyway, it is a way of life, and some enjoy it, others get burned out quickly. But a year is not a long time. Try anyway!

[Harry Swindells]

Czesc Dominika,

If you have blonde hair and blue eyes and look cute you can get a job with EF in China. I know two Poles who are over there right now teaching. Both are being passed off as native speakers. I wouldn't mind so much if they could actually speak good english but neither of them can. One has CAE and no teaching qualifications. The other has failed FCE twice and has no teaching qualifications.

I'm not so sure why you want to leave Poland. The amount you can buy with a Polish salary is quite a bit better than what you'd get in Spain, France or Germany to give three examples..

Harry

[Hank Scorpio]

Dominika, how well can you adopt a neutral, midwestern American accent? You can definitely find work in Korea as long as your accent isn't too noticeable. It can be a bit more difficult if you don't have the Canadian/midwest American accent, but not impossible; there are a lot of New Zealanders and Aussies here, case in point.

You'll have to look harder, but the schools that will turn you down based on your accent probably aren't the ones you'd want to work for anyway. I personally think it's helpful to introduce people to the different ways that the English language is pronounced, but unfortunately the schools don't see it that way. Anyhow, don't get discouraged by it, just keep plugging away.

[J.B. Clamence]

[Roger]

So some non-native English lie in order to land themselves a job. And, you feel their fluency leaves some wishes unfulfilled. Your points are noted, yet...
What does it say about our hirers if they can so easily be bamboozled into accepting us as "Londoners" even if we are from Czech? It simply means that our employers are totally incompetent, and thus unable to find the right person for their well-heeled students! Don't blame that on non-native English teachers!
A Czech masquerading as a Londoner at least proves a lot more versatility and cross-cultural knowledge than a monolingual native speaker. He or she is bicultural.
Fluency? Man, any Chinese claass will slow you down (hey, teacher, you are speaking TOO FAST!" More politely: "Can you speak m - o - r - e s - l o - w - l - y , pliiii: - ze!"
It is true, unfortunately, that in some Asian countries native speakers are desired. This coincides conveniently with the desires of many undereducated native Usanians, kiwis and Aussies whose dream it is to backpack around the world and earn their living costs in the countries to be visited. Many of these teachers-at-large subscribe to the faddish notion that their students only need a conversation partner, so there is, in their humble view, no need for a specific training to become English teacher.
The mnyth that English-only teachers are more helpful than local teachers is a myth and one that only the English-speaking world is perpetuating, with the results that we can see anywhere in Asia - certainly no improvement to the English mastery of Asians over the past twenty or so years!
So, if a school principal or private operator of a language institute with their educational background (often as teacher) can't tell a Czech from a Canadian, then why should their students be obliged to get a class B 2 product when, in disguise, they get what they want although it is a class A 1 product???
So much I think is certain: A bilingual teacher has more intuition and intellectual finesse than a monolingual one!