Korean Job Discussion Forums

[definitely maybe]

[metalhead]

Someone certainly has a chip on their shoulder about South Africans. I suppose that we should include Canadians as being bad teachers seeing as how they are not from an 'exclusively English-speaking nation', or perhaps Americans, too.

I also had no idea us South Africans were being paid less, unless 2.3 a month is not the norm and is considered low these days? Also, as mentioned, not paying pension gives the ole salary a boost (on a monthly basis at least, I have no idea how much other nationalities get back from paying pension).

[isisaredead]

[ddeubel]

[PatrickGHBusan]

[ZIFA]

[isisaredead]

[Weigookin74]

[northway]

All the South Africans I've known have been Afrikans speakers, yet they've all spoken English at a higher level than plenty of my American countrymen that I've encountered over here.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Were I to own a hakwon isisaredead the bulk of my teaching staff would be the people I find most qualified to teach Korean students English.

Being a native speaker certainly is not a qualification on its own (we agree on that I think).

As for Korean teachers not being able to explain irony. Great. Then again if they are able to teach English effectively in most other areas, what do I care if they cannot explain irony! Especially in lower level classes.

[isisaredead]

[Vimfuego]

what a stupid thread. Non native speakers are more than capable of teaching English. I'd employ a CELTA qualified non native speaker over a native joker with a degree in social science any day.

As for the guy above that reckons native speakers have a better ability to explain the language, you try walking down main street and asking the average joe to explain the difference between the Present Perfect and the Past Simple.

[rainism]

the term "native speaker" can be misleading.

Let me give you the following example.

Immigrant comes over with his family before say age 12., or say age 10.
(studies show most people cannot lose original accent after age 12)

English is not his "first" language. It may be Italian, or Spanish, or Russian what have you.

He/She will still probably speak their "first language" at home with their parents.

HOWEVER.

As the child is involved in the American/Canadian school system, and has American/Canadian friends, their English becomes their "dominant" language within 3-5 years. By the time they finish high school, much less college, they are far far more fluent and 'educated' in English than their original language.

are they "native speakers"?

in my mind yes, especially if you cannot tell by their accent that English wasn't the first language they learned. (and i know many immigrants that fit this bill)

Their English is far far far better than the English of "native speakers" like Billy Joe Jim Bob, Elmer and their northern white trash cousins, not to speak of ebonics and ghettoized offshoots.

this also holds for people with accents, even hideously strong/strange ones like that of Arianna Huffington though I'd never allow my kids to learn pronunciation from Arianna.

[The Great Toad]

I met a very kind SA fellow who was well liked at his school - and he insulted himself talking about how his English was poor - and he also spoke that funny Dutch stuff to his friend who also was from the Sammuel Rohdes crushed land - anyhow I have met a lot of South Africans soem are good at English and some talk worse then Germans I met on vacation ion Euro Lands... This reminds me of the story of a Canada frog girl who spoke Frog lingo of love 24/7 then got a English teaching job in Korea and was forgetting it in class... On the other hand some guys from the Deep South speak garbage English as well - I think Korea would be well served to fire most native speakers and hire trained exp Brit English India guys for half the price- but they would have to mantain me as I have a perfect American voice - although I like to break into red neck speech once in a while to impress the children how the hill billies done talk

[PatrickGHBusan]

To isisaredead defense here...

I think he meant qualified Korean English teachers vs qualified native speakers who are teachers.

If not then his argument would sink faster than the Titanic.