Job Discussion Forums

[southerngirl]

Hello:

I'm currently working at a South Korean elementary school and will be returning to the USA at the end of my contract to return to school to obtain teacher certification. Hong Kong is on my short list of places to
look for work afterwards.

In many cases, South Korean parents are "BEYOND OBSESSED" when it comes to where their kids English teachers went to school. As a graduate of one of America's top 25 public universities (in addition to a strong work ethic and a genuine love of young children), I've been able to find very good jobs over here.

What are Hong Kong parents like?

Leigh

[beaker81]

Hi there,

I've worked in HK before and most of the local parents are very....."look oriented". They definitley will ask you where you went to school, if you graduated valedictorian, your family background.

I think as general advice, you might want to ensure that you always portray yourself in a professional manner wherever you go. You can run into parents ANYWHERE and you don't want to be caught in a compromising position because they will definitley report you to the principal.

Just keep on being the great teacher you are. Communicate with the parents through newsletters, having conversations, saying hello....Don't offend anybody and most of all, don't make anyone 'lose face'.

[Yes Sir I Can Bogey]

Parents and principals only take Yanks if they have to out of sheer desperation. This is as if a child uses the US English they have learned from a teacher from the US in an exam in HK they will fail. HK is an ex-British colony and British English is standard. In British English US sentences such as 'Did you go to Korea yet?' are downright ungrammatical and will be marked as wrong in both written and spoken examinations. In British English it must either be 'Have you been to Korea yet?' or 'Did you go to Korea?', depending of course on prior real-world knowledge. The same holds for lexical items and pronunciation, particularly vowels. They also don't like the use of 'like' that Americans make. If I recall correctly there is even a morbid joke about it in some textbook. A US guy falls into the river and shouts, "Like, help!".

HK parents are unenlightened snobs and they believe that US English is intrinsically inferior. This dislike for US teachers is reflected in the low percentage of NETs from the US. Perhaps if you had been to MIT or Harvard you may stand a chance but the 'top 25' is bit of a long shot.

[southerngirl]

Hi

Thanks for the insight. Korean parents are also very "appearance oriented". I've been told on more than one occasion that I'm "EASY ON THE EYES". Asian men seem to like tall blondes with long legs.

I could not agree with you more about always looking presentable and being on your best behavior. As I spent 11 years in "CORPORATE AMERICA" (not to mention a "PROPER SOUTHERN MOTHER), that is as natural as breathing to me.

Much appreciated

[Yes Sir I Can Bogey]

Well, the HK Immigration department are more qualifications and background oriented than "appearance oriented", as are the employers, that is, the visa sponsors. Officially at least, to secure a work visa in HK one must satisfy immigration that as a visa candidate you are to perform a role/take up a post that cannot be carried out/taken up by a HK citizen and/or someone already in the SAR of HK. Although not all too many Hong Kong people are tall blondes with long legs, it is not clear how you would satisfy this requirement. Perhaps if you gave some indication as to your qualifications people could give some more specific feedback.

[southerngirl]

Bogey

My response was to thank Beaker and let him know that I am professional in demeanor. extremely well groomed and have been told "how very pretty I am" on more than one occasion. IN OTHER WORDS, I PRESENT QUITE WELL!! While "beauty" is in the eye of the beholder, my work ethic,grooming and teaching skills are outstanding. I am 100% professional.

The visa information you provided was irrelevant to the information I requested. I was asking WHAT HONG KONG PARENTS ARE LIKE -NOT WHAT IMMIGRATION WANTS. Immigrations requirements are easily obtained via an internet search.

I've seen some Korean parents make life miserable for Native Speaker Teachers that they did not like.

While I don't spend as much time on this board as others might, it is not difficult to see that you never miss an opportunity to make known your negative views on Americans or "yanks" as you so choose to call us.

It is,indeed, most interesting to read your repeated negative onslaughts on American teachers and how they are allegedly regarded as inferior when most Hong Kong parents (and Japanese, Chinese, Tiawanese and South Korean) would sell their souls to satan if it would guarrantee entrance into any one of a long list of American Universities.

While no intelligent individual would dare to challenge the excellence of either Harvard or MIT, there are many highly respected universities that do not fall into the Ivy League realm.

For your information, my university has produced a Nobel Prize Winner and it's world famous college of engineering has attracted many Hong Kong Students - it has a sizeable alumni club in Hong Kong,as well.
My University - Texas A&M along with The University of Texas and Rice University(in Houston,TX) have all been on the short lists of many US bound Hong Kong students.

I think you are afflicted with the following maladies...........

Too much time on your hands - step away from the computer and get a life

An inferiority complex - the underlying cause of all your "HOT AIR"

[Yes Sir I Can Bogey]

[texasisthereason]

southerngirl---take bogey's information with a grain of salt. I've been looking to come back to Hong Kong after working there for 2 1/2 years and leaving for more schooling.

I have met MANY yanks that are working both in the international school system as well as the NET scheme. They do NOT look to Americans in desperation--whatsoever. His information is biased and unsubstantiated. Period. bogey has rustled many feathers on this board and sounds extremely tired and unhappy.

Ask bogey why international schools hold job fairs in San Fran as well as NYC. They do so because we produce highly touted teachers and have been pleased with the recruits they have hired before.

Do not listen to bogey's advice------- it is shortsighted and self centered. I am going back and feel extremely confident that I will secure work. It will be difficult to find the "perfect" job at first but it will eventually come my way.

As far as how you "present" yourself professionally---bogey is an idiot.

[Marcoregano]

[oxi]

Southern girl,

Don't take it personally or let Bogey wind you up. He certainly has too much time on his hands. If you have time on your hands, read through some of his other posts - highly entertaining if you don't treat them too seriously.

As to your original post and question:

[beaker81]

Hi Southern,

This is Beaker. I'm a girl actually!

What i really meant about appearance is that the HK parents are very 'face oriented'. Not so much 'physical' appearance.

Good luck with everything!

[kowlooner]

Bogey said:

[Anjin-san Hashimoto]

I actually enjoy the postings of Yes Sir I Can Bogey. Of course he is a wind-up artist and probably a little sadistic and bitter. However, he is quite often correct in his observations. He obviously has a strong sense of how things really are in HK and this is often not want people want to hear. I think suggesting Hong Kongers are racist is simply stating an obvious fact. Suggesting Hong Kongers are not necessarily very worldy or open to new ideas seems as normal an observation as noting that the weather is very hot today.

However, surely I am not the only person on the forum to realize that Yes Sir I Can Boey is the guy who used to post under the monicker of 11.59. He just vanished about 6 months ago. I assumed he was banned by the Forum Police but it is very obvious he is back under a different name.

In any case this forum has become too boring so I say welcome back!

[oxi]

[southerngirl]

bogey wrote the following and has the ludicrous audacity to correct my spelling:

If you has........; has you.................

While I will confess to being a little too dependent upon spell check when I type,This is called "Trailer Trash" language where I come from