Job Discussion Forums

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

Hoping that there's no forum rule against resurrecting old threads/topics, and having wound my way down to the older topics, I'd like to ask something that might even bring us back to the topic of teaching EFL in Mexico!

Is there any pronounced preference among students or schools for proper British pronunciation and spelling, or for standard (North Central USA) American English?

If I interview and they notice a lack of an Oxbridge, Texan or Bostonian accent, will it affect my chance of getting hired? Will I have to allow both among and amongst, while and whilst, between and betwixt, burned and burnt, learned and learnt, when scoring/grading tests or when proctoring/invigilating exams?

I still recall the double-take my brain did when the Chiapanecos asked me to translate some jive talk/eubonics/street slang they'd heard off of the rap songs. I did explain that it wasn't standard English. And please tell me I won't have to teach text messaging slang, like that old title by Van Halen, "OI812." Laughing

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Your attitude will be considered much more important than your accent.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

Guy, I'm glad you enjoyed the Van Halen title. You may find me quoting Steppenwolf, Guns N' Roses, John Mellencamp, Tina Turner, et al. Especially Al.

I saw so many Mexican sunsets over the Pacific that they became boring. Nothing lasts forever, even cold November sunsets.

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

My school hires native speakers regardless of their accent or country of origin. In fact, the trend seems to be to have a mix of teachers from different places because it exposes the students to more varieties of English. There are usually slightly more Americans, simply because more apply, but there is no real preferance.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject:

We also perfer to have a mix.
We currently have native speakers from 7 different countries. We've had as many as 10.

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Now you have me thinking Harlequin romance novels.

"Betwixt thine bountiful bossom dost thou find thine heart a'twitter?" Okay, that was grammatical goo.

I'm going to puke.

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

I don't think betwixt has been used in the USA since around 1960, when a very young singer named Pat Boone wrote a book about teenagers, 'Twixt Twelve and Twenty. I wouldn't have known that personally, of course; my grandmother told me about it. Smile

The second person plural is y'all, y'all.

guty · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

Belize, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tabago, Barbados, St. Vincent&Grenadines, Antigua-Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, St. Kitts&Nevis, Guyana, Samoa, some other tiny American island....are we there yet?

Speaking of the King's English, I just read the resignation of King Edward VIII on 10 Dec 1936: he was the king of 40 countries!

guty · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday

Thanks for the list GP, I am aware that there are many smaller places which have English as a first language, my point was that it is rare to come across them.
I have only ever met 1 person teaching English from any of the places you mentioned, a Zimbabwean with a UK passport. I suspect that many of those countries would find difficulty in getting work visas, and some might not even be able to get exit visas from their own country. And that's before even mentioning the prejudice they would find.
Hats off to Melee's place for having such an ecclectic mix.

MELEE · Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:05 pm Post subject:

USA
Canada
England
Scotland
Ireland
New Zealand
Australia
South Africa
Uganda
Jamaica

Had a very strong applicant from India this year, but he flaked out on us. Mad

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

Let me just set the record straight - I thought it was just Mexicans who don't get this: Mad

UK has 4 countries

England
Scotland
Northern Ireland
WALES (why does everyone forget Wales?)

To say IRELAND usually refers to the Republic of Ireland (Eire) which is just that - not part of the UK.

Here endeth the geography lesson.