ESL Jobs Forum

[Praiz]

Hi,

I'm new at all this and need some assistance, advice, information, etc... On two occassions now, during two applications when everything was going well and the contract had been discussed but not yet emailed, both directors stopped immediately stopped negotiations when they realized I have an olive complexion.

Will someone please tell me are there schools in Korea and Japan that will take native born speakers who do not have a pink or white complexion? And if so who are they?

All help will be greatly appreciated.

Praiz

[unionjack]

That's an interesting question. I notice the way you have spelt colour therefore, are you an American? I am white, sometimes red but never pink. I have not worked in either of the countries you mention but I have worked in the Middle East and I have never seen a non-white English teaching native speaker. I think a lot depends upon where you come from. If you are an American, are you welcome in either of these countries. I really think that is what you should consider first. These countries want our knowledge but they don't want to treat us with respect. I sometimes think, they think of us as their slaves and if they are paying us, then they can do with us what they want.

You probably just want a job teaching English. Well, I don't think it is as simple as that. It is very political out there and you won't be able to change anybody's view on that. Therefore, you have to get over that barrier first.

If I were you, I would go somewhere nice and be appreciated.

[jayan]

Hi there. I'm a Sri Lankan born in Australia and have been getting jobs quite easily here in Korea. If you need a job please let me know as I can set you up with a few schools. My email is jnandagopan@hotmail.com. As long as you have a Bachelor degree and you are a native speaker.

Take it easy
Jay
_________________
Jayan Nandagopan
B.Mus. Dip. Ed.

[Curica]

The classification of a native speaker is really confusing me. I am Asian originally from the Philippines. I do not know why people only hire native speakers as in belonging to the caucasian race. In my country, we speak English and Tagalog our native language simultaneously. People in my country are taught English not as a second language but from the preschool to Post Grad studies in all subject areas ,English is always used as the medium of instruction. However, as an ESL teacher, this limits my opportunities as they look for native speakers more than those "real teachers" having the fluency of a native speaker.

I am sure there are some seasoned teachers too like me who are on the same predicament. If the argument is that all native speakers can teach English, then those homeless people in America can also teach English as they are considered native speaker. Does this make sense?

curica41@yahoo.com

[m_osiris]

On this subject, it really is about politics, i am canadian with arab origins....i was born and raised in canada..thus a native speaker...and the same thing happen to me on one occasion (job application to Bahrain)...however i have gone on to teach in various middle eastern countries...including Kuwait, and Yemen. My last principal (who was british) explained the issue of colour to me like this. Most schools that teach english are privatized, thus parents pay for their children to attend. These parents figure...(most innappropriately) that if they are going to pay the big bucks for their children's education...they want the best "ENGLISH" teachers which translates as "WHITE" teachers...however in my case once they heard me speak..my colour was not an issue any longer...i received a lot of speculation from parents once they saw me...but after hearing me speak...they seem to warm up to me...It is really an unfortunate thing one has to put up with in this field of work...but as someone else mentioned...it is highly unlikely that things will change....you just got to keep trying and applying everywhere....

best of luck..

[Sheila]

There are plenty of stereotypes and predjudices out there. People discriminate due to race, sex, culture, age, weight, economics, and religion. We don't like it but that's the way it is. You just have to keep trying if you really want to be in this profession. I think some people get into teaching ESL because they think it will be a quick easy process that will give them a little adventure and money without having to put a lot of time and effort into it. Being a good ESL teacher takes time and a lot of hard work.

[jayan]

I just have to make it known that it is not only the skin color issues that could be stopping people getting a job. I know here in Korea you need to

be a native born speaker of English (your first language).
Have the minimum qualification of a Bachelors degree.
Hold a passport from ONLY the following countries:
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, UK & Ireland or USA.

So before you send your resume, make sure you meet all the country's visa requirements.

That is not to say that there isn't a racism issue out here. Confucian ideas of class and status don't help. Schools and hugwons are slowly coming around though, I've met quite a few forward thinking directors who actually prefer hiring people of different appearances. They think that if their school stands out from all the others, people will prefer to send thair kids there. The best advice I can give is to keep on bettering your teaching, personal skills, and education, and a break will come your way.

As I have said in a previous post, I do have a few contacts here who may be able to get you a job.

Send me line

jnandagopan@hotmail.com

Peace
Jayan
_________________
Jayan Nandagopan
B.Mus. Dip. Ed.

[Big Boss]

[Curica]

Hi there Praiz!

Very interesting name! Actually I am sorry to hear that the company that you applied in have already displayed a repugnant discrimination based on your brown skin color. Consider yourself lucky that you were not able to work with them because of this reason as I am sure if you had been employed by them, chances are that you will discover a lot more of their snobbish attitude in the long run. Like the Bible says " all things work out together for good." ( if you know what I am saying.)

Please do not be discouraged by this, I am pretty sure that there are some school institutions that would consider your teaching skills and qualifications more important than your skin color.

By the way, I am a Filipina currently teaching in Zagreb, Croatia. Like you, I also have an olive skin tone.

All the best,

curica
curica41@yahoo.com

[kami peters]

Has anyone taught in Japan?

I am British born Caribbean, so I am Black and female- yet I will go in a few weeks to teach in Japan and I am wondering if anyone knows about the culture there. I know it is not as mixed as London, where I am from, so I am hoping to to experience a really drastic culture shock.

If anyone has been there, do you know of churches in Japan- I am also a Christian, as the population of Japan is only 1% Christian, this may also take some adjusting.

Kami

[Curica]

Hi Kami!

I have visited Japan for only 7 days. I can not tell much about the culture as that short visit was not enough to be able to know much about the culture. However, I can share with you some practical advises that could help you during your first few months of your stay.

You may email me at curica41@yahoo.com . I would be more comfortable to share with you my views via email and not in a public forum.

All the best to you!

curica
May I invite you to visit my blogsite at : www.shashavica.blogspot.com

[sigmoid]

Yeah, I think the TEFL Industry in Asia at least is feeling the effects of globalisation overtaking westernisation as schools become more willing to hire teachers who are not of European descent ("white") and are not from the usual countries.

In my opinion this is primarily a result of the realisation that they'll never fill all the positions with young native-speaking white kids who just graduated from university.

But also there is more emphasis now on language for communication as opposed to trying to have 'perfect' grammar and a 'proper' accent. So, why not teach English as it is actually spoken around the world?

[brian caulfield]

I just terminated a relationship with NO in China. It came to a head when I asked if a friend could take my class when I was in the hospital. They called me back and asked if my friend was black. The question was not necessary and I gave my resignation.
Chinese have very bad preconceived ideas about Africans and African societies. The Chinese who have been to Africa will tell you how different things were to what they thought things would be like.
Africa is a key trader for China . Africa holds China's future.
They can't continue with their old ideas and succeed in the global economy. They must accept good teachers coming from non white countries.
The one thing I have learned from having worked with Africans here is that they are extremely patient and know that things will change. They don't complain . They have been an inspiration for me and helped me get over some trivial problems I have had working here.

[ESLDaily]

This is my first time posting so I cant post links. The next reply will have links to some good articles on ESL EFL teacher discrimination.

[ESLDaily]

There was a study done by one of the Korean Bloggers last year where he posted numerous different nationalities on the major ESL employment websites. Very interesting results:
Nationality study:
http://korean-school.blogspot.com/2007/02/korean-trends-nationality-popularity-in.html

Skin color study:
http://korean-school.blogspot.com/2007/03/study-five-skin-color-popularity.html

Other studies were also done up on the same Blog, including age and sex discrimination in the ESL market.