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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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sigmundsmith
Joined: 22 Nov 2007
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 4:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Ice Tea wrote: |
Look at it from their perspective. If you want your school to feature the "General American Accent", the one used in movies and on TV, then you can hire a Yankee and have a pretty good shot at getting the right accent, or you can hire a Canuck and get a 95% shot at nailing the right accent, lest they be from Newfoundland.
Aussies, Brits, and Kiwis on the other hand can be a mixed bag, ranging from a slight variation in pitch to completely incomprehensible, even to me. |
HAHAHAHA. This one made me laugh as well. General American Accent used in the movies. You mean they sound like someone who comes from Brooklyn, South Carolina, Detroit, Ohio, Memphis, Mobile, New Mexico, just to name a few. American accents are quite distinct across the nation. Americans don't all sound like Hollywood movie stars, even in Hollywood.
So pitch, incomprehensible variety is vary apparent in American accents.
And your point about incomprehensible proves my point in the previous post. Because you were not privy at an early age to the vast array of English production, lexical items and phrases, you have limited skills, and an ability in explaining the various idiosyncrasies that is the English language. |
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tottenhamtaipeinick
Joined: 05 Sep 2010 Location: Canada
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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| So not only is it really hard to get any other job outside of teaching but you get judged on your appearance, sex, skin colour and origin. My gf keeps insisting it will be easy for me to get a job in Seoul because she says I am good looking. Wow what a way to judge! |
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Ice Tea
Joined: 23 Nov 2008
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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| sigmundsmith wrote: |
| Ice Tea wrote: |
Look at it from their perspective. If you want your school to feature the "General American Accent", the one used in movies and on TV, then you can hire a Yankee and have a pretty good shot at getting the right accent, or you can hire a Canuck and get a 95% shot at nailing the right accent, lest they be from Newfoundland.
Aussies, Brits, and Kiwis on the other hand can be a mixed bag, ranging from a slight variation in pitch to completely incomprehensible, even to me. |
HAHAHAHA. This one made me laugh as well. General American Accent used in the movies. You mean they sound like someone who comes from Brooklyn, South Carolina, Detroit, Ohio, Memphis, Mobile, New Mexico, just to name a few. American accents are quite distinct across the nation. Americans don't all sound like Hollywood movie stars, even in Hollywood.
So pitch, incomprehensible variety is vary apparent in American accents.
And your point about incomprehensible proves my point in the previous post. Because you were not privy at an early age to the vast array of English production, lexical items and phrases, you have limited skills, and an ability in explaining the various idiosyncrasies that is the English language. |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_American
It took about five seconds to google that.
As for your "argument" about being exposed to "vast array of English production", whatever that means, language is meant as a tool of communication with those around you. Hence that "commun" (group/together) part of that word. If I'm the only one using certain vocabulary in my country, no one will understand me and I'll look like the fool.
Really can't you see how absurd your position is. These kids can barely form sentences and you want them to know two words for eraser (rubber), elevator (lift), skirt (jumper), and all the rest of it. Come on, get off your high horse already. |
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sigmundsmith
Joined: 22 Nov 2007
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Ice Tea wrote: |
| sigmundsmith wrote: |
| Ice Tea wrote: |
Look at it from their perspective. If you want your school to feature the "General American Accent", the one used in movies and on TV, then you can hire a Yankee and have a pretty good shot at getting the right accent, or you can hire a Canuck and get a 95% shot at nailing the right accent, lest they be from Newfoundland.
Aussies, Brits, and Kiwis on the other hand can be a mixed bag, ranging from a slight variation in pitch to completely incomprehensible, even to me. |
HAHAHAHA. This one made me laugh as well. General American Accent used in the movies. You mean they sound like someone who comes from Brooklyn, South Carolina, Detroit, Ohio, Memphis, Mobile, New Mexico, just to name a few. American accents are quite distinct across the nation. Americans don't all sound like Hollywood movie stars, even in Hollywood.
So pitch, incomprehensible variety is vary apparent in American accents.
And your point about incomprehensible proves my point in the previous post. Because you were not privy at an early age to the vast array of English production, lexical items and phrases, you have limited skills, and an ability in explaining the various idiosyncrasies that is the English language. |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_American
It took about five seconds to google that.
As for your "argument" about being exposed to "vast array of English production", whatever that means, language is meant as a tool of communication with those around you. Hence that "commun" (group/together) part of that word. If I'm the only one using certain vocabulary in my country, no one will understand me and I'll look like the fool.
Really can't you see how absurd your position is. These kids can barely form sentences and you want them to know two words for eraser (rubber), elevator (lift), skirt (jumper), and all the rest of it. Come on, get off your high horse already. |
To answer your question about knowing two words, the answer is yes!
