Job Discussion Forums

[en-cha-le-li]

Hi, this is my first time posting. I'm an undergraduate student in the US, and I plan to take a year or two (or more?) off after getting my BA to teach English abroad (most likely somewhere in Eastern Europe and Japan, for cultural, personal, and/or financial reasons). I'm planning to get a TEFL certificate in Prague next year. My degree will be in Linguistics/Germanic/Slavic Studies, and I consider myself fairly qualified for EFL in most areas, except for the native speaker category. I was born in Russia, and didn't speak a word of English until my family relocated to England (and subsequently the US) when I was eight, thirteen years ago. English has since become my dominant language; my cultural upbringing was for most purposes quite American - I was never really part of an ex-pat Russian community; and language-wise I've never felt myself to be at any disadvantage when compared to a native speaker, although I've been told occasionally that I have a slight accent (for example, I don't always flap my t's when I should :P). Would my not-quite-but-almost-native accent (probably indistinguishable to a non-native speaker), international upbringing, or weird Russian name (?) pose any problems when trying to find work in Eastern Europe or Asia? I imagine in the former USSR I might not be welcome for ideological reasons as well. Thanks in advance :)

-Katia

[dyak]

In my experience students will assume your nationality unless you tell them otherwise. It is all about the look, here in London students are always more suspicious of British Asian teachers, from India, Pakistan etc. despite the fact that they were born here and are native speakers. Yet I've seen a trainee teacher with the thickest Czech accent imaginable not raise an eyebrow. I think it's more psychological than anything else, as long as students have the, 'oooh I'm learning English from a native speaker' idea then they're more than happy.

[Nauczyciel]

It's certainly not much of a problem, and not at all if you have American citizenship.

[Stephen Jones]

If you migrated when you were eight then you are a native speaker. The generally accepted cut-off point for learning a second first language is puberty, so unless you were exceptionally precocious.

The cut-off point for having a perfect accent is six. The original research was done on different areas in the US, and I always thought the researchers had missed out the social effects of school starting at that age, but it does appear that the age limit has a definite basis in reality.

[JZer]

If you don't have U.S. or British citizenship you may have a hard time getting a visa. I think that some countries simply will not offer a visa to teach English from someone that does not have U.S., Canada, British, Australian, or New Zeeland citizenship. In China I don't think that it is a problem.

[Justin Trullinger]

Having started to learn English in an environment of immersion at age eight, as well as having had practically all your formal education in that language, as another poster pointed out, means you are in fact a native speaker, at least from a linguistic point of view.

From a legal, visa related point of view, it may depend on your nationality. Are you now a US citizen? And if not, where are you a citizen of? Many countries�visa policies dictate that a native speaker of English is on whose nationality pertains to one of certain anglophone countries. (In the cases I'm familiar with, it's usually the ones the other poster listed, plus South Africa)

If you have a US passport, you meet all requirements of a "native speaker," and I see no reason why your other early childhood language even needs to be mentioned.

If your passport says something else, you should still be able to teach in many places, but check the visa regulations very carefully....

Regards,

Justin

[en-cha-le-li]

Thank you for all the information! I do have US citizenship, so I'm very glad to hear that I have nothing to worry about.

[JZer]

en-cha-le-li, just don't say where you were born unless someone ask. If you have an American BA and passport then that is all that the employeer needs to know. [/i]