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orecine
Joined: 03 Jun 2014
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 10:36 am Post subject: Jobs for Non Native Speaker |
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I'm Korean and I moved to Canada when I was ten. I have a CELTA and a BA in English Literature. I should have all the qualifications required but I can't seem to even get an interview.
I've tried Interac, ECC, and also smaller schools who rejected me at the initial resume stage. I got to the final stage with Gaba but I was unsuccessful there as well.
I'm guessing the problem is that I'm Asian and I wasn't born in Canada. Is there any place that would hire someone like me in Japan?
Thanks a lot. |
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Rooster.
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 247
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| Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 10:48 am Post subject: Re: Jobs for Non Native Speaker |
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| orecine wrote: |
I'm Korean and I moved to Canada when I was ten. I have a CELTA and a BA in English Literature. I should have all the qualifications required but I can't seem to even get an interview.
I've tried Interac, ECC, and also smaller schools who rejected me at the initial resume stage. I got to the final stage with Gaba but I was unsuccessful there as well.
I'm guessing the problem is that I'm Asian and I wasn't born in Canada. Is there any place that would hire someone like me in Japan?
Thanks a lot. |
Are you a Canadian citizen? Did you go to college in Canada or an English speaking country? Do you sound like you are a native speaker?
Even if the answer is no to all of these there are still a few places that would hire you. |
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orecine
Joined: 03 Jun 2014
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 5:29 am Post subject: Re: Jobs for Non Native Speaker |
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Thank you for the reply.
I am a Canadian citizen, I did all of my schooling from grade 4 to university in Canada. I have no accent and sound like a native speaker.
Where would be a good place to apply? |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 8:21 am Post subject: Re: Jobs for Non Native Speaker |
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| orecine wrote: |
| I am a Canadian citizen, I did all of my schooling from grade 4 to university in Canada. I have no accent and sound like a native speaker. |
If you are a Canadian citizen and you sound like a native speaker, then I'm not sure why you say "I'm Korean" and ask about "Jobs for Non Native Speaker". For the purposes of applying for EFL jobs, you are Canadian, full stop. Don't even mention anything about Korea or being a "non-native speaker" (if your English truly is indistinguishable from native-born speakers). |
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Big_H
Joined: 21 Dec 2013
Posts: 115
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| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 4:36 am Post subject: |
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This^
I'm well aware of Interac and ECC -among other dispatch agencies'- application rules and process. It's very likely that you were rejected based on merit and qualification. These guys get their share of Asian American applicants who go all the way.
Start from there and see where you went wrong in presenting yourself rather than blaming it on the schools. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 11:51 am Post subject: |
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| Big_H wrote: |
This^
I'm well aware of Interac and ECC -among other dispatch agencies'- application rules and process. It's very likely that you were rejected based on merit and qualification. These guys get their share of Asian American applicants who go all the way.
Start from there and see where you went wrong in presenting yourself rather than blaming it on the schools. |
Agreed. Just lie, they won't look into your elem ed. You're only hurting yourself |
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Rooster.
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 247
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| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, like what everyone else said, there is no problem with your background, just don't mention elementary school.
Places to apply to would depend on what city you want and if you want a public or private school. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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| rxk22 wrote: |
| Agreed. Just lie, they won't look into your elem ed. You're only hurting yourself |
Just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting that the OP lie. He/She is a Canadian citizen, so stating that she/he is Canadian is not a lie. It's difficult to determine what a native language is. If the OP has command of the English language that is the same as or very similar to someone who is a monolingual English speaker, then I don't think it's a lie to say that she/he is a native speaker of English.
OP said: "I'm guessing the problem is that I'm Asian and I wasn't born in Canada." As as been stated above, I don't think it's because you are "Asian", as there are LOTS of Asian Americans/Canadians/Brits working as English teachers in Japan. I'd also wonder how the potential employers know that you weren't born in Canada. Unless they specifically ask "where were you born?", I would refrain from divulging that information. As I said before, you are Canadian. |
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orecine
Joined: 03 Jun 2014
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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From what everyone's saying, I guess I just need to be more smart about it. I'll introduce myself as a Canadian native speaker from now on.
Thanks a lot. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 7:19 am Post subject: |
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| rtm wrote: |
Just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting that the OP lie. He/She is a Canadian citizen, so stating that she/he is Canadian is not a lie. It's difficult to determine what a native language is. If the OP has command of the English language that is the same as or very similar to someone who is a monolingual English speaker, then I don't think it's a lie to say that she/he is a native speaker of English.
