Job Discussion Forums

SahanRiddhi · Joined: 18 Sep 2010 Posts: 267

I completely, 100 percent am in favor of people enjoying their ESL/EFL jobs, taking personal satisfaction from their work, and feeling that they are helping people.

It's a good field -- as long as you understand and accept that the rest of the world doesn't hold it in very high regard.

Hod · Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 1613 Location: Home

I can only speak for myself when I say I worked in a totally different field prior to teaching and later taught general, business, kids, in-house and ESP courses.

But that�s irrelevant; I don�t need experience to see colleagues doing non�teaching activities which obliterate most or all of their preparation. One such do-gooder at the BC really saw teaching general English in a classroom secondary to her other duties. Students formally complained about her rubbish classes and rightly so. Apart from the money they pay, students take a lot of time to travel to and from class, so how dare she take that sickening attitude.

How many other jobs have people patting themselves on the back for this so-called diversifying? I don�t know about you, but I�d like my bus driver to concentrate on his driving every morning. If he starts writing poems on his laptop whilst negotiating London�s traffic, I�d have to say something. And imagine just before going under anaesthetic, seeing your surgeon walking in wearing oily overalls, having come from his second job as a pipe welder.

Teaching is teaching. MS Powerpoint classes, strong handshakes, social work, cultural awareness, etc, have as much to do with teaching as brass rubbing.

johnslat · Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 3:48 pm Post subject:

Dear SahanRiddhi,

"t's a good field -- as long as you understand and accept that the rest of the world doesn't hold it in very high regard."

And, assuming this is true, just why should it bother me at all? I say "assuming" because in my (so far) thirty-four years of teaching EFL/ESL, I've seen no indication and/or manifestation of such an attitude from the rest of the world.

Regards,
John

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

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

SahanRiddhi · Joined: 18 Sep 2010 Posts: 267

Take the average North American and give the person a quiz: Cindy is a lawyer. Bobby is an engineer. Julie is a tenured professor of political science. Fred teaches English overseas. Who is the most successful, careerwise?

Nobody will choose Fred. I doubt it's much different in the rest of the English-speaking world. So that is what I'm talking about with regard to status. I'm not talking about whether your students respect you or their parents like you. I'm not talking about whether you have good qualifications. I'm talking about the general perception in your home culture.

Some will say, "Then that means you don't understand the options available for ESL teachers." Maybe I do or don't, but this is nothing to do with me. I'm talking about general perceptions. Most people don't understand the options. And therefore ESL status is low.

Some will say, "I don't care what people from my home country think. I don't care about status." That's good. I don't either. ESL/EFL is a good career for people like us.

Some will ask: "What's the point of your post, SahanRiddhi?" It is that it's better not to take oneself too seriously. Good advice for people of all walks of life, I think. But particularly crucial in EFL.

Edit: Added missing "not" to the sentence "I'm not talking about whether you have good qualifications."

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

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 6:19 pm Post subject:

johnslat · Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 6:24 pm Post subject:

Dear SahanRiddhi,

I don't take myself seriously - never mind TOO seriously. Yet, I have never experienced "not being held in high regard," either professionally or personally in all my years of teaching by any of my students, administrators or colleagues. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Perhaps you've been hanging around the wrong people Very Happy

. How long have you been in this "low-regarded career," anyway?

Regards,
John

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 6:28 pm Post subject:

Dear Johnslat

You may not take yourself seriously, but rest assured the People take you very seriously indeed and hold you in the highest regard possible short of awarding the Order of Lenin twice.

Sasha.

johnslat · Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 6:33 pm Post subject:

Dear Sasha,

Are you SERIOUS Razz

?

Regards,

John

Hod · Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 1613 Location: Home

johnslat · Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 6:35 pm Post subject:

Dear Hod,

Actually, they're married. Nice couple - though Julie's a tad snobish.

Regards,
John

Sashadroogie · Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 6:39 pm Post subject: