Job Discussion Forums

[guangho]

[sidjameson]

How would you feel if you were in your 40's, no make that your 30's and up and you got invited to a party. At the party 50% of the people were foreigners like you and working, but you were the only one who was a language teacher? The others were all "real" expats and business men.

University professor would cut it. High school teacher, ok ish. But I bet the majority would be hiding the true nature of their work. The Fluffy Bunny Language Den........I wouldn't want people to ask me why I had taken the bus to get here.

Then again life is too short to worry about your status anyway.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

[Deicide]

[coffeedrinker]

If I had to generalize, I'd say in many parts of the US, EFL/ESL teachers are paid relatively low wages but seen as doing non-profit work which helps people who really need it - often immigrants and refugees - and therefore status-wise a little higher (I'm not saying this is necessarily always true, but I think it is a common impression).

In Eastern Europe at least, EFL teachers are paid relatively more (compared to other jobs) but maybe perceived less as professionals and more as young people on holiday. Again, I'm not saying this is necessarily true - but overall I think it is what many people think.

[Justin Trullinger]

What's a "real expat?"


Life's too short to worry. If you're ashamed of what you're doing, do something else.

In my experience, business men (and women) abroad usually have more to be ashamed of than I would ever want on my conscience.

I help people to learn English.

Best,
Justin

[medusa]

Well said Justin!!!

Just because our western culture has lowered the level of respect due to teachers doesn't mean we have to fall victim to it!

[cangringo]

very well said Justin, (clap, clap, clap)

I just asked our roommate and a student who are hanging out here and they say we are very well respected here in Monterrey. Can't speak for the rest of Mexico...so that's a good think to know.

[TravellingAround]

deleted

[rusmeister]

I have a full-blown K-12 native English cert with auth to teach ESL. Sure, public schools pay, but in a number of US states (maybe all) ESL is not lumped in with the foreign languages department, but generally with 'special education'. The attitude is, "Oh, you teach...them."

Elementary school immigrants generally become mostly native speakers, but kids who arrive in high school at the age of 15-17 are mostly doomed.

I did what I could to raise my kids up by their bootstraps fast, but the district didn't really care how well they did.

In Russia I get some respect, no one seems to need my certicate and credentials, and the $, when figured with COL isn't much different. The 'locals' are just as intelligent and worthy human beings as any of us, who understand that a good command of English opens up doors.

[bigbadsuzie]

In Turkey, the general status afforded to teachers is high esp the Turkish ones ,we on the other hand get a mixed response depending on where we teach and the image we project . I don't know Frizzie Lizzie but I suspect her location may be in a "language school" I tried one of those once and the total lack of professionalism convinced me it was not the right thing to do .
If I felt my status was less than I wanted it to be then I would not have stayed for 18 years . However ,how the administration sees us, well, thats a different thing altogether .

[helmsman]

In the GCC (Arabian Gulf) countries it is certainly not marginalized. EFL instructors working in higher education are amongst the best paid in the world and have a fairly high position on the social totem pole. Here I socialize with expat businessmen, engineers, military advisors, doctors, etc. Unfortunately contact with the locals is quite difficult, as at least in the UAE, they are quite religious, traditional and insular. Education here is taken seriously by the government. As for the unqualified backpacker type of teacher, the market for them is quite limited. Now the behavior of the students is another story.

[zorro (3)]

So for most posters, the issue of status is important. Would it be fair to say that for those who have had experience or are currently working in a language school rather than a university, the issue of status is more of a pressing concern?

With regards to the teaching of EFL/ESL at home (as in native English speaking countries), does it not seem disrespectful of society to value our job/career so flippantly? Especially considering (arguably) we are the oil that greases the wheels of international trade?

The only way (IMO) to get more recognition is to do a better job. To do a better job, more qualifications should be necessary for ELT.

[bigbadsuzie]

Even in a language school?

[TravellingAround]