Job Discussion Forums

[dmb]

I once tried to recruit a Nigerian national. However, the Turkish ministry of Education turned down his application because he couldn't speak English. He ONLY spoke English.

[Guy Courchesne]

[zaneth]

What's Nigerian English like? Pretty good? Just curious.

[Guest]

I had actually lost hope that I would ever get good answers but now I am really glad to hear your experiences. It�s interesting to know where you all worked and what you thought about not only about that place but also of your colleagues.

Roger: I am presently teaching Oral English mainly Listening and Speaking and few classes of writing. Other than that I am also helping to some of the English Teachers with their teaching. I have taught before Kindergarten, Primary, Junior and Senior High School. I like to teach every one as long as I have the same schedule. If I am teaching for a term then that gives me a chance to concentrate and prepare activities according to their level. I would also like to teach Literature and more of writing but that�s latter. I can also teach Computers and Physics.

Dyak: It�s good to know about the London Schools.

Moonraven: I am sure you were doing a great job at your Franchise. I wish you GOOD LUCK in future too. Would you like to disclose which franchise were you working?

Nauczyciel: I know it�s difficult to get a job in Europe. I know in Europe they think twice before getting an American too. I would think about your suggestion too.

Dmb, Guy Courchesne, Zaneth: No idea about Nigerians and their English. No comments

[dmb]

[Stephen Jones]

There are two problems with both Nigerian and Indian native or bilingual speakers of English.

The first is that because they are a very small minority in their country it is only through an interview and a test that it can be ascertained that they are in fact native speakers. And then there is the problem that immigration in many countries is going to need persuading that the person is in fact a native speaker, and not somebody introduced into the country for illicit reasons or to undercut the salary of the country's nationals, either in teaching or other activities.

The second problem is that as the native speaker is in a linguistic island among a sea of indigenous languages, there is the danger of contamination of his language. I am not referring to vocabulary or grammar items peculiar to his national variety of English, but of a creeping approximation of his English to the pattern of the vernacular, whether Hindi or Huasa or Urdu or whatever.

And most Indians and West African speakers of English are far from being native speaker level.

I receive hundreds of job applications from Indians and Pakistanis every year. Something like 75% of them can be rejected outright because their CVs are full of mistakes, though that proportion has been declining recently as they have got hold of pre-packaged lists of buzz-words from before the dotbomb era, that don't mean anything at all, but save them having to write any English in their CV at all.

Incidentally, we have some excellent Indian teachers of English at our college, but they are all highly experienced and qualified, and way above the average even of those employed in Saudi.

[Sekhmet]

Disha,
I know of several non-natives teaching in China (but you already know that!!), and also several in Egypt. Unfortunately, Indian nationals (and also native speakers of Indian descent) often get short shrift here - I'm not sure exactly why. However, your English seems good enough to get you a job in most schools, and as other peopl have said, you've been throught the trials and tribulations of learning English, so you have a head start on most of us natives!!!

Best of luck - I hope everything works out for you!

[JZer]

[Guest]

Sekhmet : Thanks ! I hope so too. So how's Egypt ? Would you like to tell me more about People, Country,Culture,Life as a Foreign Teacher,
if you had any culture shocks???

JZer : I am glad to know about that kind of opportunity.I never knew before. I think I would try to get a higher degree.

[dyak]

It's interesting, and quite sad that here in London, unless told, most students do not realise they're being taught by non-native speakers. It comes down to the look; if they look English they must be English. I knew a non-native teacher, he was Polish and with a thick accent. More than half of his students thought he was English, which I found unbelievable. It's the teachers that don't look English that arouse students' suspicions, and ironically these are the 2nd or 3rd generation 'British Asian/African' teachers that have lived here all their lives!