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XIII
Joined: 29 Aug 2004
Posts: 3
Location: U.S.A.
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 Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 2:41 am Post subject: Filipina teaching English in Asia - Is it possible? |
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Hi everyone!
I'm very interested in teaching ESL in either Japan, Thailand or S. Korea. I was born in Canada and received my U.S. citizenship a couple of years ago. My parents are both of Philippine decent. I have an A.A. and B.S. degree and I'm currently searching for a good school to get my TEFL certificate online.
English is my native language but I'm worried that finding a job in Asia will be difficult since I'm Filipina and I really don't look like a foreigner. Do I still have a good chance of teaching in Asia??
Any comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks! |
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anthyp
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 1320
Location: Chicago, IL USA
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 4:06 am Post subject: |
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Is there some reason you left China off your list? It's the most populous nation in Asia (and the world), and you can make more money here than in Thailand.
You can definitely get hired here, as well, regardless of your skin color. You will have a huge range of schools to choose from - and, whereas private language schools might be unwilling to hire you because you don't look "white," public schools will still be willing to give you a shot.
You could work here with a distance TEFL, too. Or no TEFL at all. Though of course the more qualified you are, the merrier.
Take another look at China, if you haven't. Really, it's not so bad. 
Oops, otherwise you'll have to wait for somebody else to comment on those other countries. But I imagine that out of all of them, China provides you the best employment opportunities. |
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JosephP
Joined: 13 May 2003
Posts: 445
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 4:11 am Post subject: |
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| China is probably your best bet. |
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Roger
Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 4:46 am Post subject: Re: Filipina teaching English in Asia - Is it possible? |
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[quote="XIII"]Hi everyone!
English is my native language but I'm worried that finding a job in Asia will be difficult since I'm Filipina and I really don't look like a foreigner. Do I still have a good chance of teaching in Asia??
Puzzled! Youmean, as a Filippina you look like a Japanese? Then you must be looking like an Asian foreigner to Europid Americans; I can assure you that as a Filippina you do stand out here in China like a sore thumb, i.e. the same as myself.
There is, to some extent, some prejudice against people of your ethnic background; but your U.S. passport ought to sort that out. |
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lagerlout2006
Joined: 17 Sep 2003
Posts: 985
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| Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2004 5:29 am Post subject: |
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| Don't know Japan but you would be fine in Korea...(Unless the market is bad-I'm not there now.) I worked with Filapinas who were employed (illegally) because they were well-liked and good teachers. You have the advantage of US passport so you can work legally and many schools prefer females. |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 5:53 am Post subject: |
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You'll probably find the process frustrating, but your American (as opposed to Philipino) passport will help.
The Korean, Chinese and Thai markets are starving for qualified teachers and you'll be able to find some work at any of those places. The best money will be in Korea -- the best time in Shanghai in China (or Hong Kong) if you're female and Thailand if you're male.
I teach in Thailand now and it seems like many employers are tearing their hair out trying to keep from getting applications from Philipinos, but then there are also schools that specifically advertise for Philipino posistions (generally at about half the salary of Brit or American). I would market yourself as a Canadian/American to avoid the salary issue as much as possible, but be aware that every application I've ever seen for teachers in Thailand has requested a small color photo.
Finally, you may want to look into non-language school work, like at universities or in the corporate sector. Positions based on merit rather than blondeness are slightly more prominent there. |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 5:58 am Post subject: |
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| anthyp wrote: |
Take another look at China, if you haven't. Really, it's not so bad.
Oops, otherwise you'll have to wait for somebody else to comment on those other countries. But I imagine that out of all of them, China provides you the best employment opportunities. |
I agree with all of this, but for first time TEFL folks I reccomend avoiding China unless they land a good job in Shanghai or Beijing. The biggest problem with everywhere else in China is that, for the most part, you'll be dealing with purely Chinese things 99% of the time -- and for a first extended working trip out of the country that can be too much. And, anyway, both Hong Kong and Taiwan pay better and are more diverse in the way of amentities and culture from home.
