Job Discussion Forums

[boling8]

Also, Miss Helen you seem really dedicated to ESL teaching, and I am trutly passionate since I have completed graduate degrees in ESL teaching in the US and taught in a big city school district for 5 years, that is why I can't stay in HK any longer. HK is a nice city and all but in the education realm, they are decades behind in moderization campared to other western countries. I teach the phonics program but its a joke cause the school and LETS don't promte phonics learning in the school as a whole, therefore what I teach goes through one ear and out the other. I am working against rote-learning and the exam oriented system as a whole, therefore creativity is limited. The schols are still teaching English using Cantonese because they need to save time and they explain all the English homework in Cantonese, which is frustrating because I understand how second language acquisition works. It seems your bilingual and passionate skills would be more appreciated in the US, where the rising level of immigrant Sts cause the need for more ESL
teachers. But I guess you would have to experience it before you can
judge. I guess thats one reason why i am heading back so I can further myself in the ESL field and as an educator.

[Miss Helen]

Thanks boling8, I will remember that.

goodluck on your teaching!

[Miss Helen]

Hi boling8

[boling8]

Miss Helen,
I think I need to clarify the situation here, its not trying to throw western ideas towards the students and teachers, but improving the English language environment as a whole. You see, teachers are gonna want to know what you can do to get Sts speaking English to one another and create an English speaking environment in your class and in the school. they want all this, yet I know for a fact they also truly don't want it. The LETS themselves speak Cantonese during English lessons and speak Cantonese to each other outside of class, yet they want the Sts to do the opposite? I tell them that they need to set the example if they want Sts to follow their objective of an authentic English learning environment. They don't even want to speak to me even though they are LET(Local English Teachers), so this is what the Sts see: the division of cliques of who speak English (usually the NET and GELT) and the other teachers who keep to themsleves in Cantonese. My school does a special phonics program (by the EDB) yet the teachers all have no idea what phinics really is, how are we suppose to set standards with Sts when the staff could care less about it. Let me tell you, when I am absent the teachers are really happy because they get to spend extra time with their Sts to catch up with their GE lessons, thats what everything is about, catch up.

[Marcoregano]

Indeed. Most English learners in HK pay lip service to the task. Most aren't really bothered about real ability in English. What they want is the piece of paper that says they can do it. Passing exams is what really matters. Certificate equals job equals money.

[Serious_Fun]

[Marcoregano]

[Kaloi]

[h-train]

I think it is great that the British have a tiny place like HK in which their cultural foothold has remained intact after all these years. It gives them a great bully pulpit from which to preach at others. It is a great place to be if you wish to be considered an expert by the simple virtue of where you were born.

I can only hope that in 100 years, after America's time in the sun is up (like Britain's has been for 60+ years), that my grandchildren can preach the same sermon from Guam, The Philippines, or even Korea! Stop spelling color and organize like the French! Don't you know 80% of the English-speaking world will say you are wrong???!!!!!

Anyways, bravo to you, Sir. You are an expert of the highest regard and of integrity beyond reproach. Thank you indeed for your lessons.

[hkteach]

"I think it is great that the British have a tiny place like HK in which their cultural foothold has remained intact after all these years. It gives them a great bully pulpit from which to preach at others. It is a great place to be if you wish to be considered an expert by the simple virtue of where you were born. "

I wouldn't really agree with these points, h-train.
Firstly, the "cultural foothold " has NOT remained intact. Unless you count the obsession with UK soccer matches endlessly reported in the newspapers and on TV here and the glut of British bars in tourist areas of Hong Kong.
Nooooooooo, it seems that since 1997 much of the British influence has been eradicated. I was talking to one of the LETs today and he said that in general a large percentage of the local Chinese population don't want to speak English as it's a reminder of the class system that existed under British rule. They didn't want to learn English then and they don't want to learn it now.

As for your other comments......... I pointed out that "anyways" is not in tune with Hong Kong schools which use British English as the standard.

Whether or not British English is subsumed by some other standard is of no concern - for now, British English is the standard here in Hong Kong. Whether you like it or agree with this, doesn't matter. It's just reality.
This is probably why NETs are mostly British or from countries of the old British Commonwealth - Canada, Australia, New Zealand.

Thank you for your compliments about my expertise and integrity. I've always been proud of my proficiency with English.
Oh ..... and just for the record, I'm not British.

[antoniahk]

Regardless of whether it is racism or not, there's a lot of complete stupidity in the local system. A lot of schools will employ a white teacher, regardless of origin, as that's what the parents want to see. I've met people here who have said, in all seriousness, well, he's German, he must be a native English speaker. Really. So, sadly, you have more chance getting a job in most schools here as a white Polish native, for example, than as a darker-skinned British/American native.

[h-train]

[Marcoregano]

[11:59]

What puzzles me is why anyone would ever have to wonder whether racism exists on the NET scheme. Blatant and overt racism is part and parcel of ''life' in HK' ('Life with a capital Hell' as Kipling referred to HK). The government's recent 'anti-racism' law has been roundly condemned by most if not all international bodies and watchdogs as being inherently racist so what would anyone expect? Just look at how Hong Kongers talk about Mainlanders, Flips, Indonesians, etc., etc. Look at how 'star tutors' have their image plastered across the side of buses. Look at how obsessed they all are with their reflection! They never miss an opportunity to check themselves out in a window (or any other reflective material). Look at how the 'guys' push their nose right up against the screen doors of the MTR to use the reflection it affords them to make minute adjustments to an individual hair. This is a culture that is obsessed with aesthetics and exteriors, facades and external appearances. With such an emphasis on superficial appearances it is more than obvious that racism will spill out into schemes, schools, and the classroom.

[Travel Zen]

Yep. I agee.

..and I'm pretty sure they all know his but are being polite about it.