Job Discussion Forums

[jpvanderwerf2001]

mdk: A "Russian" living? Most of my students drive very large, quite expensive SUVs that I could only afford with the help of a (substantial) bank loan. Or are you only talking about certain Russians? Are we only OK if we live like the poor Russians? Who are the real Russians? Please advise.

Surely you recognize that many of us native teachers are highly trained as well, and not all native teachers are leeches that have come for a quick buck here on Easy Street . I do agree with you that there are some "teachers" who don't know the subjunctive from a conjunction (not only native teachers--I've met some abyssmal Russian English teachers), but I'd like to think they are the exception (perhaps naivete on my part). Don't assume that just because us native speakers are here making more money than the locals that we're somehow vermin. Please remember that this is a market economy and, for various reasons, Russian students choose to pay more for a school that employs native English speakers; the same holds true for private lessons given by native speakers. Now you might not agree with that premise, but it's reality. Therefore, since there is a higher demand for native speakers than there is for Russian English teachers, the pay rate for natives is higher. It's simple economics, and not at all the fault of us teachers. If the customers (Russian students) didn't value lessons given by native speakers, we would garner the same wage as locally hired English teachers.

Another note: Ask a Russian whether or not a well-trained American can teach Russian as effectively as a well-trained Russian teacher. I wonder what the response would be?

Again, it sounds like you've been around some bad apples, and that's a shame. Just remember that there are those of us who actually deserve what we're earning.

[mdk]

Don't know about what it's like in Vladivostok.

This thread is about whether BKC's contract is unfair.

Based on my three years in Tomsk's universities ( TPU,TGU,TUSUR, AND PDU) followed by my year at BKC, there is a strong argument to be made that it is fair by prevailing local standards.

Obviously my ideas of what an equitable salary may be are my own.

However, my credentials for getting along with Russians are stronger than those of most ex-pats. I think my opinions of why other ex-pats get into troubles like salary disputes are well considered and based on watching a lot of ex-pats making easily avoided boorish mistakes.

[jpvanderwerf2001]

Fair enough...moving on

[rusmeister]

[jpvanderwerf2001]

Thanks Rus,

Well, I have definitely learned something from your input: Pollyanna(nism) is capitalized.

I was using the term in response to what I viewed as "Pollyannaism" in mdk's stated beliefs.

From Wikipedia:

The Pollyanna principle or Pollyannaism describes the tendency for people to agree with positive statements describing them. It is sometimes called positivity bias (my emphasis). The phenomenon is similar to the Forer effect.

The concept as described by Matlin and Stang in 1978 used the archetype of Pollyanna, a young girl with infectious optimism.[1]

Critics of personality tests like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator argue that the tests are considered accurate by people exhibiting Pollyannaism.

Nice discourse, though we've really hijacked this thread!
Cheers.