Nationalities
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
Nationalities
I don’t know if you heard about this. Some people say that as long as your looks like a foreigner or you have American passport, you can teach English in many Asia countries. People usually choose ESL teacher according to teacher’s nationalities. As long as a person is the native speaker, they would believe that this person can teach English. What do you think about it?
This is dangerous.
In my country (Greece), for example, small and private language schools can employ natives without teaching education or training or people that have got a Cambridge or Michigan Proficiency Diploma (CPE or ECPE) as English teachers.
There has been a law since the late 40s or the late 50s) that, because of the lack of an English Language Department at the Athens or other university, allows these people to get a teaching license from the Ministry of Education and work as English teachers.
No government had the political courage to withdraw this law and many people without the proper knowledge and training work as teachers.
As a result, a great number of Greeks cannot speak English fluently and, allow me to say this, 'properly'. Some of them tranlate from Greek (Mother Tongue interference) and others are sweating whenever they have to use the language to communicate.
I have adult students that have convinced themselves that they are incapable of any progress with English.
To help a learner to love English and to feel comfortable with the language, let alone to help him/her communicate in English, a teacher should have scientific knowledge and proper training.
In my country (Greece), for example, small and private language schools can employ natives without teaching education or training or people that have got a Cambridge or Michigan Proficiency Diploma (CPE or ECPE) as English teachers.
There has been a law since the late 40s or the late 50s) that, because of the lack of an English Language Department at the Athens or other university, allows these people to get a teaching license from the Ministry of Education and work as English teachers.
No government had the political courage to withdraw this law and many people without the proper knowledge and training work as teachers.
As a result, a great number of Greeks cannot speak English fluently and, allow me to say this, 'properly'. Some of them tranlate from Greek (Mother Tongue interference) and others are sweating whenever they have to use the language to communicate.
I have adult students that have convinced themselves that they are incapable of any progress with English.
To help a learner to love English and to feel comfortable with the language, let alone to help him/her communicate in English, a teacher should have scientific knowledge and proper training.
nationalities
When I was working in a small district, all English teachers had to attend a course by a language advisor every thursday. This language advisor admitted that his major is not in English but other field yet we who are graduated TESL teachers had to listen to his lecture for hours just because he is a native speaker of English.
I know what you mean.
I had an Australian 'ESL teacher' as a supervisor at a small neighbourhood language school who didn't have the slightest idea on methodology or leanring theories or psychology. For her things like communicative approach, experiencial learning, learner's auronomy, multiple intelligence, emotional intelligence etc were unknown territories.
But for the language school owner she was a great opportunity because he could advertise his school by saying that he's got a Native speaker in charge.
Now I've got her job because my students know better than my goverment or my boss.
I had an Australian 'ESL teacher' as a supervisor at a small neighbourhood language school who didn't have the slightest idea on methodology or leanring theories or psychology. For her things like communicative approach, experiencial learning, learner's auronomy, multiple intelligence, emotional intelligence etc were unknown territories.
But for the language school owner she was a great opportunity because he could advertise his school by saying that he's got a Native speaker in charge.
Now I've got her job because my students know better than my goverment or my boss.