Non native speaker teaching ESL, does it matter?
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Non native speaker teaching ESL, does it matter?
Hi all
I am an ESL teacher and English is not my L1 but I have TESOL qualification. I am just wondering if this is an issue in getting a job? anyone encountered any problem getting a job because of this?
Will really like to get opinion about this issue
Nkem
I am an ESL teacher and English is not my L1 but I have TESOL qualification. I am just wondering if this is an issue in getting a job? anyone encountered any problem getting a job because of this?
Will really like to get opinion about this issue
Nkem
Well, I am Greek but I've been speaking English since the age of 2. My employers are Greek too but parents here in Greece prefer native speakers.
At the University they've taught us that it is better to be a non-native speaker but to have the qualifications of teaching a foreign language than being a native and have no EFL teaching qualifications.
I hope your future employers can realise this.
Good luck!
At the University they've taught us that it is better to be a non-native speaker but to have the qualifications of teaching a foreign language than being a native and have no EFL teaching qualifications.
I hope your future employers can realise this.
Good luck!
I think it depends on the country, your qualifications and experience.
I have heard that in France native English speakers are preferred, and it is rather impossible to find a job if you don't share that background
I'm Bulgarian and have been teaching English in Poland for about 7 years now. Frankly, I have met people here who share different views, but the fact that I am a non-native English speaker has not bothered neither my student nor my employers.
I have heard that in France native English speakers are preferred, and it is rather impossible to find a job if you don't share that background
I'm Bulgarian and have been teaching English in Poland for about 7 years now. Frankly, I have met people here who share different views, but the fact that I am a non-native English speaker has not bothered neither my student nor my employers.
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- Posts: 48
- Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 12:56 pm
- Location: Japan
tricky
I'm from the U.S. and am therefore a "native speaker." I taught in Japan for 3 years and am now pursuing a master's in TESOL.
In Asia there is huge demand for "native" speakers and they (we) get the lion's share of the jobs. Many schools won't even hire a "non-native," or if they do, they pay them less than a "native."
In the years 2002-2005 in Japan I witnessed, firsthand, filtering processes in which all resumes not from the UK, US, Canada, Australia, or NZ were immediately discarded.
Many businesspeople will say this is in response to demand from students.
In 1999, TESOL passed a resolution condemning the widespread practice of discrimination against teachers of English on the basis of national origins and outlined steps to counter it.
http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_docume ... 87&DID=244
(Sorry I don't know how to insert a URL)
I have also witnessed firsthand countless situations in which "non-native" teachers outperformed "native" ones in ability to explain English grammar and structure.
In a recent group activity, as part of a class for teachers of English structure, we were given a list of sentences with grammar mistakes, and were given the task of explaining why they were errors. Invariably, when the "natives" were readily able to produce corrections, but were at a loss to explain them, the non-native speakers, who had been through the grueling process of preparation for TOEIC/TOEFL, were able to easily articulate clear explanations of the structures and thereby demonstrate why the errors were errors. Clearly the latter will be more effective in helping students avoid future errors than the former, who were sometimes only able to correct.
I feel comfortable in assuming that this is due to the fact that a "native" English-speaker has never walked the path of having to actually learn English as a second or foreign language, and this is a definite advantage the L2 English-speaking teacher has over the "native" in being able to teach English effectively, even if it is not yet an advantage in the job market.
Just helping to spread the word.
My personal opinion is that all ESL/EFL (ELL ) teachers should be L1 speakers of Italian, because they make English sound so cool!
In Asia there is huge demand for "native" speakers and they (we) get the lion's share of the jobs. Many schools won't even hire a "non-native," or if they do, they pay them less than a "native."
In the years 2002-2005 in Japan I witnessed, firsthand, filtering processes in which all resumes not from the UK, US, Canada, Australia, or NZ were immediately discarded.
Many businesspeople will say this is in response to demand from students.
In 1999, TESOL passed a resolution condemning the widespread practice of discrimination against teachers of English on the basis of national origins and outlined steps to counter it.
http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/sec_docume ... 87&DID=244
(Sorry I don't know how to insert a URL)
I have also witnessed firsthand countless situations in which "non-native" teachers outperformed "native" ones in ability to explain English grammar and structure.