China's great for those who love it already, but people need to put a toe in first as China is very Chinese. |
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Ludwig
Joined: 26 Apr 2004
Posts: 1096
Location: 22� 20' N, 114� 11' E
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 7:30 am Post subject: |
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| Sheep-Goats wrote: |
| And, anyway, both Hong Kong and Taiwan pay better and are more diverse in the way of amentities [sic] and culture from home. |
A Filipino national teaching English in HK. Let me see now. If that were indeed possible, why would we have some 30,000-odd maids from the Philippines, many of whom are graduates and well-qualified in their own neck of the woods, working 6-day weeks here for $3,000 a month (i.e., a mere $100 a day; most likely $10 an hour)?
Methinks someone is talking out of their backside. You have never worked in HK. No one who had would ever even begin to think of making such a ridiculous statement. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 8:50 am Post subject: |
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[quote="Sheep-Goats"]
| anthyp wrote: |
China's great for those who love it already, but people need to put a toe in first as China is very Chinese. |
Well if it was Australian, I would be very worried.
You will find Japan is very Japanese and the US very American. Not exactly sure what else you could expect when you visit a foreign country with a particular language and culture. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 9:11 am Post subject: |
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Don't refer to yourself as a Filipina. You are an American according to your passport, right?
Moreover, being born in a native English speaking country and getting an AA and BS degree in one, too, you probably got all of your elementary school and high school education in one. That is primarily what employers in Japan are looking for to label you as a native English speaker. Go with the flow.
Expect a little resistance because of your Asian appearance, but play up the fact that you are a native English speaker with (presumably) primary and secondary school experience all in English, and with university degrees from institutions in native English speaking countries.
I rate your chances as average for any native English speaker (see how I keep emphasizing those words?) without a teaching-related degree. |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 4:41 am Post subject: |
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| Ludwig wrote: |
| Sheep-Goats wrote: |
| And, anyway, both Hong Kong and Taiwan pay better and are more diverse in the way of amentities [sic] and culture from home. |
A Filipino national teaching English in HK. Let me see now. If that were indeed possible, why would we have some 30,000-odd maids from the Philippines, many of whom are graduates and well-qualified in their own neck of the woods, working 6-day weeks here for $3,000 a month (i.e., a mere $100 a day; most likely $10 an hour)?
Methinks someone is talking out of their backside. You have never worked in HK. No one who had would ever even begin to think of making such a ridiculous statement. |
And what statement was that?
First of all, if she has an American passport that negates her Philipino "nativeness" somewhat, as far as employers are concerned. Second of all, my post wasn't about how she should teach in Hong Kong, it was about the risks of teaching in China. I know you like to rag people out and look for any point to start up on, but perhaps you should realize that there's a reason I made two seperate posts rather than one longer one.
| Quote: |
Well if it was Australian, I would be very worried.
You will find Japan is very Japanese and the US very American. Not exactly sure what else you could expect when you visit a foreign country with a particular language and culture. |
Have you ever had a kid look at you in fear and then scream and run looking for his parents in Japan or America? It happened to me in China. I was literally the first white person he had ever seen -- perhaps aside from a few posters or movies.
Additionally America (and Thailand, and many other places), while nationalistic, are not nationalistic in a Chinese fashion. I can't really articulate the particulars of that, but let me just say that while I coudln't find any bread in my city of 9 million in China that didn't have sugar in it, I also felt like the Chinese were not at all interested in trying bread without sugar despite the fact that they never had. I excluded Shanghai and Beijing in my post already -- but I've felt less out of place in mountain villages straddling the Thai/Burmese border than I felt in China. It's a question of degree, but China's a real pack leader as far as not having a variety of cultures and influences at one's fingertips.
