Job Discussion Forums

khmerhit · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2004 6:43 pm Post subject:

Dear Johnslat,
You are paraphrasing Socrates again, arent you? A bit pretentious, if you ask me.
Wink

kh

johnslat

Dear khmerhit,
Sorry, you've got it backwards: Socrates paraphrased me (the plagiarist).
Before Socrates was, I am.
Regards,
Pre-Socratic John

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

If this 2004 AD what year is it in the Slatarian calendar.
And in which year (in BJS ) did the dinasaurs become extinct?

johnslat · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2004 8:00 pm Post subject: Pretentious enough yet?

Dear dmb,
Being timeless, I don't do years. That - and all the other absurd measurements: seconds, minutes, hours, etc. - stuff's for you mortals.
Regards,
John the Divine

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Dear John, mortals like I have problems with the concept of timeless
Hang on. How did you explain the idea of timeless to Saudi managers who are always late? (Yet) another thing I find difficulty in comprehending in the Gulf is time. In a culture where being late is part of the culture the only important part of my job is filling out the register correctly-It doestn't matter if we educate. Just make sure if the student is 2 minutes late. TAKE A NOTE

johnslat · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2004 9:42 pm Post subject: Time after time

Dear dmb,
Who had to explain? Saudi administrators, though mortal, have NO concept of time to begin with. Telling them - or the students, for that matter - about timelessness would be like teaching fish to swim.
Regards,
John

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

"DMB, we have a new class for you next week. We want you to teach fish to swim"

"That's not fair. I want a challenge. Can't I Teach Arabs to speak English"

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

johnslat · Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2004 11:20 am Post subject: All will be revealed

Dear Wolf,
Actually, you're in luck. For a limited time only, I'm offering not only autographed copies but these come with my personal annotations, comments and marginalia, all of which will make the understanding of caliginous and umbrageous passages much easier to grasp.
For example, the number 666, often referred to as "The Mark of the Beast" - well, guess what? You're using it right now:
The Hebrew equivalent of our "w" is the letter "vav" or "waw". The numerical value of vav is 6. So the English "www" transliterated into Hebrew is "vav vav vav", which numerically is 666.
Yes, the "world wide web" is what 666 refers to. Bet you didn't know that, did you? And this is just a small sample of the revelations available for the ridiculously low price of only - what else? - $6.66 ( to cover postage and handling). Send your cash or money orders ( no personal checks, please) to:

John the Divine
The Monastery
Patmos,
Dodecanes
Greece

Numbers are limited; only - you guessed it - 666 copies are still available. So don't delay - and besides, the end is near.
Regards,
John the Divine

BethMac · Joined: 23 Dec 2003 Posts: 79

I think perhaps some "regular" school teachers are threatened by the fact that someone can teach without an actual teaching degree (which is often a second degree). What these teachers don't seem to realize is that unless you are teaching at some money-grubbing dancing-monkey chain school, you actually do need to have some teaching skills...you do need to be good at what you do. I don't really understand this EFL teacher - public school teacher rivalry, though.

Anyway, back to the subject of the thread. One of the things I find hardest about this job is the fact that we are bombarded with so many questions that are not language specific. We find ourselves answering questions about culture, history, geography, politics, you name it. I don't know about you guys, but I'm no expert on these things. Nonetheless, we either give an answer (hopefully the right one) or find an answer. We're only pretentious if we always act like the expert on life, giving an answer, right or wrong, and pretending we know everything about our culture, other cultures, our nation, other nations, world wars, politics, etc. I have encountered people (some here on Dave's, in fact) who seem to know a great deal about many different subjects. I think it's wonderful to have such diverse knowledge. However, these individuals could come across as "pretentious" quite easily if they impart their 'wisdom' as the word on any particular subject.

IMHO, this job may make some people lose their objectivity as well. It may give people the attitude of 'you don't know what you're talking about' when dealing with people who are less well-travelled or less experienced in world affairs. This can certainly come across as pretentiousness. How many of us have lived in a foreign country, only to return home and experience that bizarre feeling of reverse culture shock? I have. I can remember thinking that there was a lot more ignorance in my hometown than I'd ever realized. Does living overseas (wherever that may be) make us less ignorant...or more? I have a feeling it makes us more tolerant of people from other cultures, but less tolerant of people from our own. Does that make any sense?

Deborann · Posted: Fri Jan 09, 2004 5:14 am Post subject:

Do the accusations of pretentiousness come from those who read/hear the complaints made about teaching in China, Korea etc. Reading many of the posts on this forum there seems to be a lot of 'we are so much better in (home) country in adminstration, government, teaching etc etc etc." "Why can't the Chinese/Koreans etc be more like us?'

Obviously these frustrations and complaints are aired amongst those who we hope will understand that for the most part we enjoy and are commited to what we are doing, but much of it comes across as being so much cleverer, more sophisticated etc than the rustic yokels we have been hired to work for, with or teach.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

cafebleu · Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 404

I tend to think that we English teachers working in foreign countries get flak sometimes from the folks back at home because some of them seem to resent the fact that we are somehow `swanning around abroad`, `don`t have a real job`, etc. Despite having a decent CV that has sufficient UK work experience to get me back working at home if I chose, I hear frequently that I belong to a group of people who are supposedly `escaping` their native country.

While dear old Blighty has its downside, it is not quite the Dickensian wreck that some Brit haters would like to portray. I came to Japan because I knew it would be the most relatively comfortable way to earn a living in a foreign country. Although Japan has its downside, I could never say I regret coming here. I met my partner here, a man from an Asian culture, and it has enriched my life remarkably.

I also think that how we treat the people in our host country depends on the kind of person we are. I don`t think being a native speaker gives me an automatic licence to lord it over Japanese people whether in the class or outside. If I am talking with friends or acquaintances or people I don`t really know in English, I don`t correct their mistakes unless they have specifically asked me to do so. I also strive to be sensitive in class and I don`t think I have ever corrected to the point where a student loses their confidence. You have to let students express themselves and if that means making mistakes, then that is all part of the learning process.

In fact, I find it a little bit the opposite. I am not referring to my Japanese friends here, but in my time in Japan I have found certain people such as ex managers to be eager to make me seem foolish for making Japanese grammar mistakes. For example an ex manager delighted in correcting me loudly at an elementary school festival. Or even students outside the classroom seem eager to put my Japanese in its place, and my Japanese could be described as fluent in the daily language. The way they do it irks me.