In a recent group activity, as part of a class for teachers of English structure, we were given a list of sentences with grammar mistakes, and were given the task of explaining why they were errors. Invariably, when the "natives" were readily able to produce corrections, but were at a loss to explain them, the non-native speakers, who had been through the grueling process of preparation for TOEIC/TOEFL, were able to easily articulate clear explanations of the structures and thereby demonstrate why the errors were errors. Clearly the latter will be more effective in helping students avoid future errors than the former, who were sometimes only able to correct.
I feel comfortable in assuming that this is due to the fact that a "native" English-speaker has never walked the path of having to actually learn English as a second or foreign language, and this is a definite advantage the L2 English-speaking teacher has over the "native" in being able to teach English effectively, even if it is not yet an advantage in the job market.
Just helping to spread the word.
My personal opinion is that all ESL/EFL (ELL ) teachers should be L1 speakers of Italian, because they make English sound so cool!
Teaching, I am afraid, is not only explaining grammar.
During my university studies, I've been taught a lot on methodology, pedagogy and psychology that have helped me a lot during my career. And I don't stop going to seminars to get posted on new paths concerning teaching.
And of course this kind of knowledge has helped my students too throughout the years.
So speaking English from the day you are born is not enough to make you a good teacher.
During my university studies, I've been taught a lot on methodology, pedagogy and psychology that have helped me a lot during my career. And I don't stop going to seminars to get posted on new paths concerning teaching.
And of course this kind of knowledge has helped my students too throughout the years.
So speaking English from the day you are born is not enough to make you a good teacher.
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- Posts: 48
- Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 12:56 pm
- Location: Japan
Oh, yes, I agree, of course, language learning is not merely grammar study. The anecdote came from a class on English structure and its place in ESL/EFL, so naturally it was a grammar-related topic. Not every learner wants or needs prestigious grammar, but some do, especially those on an academic or business track. But my point is, and gowrd look at the size of my font up there! I didn't know it would be that big. Anway, my point is not about grammar, it's about having walked in the shoes of one learning English as a second or foreign language. This is something a "native speaker" can never bring to the table. In such a position, we run the risk, and sometimes fall into the trap, of giving our students an experience akin to studying a fine art under a prodigy who, being naturally gifted, is therefore oblivious to the needs of someone who must actually develop the necessary skills. Surely we can all recall having had a teacher at some point in life who might have been an expert in the discipline or content, but was dismally ineffective at teaching it. Of course, this doesn't have to be the case, but for "native" English speakers, it's worth keeping in mind. We may have experience with learning other languages, and will have certainly faced our own particular challenges as a result of it, but we still can't know what it's like to go from a language that doesn't use, for example, an elaborate tense-aspect system, abundant prepositions in phrasal verbs and idioms like "over tea" and "what's up," plural-singular and countable/uncountable distinctions, or even half the number of vowel sounds used in English, to a language that depends on all those things. Only an L2 English speaker can teach ESL from the perspective of having lived it. Furthermore, for better or for worse, at this particular time in the history of the coming and going of nations and languages, English is a language of power, and immense power, at that. Very few "native" speakers, readers and writers of English have any idea what it's like to be forced to learn a second or foreign language out of necessity.
In the end, a good teacher is a good teacher. S/he knows how to exploit strengths, compensate for weaknesses, work within limitations and seek assistance when necessary.
And a qualified teacher is a qualified teacher. If you have TESOL certification, you can find work, and you will find work that is better than in the places that discriminate against non-L1 speakers. The place where I saw those resumes going into the trash was one of those private English conversation "eikaiwas," but if you have TESOL cert you don't want those jobs, anyway. Not that all eikaiwas are bad, some are quite nice, but you're looking at a different set of open doors with that certificate. You'll find work.
In the end, a good teacher is a good teacher. S/he knows how to exploit strengths, compensate for weaknesses, work within limitations and seek assistance when necessary.
And a qualified teacher is a qualified teacher. If you have TESOL certification, you can find work, and you will find work that is better than in the places that discriminate against non-L1 speakers. The place where I saw those resumes going into the trash was one of those private English conversation "eikaiwas," but if you have TESOL cert you don't want those jobs, anyway. Not that all eikaiwas are bad, some are quite nice, but you're looking at a different set of open doors with that certificate. You'll find work.
