Job Discussion Forums

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I would say the quality of teachers in many locations gets better and better each year. The days when we would employ people just because they were native speakers are long over. More teachers take their work seriously and make a good contribution to their classes and the life of a school.

However, the fact remains that EFL is a very easy job to get into and it does attract people for the wrong reasons. Following is a classification of some of the common types of teachers I have dealt with. This analysis is very crude and general but you do see patterns in recruitment.

Career teacher

Not very common as frankly the wages do not attract people who are in for the long haul. Still, a lot of DOSes have started off as teachers so it is genuinely a good place to build a career.

Straight off CELTA

The standard teacher. Typically young and enthusiastic, wants to spend a couple of years abroad before going back home and getting a real job.

Traveler

They see exotic locations and seek good bases for exploring. When they find so much time is taken up by planning and teaching they are disappointed.

Academic

These teachers may have higher degrees in linguistics but no teaching qualification involving observed teaching. They have strong views about teaching and do not respond well to feedback.

Drifter

Often hourly-paid teachers who make a comfortable wage and stay because it is easier than moving anywhere else. Despite having been here for years may moan a lot about school.

Second career

Maybe they were engineers or civil servants before but now they fancy a change. Difficult for them to start again at the bottom, so to speak, but a lot depends on their flexibility and attitude to change.

Alternative motives

Married to locals and no other career options; a commitment to evangelical movements; want to study local language seriously; students doing research into local language/culture.

Misfits

People with social and/or personal problems looking for an escape. They don�t find it

bulgogiboy · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 803

An astute analysis of the different types of TEFLers out there.

However, I have to disagree with this statement:

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Yes, I agree it's not the same everywhere. More true for Europe, less true for other markets.

VietCanada · Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 590

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Speak for yourself.

It's my opinion and experience by definition.

These never ending, tired, cynical attempts to stigmatise myself and other very fine people who teach abroad come close to making me feel dirty about my life.

I don't think the first two categories are derogatory in any way. I absolutely agree that there is a very useful niche for minimally qualified teachers in many job markets and I in no way would consider them t to be doing 'dirty' work.

I work at a large school with about 30 teachers and I'm hard pressed to see where any fit these recycled, stereotypical yet creatively multi categorised generalisations of disinterested, lazy, just in it for the ride or can't get work back home cause I'm a loser classifications. I think you forgot the old 'wanted for a crime back home' category

It's included in the final category. Smile

bulgogiboy · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 803

WhatTimeFinish? · Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 6:15 am Post subject: EFL Characters

You've all forgotten or deliberately ignored the main characteristics of and reasons for being EFL teachers;

a/ We like to help our students in a particularly frustrating subject
2/ The ability to give guidance is usually a natural personal trait
iii/ We're sick of living in a country where the X-Factor is regarded as 'culture'
g/ We prefer to wear thinner coats in December
next/ The holiday season isn't about maxing out your credit cards
finally/ We all have enormous wangs or fabulous boobs
5/ Tax

bulgogiboy · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 803

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Probably. One great thing is that hopefully EFL teachers learn to not promote their culture as the only perspective. I will wish some classroom teachers back home would be more open minded about the world.

Very good point. Particularly as so many North American classrooms include recent immigrants!

Though my experience teaching in North America is limited, I'd add that some of the textbooks I've seen used demonstrate unnecessary cultural biases. I remember one handbook on writing for non-native English speakers that included a George Will article which was condemnatory of almost every large European country, for example. The same book shamelessly promoted McDonald's as a shining example of capitalism and a vehicle to spread (good) US culture to (dark) foreign lands. I recall the authors were from a prominent Virginia university.....

I think textbooks (and teachers) for immigrants obviously need some degree of cultural bias - the students are normally aiming to become citizens, or it's assumed so, in any case. Nothing wrong with promoting the good things about the target country as well as its language. I think it's crossing the line to criticise others, though.

I think that's roughly the line most of my colleagues teaching abroad also observe - nothing wrong with promoting (to a reasonable degree, and as it may be useful or interesting to students) one's own country, so long as one doesn't criticise the students' countries in so doing.

VietCanada · Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 590

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

VietCanada:
So many people do this job because it is fulfilling. So many do it well because they must.

Where is that category?

Well of course it's not there. That would denigrate those who enjoy their life of lazy, unproductive superciliousness.

Spiral 78

Career teacher

Not very common as frankly the wages do not attract people who are in for the long haul. Still, a lot of DOSes have started off as teachers so it is genuinely a good place to build a career.

Straight off CELTA

The standard teacher. Typically young and enthusiastic, wants to spend a couple of years abroad before going back home and getting a real job.

I don't think the first two categories are derogatory in any way. I absolutely agree that there is a very useful niche for minimally qualified teachers in many job markets and I in no way would consider them t to be doing 'dirty' work.

VietCanada: lazy, unproductive superciliousness.

Who exactly is being nasty about TESL/TEFL and its practicioners here??

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

bulgogiboy · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 803

artemisia · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 875 Location: the world

TEFL for me has pretty much always been combined with something else. Sometimes it's been the main thing and sometimes a subsidiary teaching area. Although I've had welcome breaks from it, I've generally been glad to go back to it. I think like most acquired skills, if you don't teach regularly, you start to lose your 'feel' for it.

Similar personality traits? Maybe. I know I'm drawn to those who have travelled widely and probably learnt another language but I think I'd have wanted all that for myself regardless of whatever job I did. Coming from the typical immigrant family, where "home" was always someplace else, I think I was 'destined' to be on the move a bit. Now "home" is wherever I decide to make it be.