Job Discussion Forums

[peekay]

Hi all, first post here so be nice

I'm just starting to consider my first TEFL job, hopefully in Korea but wonder if the fact that I'm english rather than American and 37 rather than 24 will go against me? I've got a BA in Humanities, teaching experience (maths and computing in a prison!) and am doing an online TEFL (yes, I know!!) to get some basic knowledge - hope to do some conversation with asian women in my community in next couple of months.

I'm hoping to start somewhere in Jan/Feb so when would you advise I start contacting schools and recruiters (and which is best?!!!)

Really excited about the whole prospect at the moment!

Cheers

PK

[lajzar]

Yes, being English *will* be held against you in Korea. I was actually dismissd from one job because I di not have a US accent; this was despite the fact that the original advert was in a British newspaper.

Certainly, there are worse places you could start an EFL career in. But...

[hamel]

this should not be a problem for you. in busan it is difficult to find americans at the moment. many british and canadians. i've found the brits very kind and i think a good school will appreciate you also. just choose carefully because at private language schools the employer has the upper hand concerning your work visa. have you investigated the public schools (epik)?
best wishes,
hamel

[peekay]

Thanks for the replies, I guessed being English would put me at a bit of a disadvantage! I'm not daunted by the prospect and am carrying on with the research. I still think a private school would be better for my first job, dont fancy going in at the deep end with a class of 40 or so!! Keeping an open mind for the time being though.

I'm looking to start in Jan/Feb (need that long to get my house in a rentable state!) so EPIK isn't suitable for my needs, but thanks for the suggestion!

[XXX]

I guess it would depend on the region you come from. I have seen teachers with strong regional accents have a bad time teaching. Most schools prefer a flat midwestern American or Canadian accent. I have had students complain that they couldn't understand what there teachers were saying if their accent was, say, Scottish or from some of the southern regions of the US. If you speak "public school" english, you should have no problems.

[Ki]

It is amazing how some 'native English speakers' can teach English when I can't even understand them. I don't think being English passport wise will put you at too much of a disadvantage. Many schools request a Nth American accent but often the reality is they will get whoever they can. Usually the biggest factor is that you look like a native speaker, ie white. That is certainly the biggest prerequisite in Taiwan anyway.

Lajzar- I don't think most people would be able to tell the difference between an English and American accent. Unless it was something totally unrecognisable like Scottish. <insert gross generalisation emoticon here> It was probably just a convenient excuse.
Ki.

[Taishan]

Good is English is good English.

It annoys me that the birthplace of a language is considered lesser than a place that has adopted it as the national language.

However good English whether CNN or BBC is just that, correct, and not very different.

I'm English, yet teach American English, as the school books are in American English, and I want to avoid student confusion. I can do this easily because I have had my whole life bombarded with American culture.

[tbiehl2000]

As an American I feel I am at a disadvantage. I can't work in the EU and British people can...right? Or at least it is much more difficult for me. No big deal as I am considering working in non-EU countries but from what I understand, I would have a heck of a time getting an English teaching job in an EU country.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]