In the end, a good teacher is a good teacher. S/he knows how to exploit strengths, compensate for weaknesses, work within limitations and seek assistance when necessary.
And a qualified teacher is a qualified teacher. If you have TESOL certification, you can find work, and you will find work that is better than in the places that discriminate against non-L1 speakers.
Truer words could not have been spoken. A good teacher, is a good teacher Whether they are the product of an Alt. Cert program, L1 or L2, or went through regular Cert. in the universities, is not the most important influencer in dictating whether a teacher will be successful in the classroom.
If this is your passion, be persistent and you will be hired. That passion for teaching will translate into success, because you will want to do what is necessary to make your students successful.
And a qualified teacher is a qualified teacher. If you have TESOL certification, you can find work, and you will find work that is better than in the places that discriminate against non-L1 speakers.
Truer words could not have been spoken. A good teacher, is a good teacher Whether they are the product of an Alt. Cert program, L1 or L2, or went through regular Cert. in the universities, is not the most important influencer in dictating whether a teacher will be successful in the classroom.
If this is your passion, be persistent and you will be hired. That passion for teaching will translate into success, because you will want to do what is necessary to make your students successful.
I was just told about a blog with interviews on non-native English speakers who are teaching English, and some of their ideas. I haven't looked at it yet, but here it is for anyone who is interested: http://www.moussu.net/nnest/blog/index.html
Well, I can say that it's nice to have a native speaker if she or he teaches you conversation or phonetics. But learning any language means also to understand grammar....It's very important, it's the beginning. Without the correct grammar you will never be successful.
A few months ago I was volunteering at one Institute where immigrants learn English. The way they are taught is horrible. They are taught as if they are parrots...Just repeating and writing.... no grammar at all. Students don't understand anything...
Once a teacher wrote a sentence: " The bird can sing and speak 7 languages". One of the students asked her why the verbs didn't have the "s" ending ( like singS and speakS) The teacher started saying nonsense like "it's because of AND"... I was shocked. After that I explained to her that it's because of the modal verb "can"....after which we use the infinitive form of a verb.....And there are many cases like this when my experience of learning English as a second language helped me in explaining grammar to people.
It's important to remember that immigrants always have the interference of their native languages when they learn English and thus sometimes they apply grammatical rules from their languages when they speak English. It's necessary to use a descriptive and comparative approach in teaching English otherwise you are gonna fail.
A few months ago I was volunteering at one Institute where immigrants learn English. The way they are taught is horrible. They are taught as if they are parrots...Just repeating and writing.... no grammar at all. Students don't understand anything...
Once a teacher wrote a sentence: " The bird can sing and speak 7 languages". One of the students asked her why the verbs didn't have the "s" ending ( like singS and speakS) The teacher started saying nonsense like "it's because of AND"... I was shocked. After that I explained to her that it's because of the modal verb "can"....after which we use the infinitive form of a verb.....And there are many cases like this when my experience of learning English as a second language helped me in explaining grammar to people.
It's important to remember that immigrants always have the interference of their native languages when they learn English and thus sometimes they apply grammatical rules from their languages when they speak English. It's necessary to use a descriptive and comparative approach in teaching English otherwise you are gonna fail.
To Dinara, you can do better than those native speakers
I think that to qualified workers, their ability is more important than their language.As long as they can communicate with other co-workers without much difficulties, they can do better than others.
Perhaps, you keep trying for another time, and you can make it! GOOD LUCK TO YOU!
Perhaps, you keep trying for another time, and you can make it! GOOD LUCK TO YOU!
Dinara wrote:P.S. I personally couldn't find a job in the USA... I am still looking for it but because of the fact that I am not a native speaker it's practically impossible...
Looking for tips for an EFL teacher!
As a future English teacher to be, I often wonder how I can do it the best way although I am not a native speaker.
I always have that fear that maybe I wouldnt know how to answer a question if a child will ask me about for example the meaning of a word I have never seen. In other words, it will be great if any of you have some tips or ideas for ways to overcome such situations that probably a native speaker wouldnt encounter.
I always have that fear that maybe I wouldnt know how to answer a question if a child will ask me about for example the meaning of a word I have never seen. In other words, it will be great if any of you have some tips or ideas for ways to overcome such situations that probably a native speaker wouldnt encounter.