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Thread: Teacher with degree wondering about job

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[quote=APAULT,291528]GUEST60245, You raise the question, are the foreigners up to it?  Firstly, many institutions don't care that much, it is pure marketing.  They can advertise they have a foreigner and get enrollments.  (I have taught 60 student classes in Middle Schoool, just 40 mins a week - what use is that?)

Next, in many ways, the work I am doing could be done by a Chinese!  I teach oral English in a private college attached to a govt funded uni.  I was told NOT to teach pronunciation as a Chinese teacher would do that.  !!!!!   My job is to get them to talk in English (and undo some of the deep seated errors that they have been taught since they started learning - and yes I have to include pronunciation).  Why can't a Cchinese teacher get them talking?

It's true the students hear my beautiful London/Sydney voice and have that to copy!!.  But there are two main reasons why foreigners are needed: they are better trained for doing this type of work as few Chinese teachers have much concept of teaching theory and practice in the realm of class involvement and motivating students.  Most teach directly from books and create few teaching ideas.  Also, foreigners introduce many aspects of culture to the classroom,  which the Chinese teachers are not normally able to do.  On the last two points, it matters little whether you are a true native speaker or not.

If anyone is playing with the students' future it is the incompetent management of these institutions.  Many foreign teachers come with a lifetime of experience and want to share them but their ideas are routinely rejected by the old farts running these places.  They know best and there is no room for discussion. My team leader has NEVER asked how things are going, he  will not arrange any professional meetings with other teachers, and no-one tells us when holidays are.   I have IT, management, business process improvement and teaching experience, and would be happy to assist in my own time.  FORGET IT, don't even think of trying.  It doesn't add to short term profit!

Oh, and the students regularly tell us our classes are better than the local teachers.  We are also the ones they come to when they have personal problems. So if our friend from Sweden is a professional, he will NOT be playing with his students' futures.[/quote]

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