English teachers…unwanted here? Wanted there.
September 14, 2008 by mwalimu23
I wasn’t too pleased with the results of my RSS subscriptions, so I decided to do some more searching.
Jackpot!
I found great articles through a “Teaching ESL” search on Google News.
The first article that I read caught my attention because it reminded me of what my Linguistics professor told us on the first day of class. He said that we shouldn’t worry about the teaching market as long as we’re willing to practice adaptability and travel the world. The fact that Michigan isn’t exactly crying out to Secondary English teachers is old news, but are future English teachers aware of how much they’re wanted by schools outside of our country altogether?
“Repeat After Me…”, an article in The Wall Street Journal written by Scott R. Schmedel, shares general information about overseas teaching, such as countries that really want American teachers–perhaps badly enough that they’ll cover any traveling and housing costs. I was aware of the fact that native English speakers are desirable teachers worldwide, especially after my Linguistics professor gave our class a promotional “traveling teachers” speech, but I didn’t realize that Americans are specifically targeted. According to this article, American conversational English is the dialect of choice. In fact, some countries will hire American English speakers to teach even if they have not obtained a teaching degree. But overall, those with teaching experience have a wider range of traveling options; favor is granted to recent college graduates and older teachers who are respected for their experience and wisdom.
Schmedel points out that “Most foreign employers want to see your college degree and may require a certificate showing that you have studied TESL or TEFL, which stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language…” Current teachers who have not recently graduated from college are encouraged and sometimes required to take a TESL/TEFL course before teaching abroad.
Preparation is necessary in terms of both teaching techniques and cultural awareness. “Repeat After Me…” mentions the importance of understanding the cultural differences among countries. Some places, for example, choose not to hire females because of strictly defined gender roles within society. Cultural awareness is also important in terms of understanding the different values and behaviors of students in another society. Schmedel says, “Be ready to adjust to local school discipline and student attitudes.” He mentions a situation in which an American teacher encountered the shockingly different behavior of Thai students. The teacher refers to the students as “very respectful but not attentive”; they would do each other’s homework, copy work, and even talk on cellphones during class. While this would immediately appear unacceptable in American schools, the value of helping each other is a foundation of Thai society that even stretches into the classroom.
After reading this article, I am curious to learn more about skills that are practiced in TESL/TEFL courses and just how effective teachers find the training once they are actually abroad. I am also curious about specific techniques that teachers implement in classrooms with cultural variance similar to the aforementioned situation in Thailand. Shifting from American education to a completely different cultural system would certainly be an interesting experience, and I’d love to find out more from teachers who are currently abroad!
“Repeat After Me…”
Scott R. Schmedel
The Wallstreet Journal
September 13, 2008
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As a future English teacher, I found your blog very interesting. I never planned on staying in Michigan, but I didn’t realize how big the demand for teachers in other countries was. I have heard of people teaching English in Korea, but many are uncertified and I have wondered how effective they are. As a student of linguistics, I have always been curious about how much of the learner’s first language you need to know. In many cases, ESL teachers do not seem to know any. I am a French minor, and if my professors weren’t able to explain grammatical details in English, I would be at a major disadvantage.
I think it is a very good point to discuss cultural differences for teachers who will be studying abroad. One of the girls I know who taught in Korea was allowed (and sometimes encouraged) to use force in getting students to pay attention in class. I found this disturbing – and it brings up an area for debate. Where does accepting another culture’s practices end and inhumane treatment begin?
I also heard another story recently about a group of Russian students attending school in New York. At the exam for their courses, the students worked together, talking to each other to find the best answers. They were promptly separated to different areas of the testing site. To the immense surprise of the faculty monitoring the tests, they continued to communicate, shouting across the room to each other.
What they did not understand was that the students from Russia had not grown up in a capitalist society – and this form of “every man for himself” test taking was unheard of to them. They were used to being graded in groups – in which case, who wouldn’t want to help their classmates come up with the best answers?
I think that you raise some very interesting points and I look forward to seeing what else you uncover about this topic.
–
Kelly
I really enjoyed your post on this topic. I am actually taking a ESL course in the winter and am very interested in teaching abroad. I didn’t realize that the demand for ESL teachers was so high in other countries. Both my Grandmother and Aunt teach ESL in the United States, and while I thought that would be an interesting option, I think it could be much more fun and a better experience to travel to a foreign country to teach. I am sure it would be difficult to adjust to the cultural differences in some countries. I know that many places (as mention in the article), have extremely strict gender roles, which would be very hard to handle, as well as the different attitudes towards education itself. The idea of students helping one another on tests is truly a foreign idea to me as an American student. I am also curious as to what specific requirements are needed to be able to teach ESL or EFL, it is something I will definitely be looking into more as the semester continues. Your post actually made my day when I read it.
I think all future teachers have going abroad as a possibility in the very back of their mind. It can be very difficult to find a job in the midwest and especially Michigan, but truthfully it also depends on the person and their personal preferences for a teaching environment. For instance, if one looks hard enough jobs are available in the inner city of big cities like Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore and St. Louis. Often teachers disregard these options because they are seen as very difficult environments to teach in. However, its definitely something to think about when weighing your job options. A job like that presents unique difficulties but so does teaching in a foreign country. Regardless, teaching outside of your comfort zone for at least a few years is a positive that gives us greater perspective and insight into the students and the subjects we teach. Going outside the US is an exciting proposition, its just important to do lots of research and be aware of what your getting yourself into. I have a friend who has a degree in economics and applied for a ESL job in Korea and he got it. He has no teaching background or experience at all yet he is over there teaching English. Its a little bit disturbing to me that they would be that desperate for english teachers.
Shaynon,
I’m really excited to read about what you dig up for your blog. My freshman year at Grand Valley, I met someone who does exactly that. He travels to a foreign country and spends a year or two there teaching English and learning the language and culture of that country. I don’t believe he has a teaching certificate either. Every since I met him, I’ve been so interested in what he does. That would be such an enriching experience; to be able to travel the world. You teach, but you also learn so much.
I also know another lady who got a job teaching English at her daughter’s school overseas because they were looking for Americans to teach there. She also doesn’t have a teaching degree but because she’s American, she gets paid better than the teachers of that country.
So this is something I’m really looking into. I would love someday to travel the world and spread knowledge and also gain so much. I’m looking forward to following your blog throughout the semester to see what you learn about this topic.
~Lamia
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