Job Discussion Forums

omar805 · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Thailand

I've just read a job ad on one of the other websites submitted by a Dr Nasser Qalesh in Riyadh (no name of organisation given) - he's advertising for ELTs from New Zealand and South Africa. Does anyone know of this person and the organisation that he represents? Why is he stipulating just those 2 countries for teaching staff?
Any ideas?

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

I've never hear of Dr. Qalash but I can make a suggestion as to why he stipulates these two countries only.

In Saudi when you wish to employ foreigners for a certain position you apply for block visas for the number of authorized workers and these block visas are valid for one country only.

So, it appears that Dr. Qalash, or the organization he represents has visas for these two countries only.

Another possibility could be that he is representing a large institution that has visas for many countries, and they have asked him to be responsible for recruitment from these two countries.

Just a guess, but a reasonable one.

Mark100 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 441

It is true that visas are done in blocks in Saudi but
my cynical guess as to why they are asking for Kiwis and South Africans would be that they are cheaper than other nationalities due to the low value of their currencies rather than the fact that they do not have visas for other nationalities.

omar805 · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Posts: 69 Location: Thailand

OK, thanks for the explanation on block visas. Howver, the same person has now just re-advertised asking for male English Language Teachers from New Zealand, South Africa and Denmark. Block visas from NZ and South Africa yes, but Denmark! I didn't realize that they were big on producing native speaking ELTS.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

South Africa, New Zealand, Denmark.

Good-looking blondes?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I have met Danes whose spoken and written English is far superior that of most "native speaker" teachers.. What amazes me is that the native speaker myth lives on despite eveidence that many of them are ill-educated, semil-literate, monoglots with little understanding of the pedagogy of foreign language learning.