This took a little longer than five seconds but you get the idea:
"Standard English refers to the structure of the language, i.e. grammar not its pronunciation" (Perera, K. 1994. Standard English: The Debate. In: Teaching English. Ed. Susan Brindley) http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=JsNAEJWkAzQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA79&dq=what+is+standard+english&ots=fHoGRgrBjG&sig=HCTLxZgnHiwBkuxFbDholvkNUbI#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20standard%20english&f=false
"SAE (Standard American English) is an idealization. Nobody speaks this; and if someone did, we wouldn't know it because SAE is not defined precisely... The best hint we can give is to listen to national broadcasters (though many if not most of these people now speak with a regional dialect)". (Hartley, L. & Preston, D. 1999. The Names of US English. In: Standard English: The Widening Debate. Ed. Tony Bex & Richard Watts). http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OHDo9VmfvWMC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=+american+standard+english&ots=xDZBmG9ZPL&sig=9k7Lor7GJ9VPMQLUkEI3r12kymE#v=onepage&q=american%20standard%20english&f=false |
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tottenhamtaipeinick
Joined: 05 Sep 2010 Location: Canada
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Ice Tea wrote: |
| sigmundsmith wrote: |
| Ice Tea wrote: |
Look at it from their perspective. If you want your school to feature the "General American Accent", the one used in movies and on TV, then you can hire a Yankee and have a pretty good shot at getting the right accent, or you can hire a Canuck and get a 95% shot at nailing the right accent, lest they be from Newfoundland.
Aussies, Brits, and Kiwis on the other hand can be a mixed bag, ranging from a slight variation in pitch to completely incomprehensible, even to me. |
HAHAHAHA. This one made me laugh as well. General American Accent used in the movies. You mean they sound like someone who comes from Brooklyn, South Carolina, Detroit, Ohio, Memphis, Mobile, New Mexico, just to name a few. American accents are quite distinct across the nation. Americans don't all sound like Hollywood movie stars, even in Hollywood.
So pitch, incomprehensible variety is vary apparent in American accents.
And your point about incomprehensible proves my point in the previous post. Because you were not privy at an early age to the vast array of English production, lexical items and phrases, you have limited skills, and an ability in explaining the various idiosyncrasies that is the English language. |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_American
It took about five seconds to google that.
As for your "argument" about being exposed to "vast array of English production", whatever that means, language is meant as a tool of communication with those around you. Hence that "commun" (group/together) part of that word. If I'm the only one using certain vocabulary in my country, no one will understand me and I'll look like the fool.
Really can't you see how absurd your position is. These kids can barely form sentences and you want them to know two words for eraser (rubber), elevator (lift), skirt (jumper), and all the rest of it. Come on, get off your high horse already. |
All you did is get something from wiki need I say more. It is a selling point I guess which is lucky for Americans and Canadians, which is good and all. I said before I don't have a strong accent as even some Australians ask if I am actually Australian so it has just annoyed me a bit that it really does matter to many recruiters and schools. Oh and I said they wanted Canadian English NOT your General American accent that you so quickly assumed. |
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Ice Tea
Joined: 23 Nov 2008
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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| tottenhamtaipeinick wrote: |
All you did is get something from wiki need I say more. It is a selling point I guess which is lucky for Americans and Canadians, which is good and all. I said before I don't have a strong accent as even some Australians ask if I am actually Australian so it has just annoyed me a bit that it really does matter to many recruiters and schools. Oh and I said they wanted Canadian English NOT your General American accent that you so quickly assumed. |
You really don't read carefully, do you? I said that 95% of Canadians have accents which fall within the General American accent and it even says so within the wikipedia link I gave you. Also, this is not about you. This is about Korean children learning English and the ESL industry in general. If you want to take a rejection of your accent as a rejection as you as a person, go ahead, but it's not about you at all. It's business, plain and simple. People will always face discrimination in some way shape or form. I didn't get a job as an immigration cop because I'm 171cm, a little to short to be tackling people. Everyone faces discrimination. That's life. |
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Zyzyfer

Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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| tottenhamtaipeinick wrote: |
| So not only is it really hard to get any other job outside of teaching but you get judged on your appearance, sex, skin colour and origin. My gf keeps insisting it will be easy for me to get a job in Seoul because she says I am good looking. Wow what a way to judge! |
She's just flattering you.
Try applying directly to major chains. Make sure photo is prominently displayed on resume. In the past, I would've recommended coming here and hitting the pavement, but those days are gone if you've never had a work visa for Korea.
Also, don't be in too much of a rush. It is a rather dry season right now for jobs. Public schools are done, unis are done, the uni kids are back in class so numbers for many academies are lower. |
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fungrel
Joined: 26 Dec 2010
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Posted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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