My point is that while America is American and Japan is Japanese, there is an aspect of Chineseness which, at the present time, includes the fact that there's little around that's not Chinese (despite most Chinese people being interested in non-Chinese things). In my little American town back home we have 60,000 people and 5 Thai restaraunts, Vietnamese people, Hmong refugees, Chinese residents (of course), American Natives, Mexican people, a university, Japanese tourists etc etc -- a lot is in range. China wasn't like that. At all. |
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Ludwig
Joined: 26 Apr 2004
Posts: 1096
Location: 22� 20' N, 114� 11' E
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| Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:07 am Post subject: |
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| Sheep-Goats wrote: |
| First of all, if she has an American passport that negates her Philipino "nativeness" somewhat, as far as employers are concerned. |
The most frightening part of this statement is the fact that you actually really do seem to believe it! I think you may find that it is because nationality is so unreliable as regards appearance that the submission of passport photographs here is standard. Have you ever been an employer in HK? Indeed, have you even ever worked in HK? I suspect the answer will be in the negative in both regards. I have seen with my own eyes many thousands of applications every year from US/Flips for the NET scheme, though I have never seen a single Flip NET in the EMB scheme (though I have never seen a Yank on the scheme either; thankfully, they are not all too overly welcome here), and, furthermore, I have never seen one at a training centre. As I said, the only Flips here are maids and houseboys (and the odd driver). I am not saying it is 'right' or 'just', merely that this is the way it is, like it or not. I did once meet a Flip at the British Council on HK Island, though she worked in the coffee shop (despite having a BA and an MA from a fairly good Asian university and a command of English that went well above that of any of the HK Chinese support staff there) and earned a whopping $2,000 HK a month (with one day in that month off).
The point is that a Flip would only be able to be employed here as a teacher if there were people willing to have them as their teacher, which essentially means they would have to be willing to pay to have them as their teacher (and, furthermore, given the competition here, such people would have to want to have the Flip teacher in preference to a non-Flip teacher, say, a Brit or South African). That is not going to happen (as is more than clear to anyone who has actually been here).
It may well be different over on the crud hole known as the 'Mainland'; after all, they 'employ' (read, 'pay pocket money to') anyone over there.
Last edited by Ludwig on Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:52 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Ludwig
Joined: 26 Apr 2004
Posts: 1096
Location: 22� 20' N, 114� 11' E
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| Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 7:07 am Post subject: |
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| Sheep-Goats wrote: |
| And what statement was that? |
I cite it for you below as you obviously suffer from a bad memory.
| Sheep-Goats wrote: |
| The best money will be in Korea -- the best time in Shanghai in China (or Hong Kong) if you're female and Thailand if you're male. |
That is, your bold statement that this Flip would be able to secure paid employment as a teacher in HK by dint of a US passport regardless of outward appearance! (Really quite very laughable indeed!) |
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Sheep-Goats
Joined: 16 Apr 2004
Posts: 527
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 6:10 am Post subject: |
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| Ludwig wrote: |
| As I said, the only Flips here are maids and houseboys (and the odd driver). |
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stillnosheep
Joined: 01 Mar 2004
Posts: 2068
Location: eslcafe
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| Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 9:27 am Post subject: XIII - No problems! |
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| XIII wrote: |
Hi everyone!
I'm very interested in teaching ESL in either Japan, Thailand or S. Korea. I was born in Canada and received my U.S. citizenship a couple of years ago. My parents are both of Philippine decent. I have an A.A. and B.S. degree and I'm currently searching for a good school to get my TEFL certificate online.
English is my native language but I'm worried that finding a job in Asia will be difficult since I'm Filipina and I really don't look like a foreigner. Do I still have a good chance of teaching in Asia??
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You have a great chance in Japan. If you apply to one of the big Eikawa chains you wil be interviewed in the US as an American. The important thing is your level of English (born in Canada, AA, BS and Tefl cert. that should do it). We're not all WASPs (C'mon you taigs).
Sheep-Goat: Ignore Lugwiggykins, he's just trollin.
Ludwiggykins: Behave now or it'll be early to bed for you with no warm milk and NO spanking from any of the maids; Filipina or otherwise. |
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