Job Discussion Forums

[spiral78]

I totally agree that one can definitely post something like

'I rented an apartment three months ago and this was my experience....'
and/or 'my friend did ABC and here is what happened...'

Absolutely no problem.

Again, what bugs me is those people who did three months of ABC and then want to advise people on XYZ based on that experience, when they've never experienced the XYZ. For example, one has taught only private students for a few months and tries to advise people who are negotiating a full year's contract with a school.

The actual question is: how long in a place before your advice in a general manner to people considering teaching there on all/most aspects of living/working in that place is really valid? I don't think you'd argue that you know all there is to know about working in Moscow in three months, though your advice regarding finding housing (which you've accomplished) would in fact, be entirely valid.

[spiral78]

I've just received a pm questioning why I sometimes give advice on working with Russian students if I've 'only' been in Moscow for three months. For the record, I want to set this straight:

I worked near full-time with Russian students in Canada for two years, and have done other projects for and with Russian students in Europe. Thus, I might occasionally have something to offer in terms of Russian students, though I wouldn't presume to advise anyone looking to live and work in Russia, where I have spent only three months working on one specific project (along with three visits over the years for pleasure,which I don't count).

Again, things are rarely black-and-white in EFL (or anything else!) and it's important to be clear and honest about exactly what experience one might base advice upon.

[AGoodStory]

[denise]

I was just chatting about this with a friend. I really think it's all relative.

On one end of the TEFL spectrum are the stereotypical 20-something backpackers with the standard BA + TEFL (give or take a qualification...) who want to see a bit of the world for a year or two. For people in this situation, for whom a year is a long time to be away from home, someone who has been living/teaching for three months might be a veteran. This was the case for me when I got my first TEFL job several years ago. Anyone who had been at the school for three months or longer seemed, to me, to be vastly more experienced than me.

On the other end of the spectrum are the so-called lifers. I just spent four and a half years in Oman--my longest stint anywhere so far. That time was split between two different jobs. The second job was the more serious/academic of the two. I had colleagues there who had been there five, ten, or even 20 years. Compared to such experience, a few months of teaching, or even a year, isn't worth very much.

Generally, though, I'd say a year is a good minimum for people to be considered, or consider themselves, qualified to give advice. Within that time frame, class cycles have probably been repeated a couple of times, they've experienced the different seasons & climates, and probably had a fair few ups & downs to be able to give some sort of balanced assessment.

d

[Dilton]

There are people who have read and researched about an area, and not just from travel guides but from a historio-political context as well, reading philosophers relevant to its culture and thought. For example I have not yet been to China, but am soon planning to resettle there. And I feel knowledgeable enough at this point that I often can tell people much that they don't know (or understand) about the middle kingdom even though they may have spent long periods of time there. Simply because I have put in the hours to understand the underpinnings of the country's systems and what makes the place work, and they have not.

[johnslat]

Dear Dilton,

Good point - I wonder, though, if arriving with firm, preconceived ideas gathered from books, you might, at least occasionally, need to rethink. As long as you're flexible, though, that shouldn't pose any problem.

Regards,
John

[denise]

[HLJHLJ]

The more I think about it, the more I think there are too many factors, it's impossible to put a number on it.

For example, you have a guy straight off a CELTA in his home country, no experience, never been abroad other than a package holiday. Who can help them most? A long timer who's been in country for 10+ years, married to a local and in a nice Uni job for most of that time. Or another new starter, been in country 4 months, working in a language mill.

The former will know far more about the country, but the latter will have a much greater understanding of the new guy's worries and likely experiences. They will have recently had to deal with visas, finding accommodation, finding work, they may even know which schools are hiring.

The long timer won't have had to deal with any of that for years. Their visa is sorted through their spouse, they've not job hunted in years, are unlikely to be well informed about renting rooms in a flat share and can probably hardly remember what that first step felt like.

Long term experience and recent experience bring different things to the table. They are both useful in their own way.

[spiral78]

[AGoodStory]