Job Discussion Forums

[blues clues]

I wonder what's up with more and more places hiring more and more S. AFricans. Certainly isn't because of those horrible accents. can someone explain this new phenomena? Of course many S. Africans are happy with whatever wages they are offered, making that much more difficult for qualified people to negotiate for a fair wage. Especially when it comes to teaching privately. They'll teach for as little as 50 dirhams per hour....wake up people. The going rate is 150+ !!!

[Wigwam]

There is no going rate. You charge what you believe is right and not what others charge. Perhaps 150 is too high for some while others may feel 150 is too cheap and would be willing to pay double if they thought that they were getting value for money. The fact that the writer chooses to single out a nationality is not a good sign.

[grahamb]

What makes South Africans less desirable than other nationalities? They certainly don't have a monopoly of strong accents; in fact I find them easier to understand than many other native speakers.

[PeterBar]

....................especially Cockneys, Brummies, Mancunians, Liverpudlians, Glaswegians, Yorkshire Tykes or Geordies. Add to that many people from Continental North American and that about covers all those strange 'native speaker' accents ! ! !

[veiledsentiments]

So... are you saying every native English speaker but you? Haven't you left out the Aussies and Kiwis? Or are you one of those?

The TEFL turfwars between the English speaking dialects do get tiresome...

[jonks]

Humph.

I happen to quite like the South African accent. I find their accent more palatable than GenAm, yet not as nice as GP.

Regardless, OP, I find your choice of thread topic to be bigoted, insensitive, and complete hogswallop.

[Shakespeare]

"Certainly isn't because of those horrible accents."

Have you ever heard some Scottish nationals speak? One has to listen twice to figure out whether they speak English or another language!

I think "blues clues" does not have the faintest idea of what he is talking about. I wonder whether he has been around long enough in the ESL community.

Anyway, accents should not be an issue and any trained ESL teacher knows it. What matters is speaking standard English with proper pronunciation.

I would like to recommend "blues clues" to go and read Jeremy Harmer's "The Practice of English Language Teaching" - a standard TESOL textbook. Perhaps this will give you a more professional insight into the varieties of English language available around the world.

Lastly, your opinion is a clear indication that you lack respect for nationalities other than your own. I wonder why you are not teaching in your home country, if you have a snobbish attitude towards other nationalities. In my opinion, your remarks amounts to hypocracy and racism - both have no place on this forum and the ESL profession can do without such negative viewpoints.

[PeterBar]

I thought that the inclusion of most of the obvious accents, plus 3 exclamation marks, might have helped people realise that I was being more than slightly tongue in cheek.

[grahamb]

Shakespeare has the usual Anglo-Saxon dig at the Scots and then calls the OP a hypocrite. That's the little Englander mentality for you.
Understanding accents is all about exposure. Hear them often enough and you come to understand them. End of story.

[Hector_Lector]

A wee bit arrogant to call one�s self Shakespeare.Especially if you write complete bollocks.

[grahamb]

Arrogant and English - perfect collocates!

[BattleAxe]

Its simple. S. Afrikans are white English speakers who will work for peanuts. Its all about image which really goes to show you exactly how much they value their education system.

[Queen of Sheba]

Why should they care about their educational system when they just started organized schools within the last century - even the governent knows this and sends students abroad as much as possible via scholarships. It took the West much longer to get to where they are at in Saudi (notice no "e" at the end), and while its easy to forget and get frustrated for the many short-comings in the country and in the education system in particular, its worthwhile to remind ourselves every now and then that we teach in a developing country. Not by technological standards, although there is catching up to do with that as well, but in the social and mental context. You can give people money but you can't force values on them. We have to recollect segregation was in the recent history of the West, and so was the lack of women's rights - or just remember a few Bush-isms when making such comparisions to ease the stress!

[Arab Strap]

Have you ever heard some Scottish nationals speak? One has to listen twice to figure out whether they speak English or another language!

Ah the Royal 'we'.................one does does one?

Wit ur yu oan aboot pal? A've aguid mind tae stick the heid oan ye.

Proclaimers:

He's been so sad

Since you said his accent was bad

He's worn a frown

This Caledonian clown

Am just gonna have to learn to hesitate.

And flatten all my vowels

So your Saxon ears don't break.....................etc.

[scot47]

I have heard colleauges express the belief that only RP-speakers should be allowed to TEFL.

Personally when I hear that public school accent my hackles rise and I know I am listening to the class enemy !