Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ruraljuror]

I actually felt a cold stab of fear as I read this and considered this implications this morning...*shudder*.

For the love of Ra, please do not mention this article to any Korean people you know...let's all just pretend it doesn't exist.


India can supply English teachers

The Indian ambassador to Korea says his country can be a cost-effective resource for English.
January 09, 2008

Indian Ambassador Nagesh Rao Parthasarathi.
In a suggestion that may sound like a threat to the job security of English teachers from Anglo-Saxon countries, India�ss ambassador to Korea says the large-scale import of English teachers from India could be a cheap and effective way to help Korea become a better English-speaking country.
Indian Ambassador Nagesh Rao Parthasarathi, 52, says Korea needs as much exposure as possible to an English-speaking environment.
�In order for Korea to take its English speaking to a higher level, the Korean government needs to allow students to learn a variety of subjects from native speakers so that students will grow accustomed to speaking in English,� the ambassador said.
Practice is the key, Parthasarathi said, to the high command of English by students in non Anglo-Saxon countries such as India, Singapore, the Netherlands and Finland.
�If Korea secures enough native speakers as teachers from countries like India, it will be only a matter of time before its English level advances beyond the current standard,� Pathasarathi said.
After coming to Korea in September 2005, the ambassador wondered why Korea cannot play a larger role in the international community that matches its status as the world�s 12th-largest economy. Not long after his arrival, he learned of Korea�s struggles with English.
The ambassador told the story of a Korean entrepreneur he met in Seoul.
The businessman had earned a masters of business administration degree from a top-notch university in Korea. Despite the MBA, he had to take an interpreter everywhere he went because he had trouble getting his messages across in English.
That story is a microcosm of the challenge facing Korea.
�Without a change in the current English instruction method, Korean companies will be limited in their opportunity to grow as global players,� Parthasarathi said.
He said the lack of a command of English stems from a poor English instruction system. That factor will also put a limitation on the ability of Korean youngsters to work in other countries, Parthasarathi said.
It�s not for a lack of effort, however.
�Korean youngsters are very passionate and talented,� he said. �If they could add to that enthusiasm a better command of English, they will be able to make inroads into the world�s workforce.
�It will also help the country deal with the issue of high unemployment among the young.�
Parthasarathi said India has an abundant pool of cheap and qualified English teachers whose ability has been verified internationally.
He gave Tutor Vista as an example. For a fee of $100 a month, Tutor Vista, an India-based online tutoring service provides high quality tutoring on any subject from an Indian teacher in English. The service even became popular among Americans after it was introduced in The New York Times at the end of last year, he said.
While there is no doubting the English skills of Indians, Koreans can be fussy about accents.
�Koreans tend to regard American English as the only English,� the ambassador said.
He said a key to English as a global language is communication, while an American accent, pronunciation and grammar are only secondary issues.
In the final analysis, the important thing is an ability to understand and answer questions in English, he stressed. While he serves in Korea, Parthasarathi plans to invite Korean students to India to show how effective learning English from Indian teachers can be.

[VanIslander]

Teaching the typical Hindi mistakes of Indian English.

"I am understanding you. Let's discuss about it. You're going, isn't it? They're late always. My all friends are waiting. I would be going there soon."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_English

Indian English is a fully legit form of English in India between Hindi and other language groups. But Indian English as an international form of communication with Americans and Brits is full of confusing grammatical quirks and differences that will be heard as mistakes, especially by Korean students who learn American forms of grammar by rote.

[Return Jones]

Koreans already know Filipino people can speak and teach English just as well, too. We're all still employed, nevertheless. No worries about the article. Forget about it.

[Scotticus]

How many Koreans (especially hagwons) hire teachers for their qualifications? How many hire teachers for their white face? How many Indians are whities? I wouldn't worry too much about India.

[Ruraljuror]

True, it won't be perfect...but I can very easily understand all of those sentences you gave as examples. Anyone could. So what happens if this country decides "Meh...good enough".

If you were a hagwon owner, and I was trying to sell you on the notion of a workforce that would make 1/4 as much as your current workforce, and would be so thrilled at the job that they would never even dream of complaining at the most evil, abusive scams you could imagine...would you be interested? Keep in mind, as a hagwon owner you have sold your own soul a long, long time ago...

[Thumbnail Postermonkey]

I saw that article this morning too. You know, I think we need to share the wealth of satisfaction and good times one can experience living as a "Native Speaker" teaching English in the Republic of Complainer with as many diverse groups of people as possible. As my friends say, the more the merrier! Let people from India and other Southeast Asian countries come to Korea by the bargeload. Let THEM experience Korea, Sparkling, too! Let's face it - why should we have all the fun??

[jdog2050]

[ryouga013]

[Homer]

hmmm...

At a conference last year I met a few Indian ESL Teachers working in China and in other countries.

Their English was perfect. 2 of them had ESL related degrees, another had an advanced degree in Education.

There may be many qualified ESL teachers from India just waiting for the Korean market to open up.

Then again, the Korean market would have to open up!

But, lets not dismiss this out of hand because we watched the Simpsons and think Apu is representative of Indian English speakers....

[kiwiduncan]

I'm all for smart, well-educated and dedicated English teachers from India having a slice of the cake. Given the prejudices against anyone who does not conform to the 'Hollywood whiteboy' standands maintained by many hagwons and other employers though, any Indian teachers may have a lot of challanges ahead.

Korean students and the Korean public in general need to be reminded that English is an international language, and who could show that better than some of India's 200 million strong English-speaking middle class.

[RACETRAITOR]

Indians don't have white skin. Thus, they obviously don't speak English as well as we do. Even if they do speak English perfectly with a Cambridge accent, Koreans will still look at them and say "You look like you do not know English." They will pay more for lousy instruction from one of us than excellent instruction from one of them.

[chronicpride]

What's really scary is not the article, but the accent of Indians when speaking English. I've outsourced to all sorts of Indian development firms over the past 3 years and have talked to countless Indians on the phone, who are quite proficient in email and contemporary English. As much as the emails are near flawless, I flat out refuse to talk to them on the phone or conference call, as every time I've done so, I've only picked up about 25% of what they are saying. No way in hell that they can teach conversation. Proofreading, ok. But nothing that involves English sounds coming out of their mouths.

Of the Indians who do speak phonetically clear English and would be able to teach it, they still have to get past Korean mother's stereotypes of wanting white skinned foreigners teaching the mother tongue.

This same 'scary' scenario came up a few years back involving the Philippines. There was talk, mostly on the Philippines side, of sending a whole load of English-speaking Filipinos here, if Korea would loosen up on the E2 regulations. Their accents are nearly as bad as Indians, but still not as authentic as mothers want. The Filipino factor is still an issue in the ESL industry, regarding phone teaching businesses that outsource their calls to Filipinos.

[Hank the Iconoclast]

Indians who know English can teach it just as well as most of us. Korea needs to get other their notion of that only white people can teach English to their children. It's total nonsense.

[Yurim]

What's wrong with this? Years ago, I remember meeting many Indian nationals who came to Korea for technology jobs in firms partially outsourced from Japan. They are ridiculously hard working and should have equal rights as anyone. Didn't the xenophobia happen with Chinese immigrants to the US?

[MA_TESOL]

i had 2 Professors in my TESOL graduate program, both from India, one you could easily understand, but the other one was very difficult to understand. Also, Koreans are very prejudiced toward darker skinned people.