OP said: "I'm guessing the problem is that I'm Asian and I wasn't born in Canada." As as been stated above, I don't think it's because you are "Asian", as there are LOTS of Asian Americans/Canadians/Brits working as English teachers in Japan. I'd also wonder how the potential employers know that you weren't born in Canada. Unless they specifically ask "where were you born?", I would refrain from divulging that information. As I said before, you are Canadian. |
You do need to lie in this sit. As the TS has to state if his/ger K-12 Ed was in English or not. If they can't tell via speaking with the TS, then it is best to just lie about this. As the consequences are basically radically lower pay. The Filipino ALTs that I met made like 18mon a month. Just because. |
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Shimokitazawa
Joined: 16 Aug 2009
Posts: 458
Location: Saigon, Vietnam
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Big_H wrote: |
This^
I'm well aware of Interac and ECC -among other dispatch agencies'- application rules and process. It's very likely that you were rejected based on merit and qualification. These guys get their share of Asian American applicants who go all the way.
Start from there and see where you went wrong in presenting yourself rather than blaming it on the schools. |
NOT THIS ^
African Americans and ethnic Asians from Australia, Canada and the U.S. have always had problems getting into eikaiwa or being dis-requested by students. I've seen it and even had one Canadian supervisor tell me as much. He just stopped telling the African American teacher that he was being disrequested. I've heard about it from otherAsian American, Asian Canadian, Asian Australians, too.
Ignore the comment above. It's not you or the way you have presented yourself. The idiot above is wrong and just blaming the victim and probably a head teach or corporate suckhole at ECC or INTERAC.
However, don't advertise that you were born in Korea. Just say, "I"m Canadian." |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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| rxk22 wrote: |
| As the TS has to state if his/ger K-12 Ed was in English or not. |
Just out of curiosity, is one usually asked this question (about K-12 education) if one is a Canadian citizen and graduated from an (Anglophone) Canadian university? |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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| rtm wrote: |
| rxk22 wrote: |
| As the TS has to state if his/ger K-12 Ed was in English or not. |
Just out of curiosity, is one usually asked this question (about K-12 education) if one is a Canadian citizen and graduated from an (Anglophone) Canadian university? |
It was on my interac application. But it is just yes/no, and they never check into it. A college degree is all that they want to see. |
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Cool Teacher
Joined: 18 May 2009
Posts: 930
Location: Here, There and Everywhere! :D
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| Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 5:12 am Post subject: |
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My two yen is that write a cover letter that you are Canadian and you have a BA and CELTA and put it at the top fo your CV reume so that they know it from the first thing they see about you. 
I also think you can say that yu are a native speaker because native speaker has a lot of different defintions and you can choose the one you like I think:
| Quote: |
| A first language (also native language, mother tongue, arterial language, or L1) is the language(s) a person has learned from birth[1] or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity. In some countries, the terms native language or mother tongue refer to the language of one's ethnic group rather than one's first language.[2] Children brought up speaking more than one language can have more than one native language, and be bilingual. |
Just make sure they know English is your L1 That's the technial jingo anyway. |
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Big_H
Joined: 21 Dec 2013
Posts: 115
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| Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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On a first note, I agree with rtm's second clarification too. That was what I inferred from his first post. Lying about your education is your own decision as much as it is to forge your teaching credentials and certificates. Now to an opposite type of post.
| Shimokitazawa wrote: |
African Americans and ethnic Asians from Australia, Canada and the U.S. have always had problems getting into eikaiwa or being dis-requested by students. I've seen it and even had one Canadian supervisor tell me as much. He just stopped telling the African American teacher that he was being disrequested. I've heard about it from otherAsian American, Asian Canadian, Asian Australians, too.
Ignore the comment above. It's not you or the way you have presented yourself. The idiot above is wrong and just blaming the victim and probably a head teach or corporate suckhole at ECC or INTERAC. |
It is always nice to come across these lunatic accusations, it's that utter strength in emotion and expression that often compensates for the lack of reason and inconsistent jibberish. But I'll still answer your rants and weed out your wrong claims  Unlike OP, a few regulars on this J-forum already know me to be a non-native ESL teacher and applicant to Japan -unlike OP who has dual citizenship-.
I'm not sure who this "supervisor" is that you're talking about or the suffering masses of "otherAsian American, Asian Canadian, Asian Australians, too" that he hired that are being shunned by their own Japanese students. But through this last year, I have come across over a dozen fellow teachers online who are either non-native English speakers or nowhere near being Caucasian (most being either Black, Latino or Filipino teachers) or both. And while I could point their websites, blogs and contacts out to you, I don't respect you enough to bother with it.
In rarer cases, getting a TEFL position in Japan can be affected by ethnic bias (Heart English School comes to mind), but it's a lot less significant when it's paired with native English speaking citizenship; and it is certainly is nowhere near the racial segregation calamity that you're picturing in your head or trying to illusion the OP with in here.
So make yourself useful and please look up these teachers' youtube vlogs about lfe/teaching in Japan and prove yourself wrong. And if OP -or any other user- requests those links, I'll be happy to list them here for his help and my credibility's sake. |
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