Posted by
Rashmisimi
14 yrs ago
I live in India(since the past year, am Indian) and am a HKID card holder. Lived in HK 8years and worked in an International Kindy(as Teaching Asst) for 7 years. I now have a TEFL qualification and want to get back to teaching in HK. Am hoping that my ID card, my "HK" experience and the TEFL cert will help me in an industry which is notoriously famous for employing only Western teachers. Are there any Language centers that I should apply to, that is employing/ are more inclined to being less discriminatory? Any advice/info would be welcome.
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Thanks p.mason, for the feedback. I can appreciate your point of view and completely agree with the accent issue. Also there are accents and accents (as you point out), and whether one can speak in a clear and comprehensible manner may perhaps be more relevant in today's world? However, I digress! I do hope that I am able to find a job and that my accent passes the bill!
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S67
14 yrs ago
Yes, you'd be surprised. Many language schools and kindies (and parents) look at the color of the skin rather than the accent and how good they are at the job. In the past I've known persons who are not even qualified nor native speakers but still got the job. But don't give up hope. There are still jobs out there that look beyond the skin and if you are suitable you wll make it.
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S67
14 yrs ago
And you could enhance your chances by doing the QKT or Cert. of Education.
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Yes Cara... I know its unfortunate but true, that from a business perspective it makes sense to hire a non-Asian. Thats why I am nervous but I shall try and keep trying. Also I think its going to become necessary to have a degree in Education to teach, so maybe I might do something as S67 pointed out.
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Are you seriously suggesting p.mason that having a Birmingham accent is not 'British' enough? I despair. Everyone in Britain has a regional accent including Londoners, Scousers and Aberdonians. To suggest that one is superior to another is ludicrous. I watch American movies that are set in the Bronx and have no problems understanding, not because it is any less intelligible but because I have more exposure to it. If the argument is that we should go for the accent we have most exposure to then it would be an American accent and "British' accents would be as unacceptable as some find Indian accents. To suggest that that small off shore island called Britain is the template to which we should all aspire to is so dated. Most speakers of English are non native speakers and what is acceptable re accent and even grammar is constantly changing.
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I don't think he was suggesting that a brummie accent is any less English than an Etonian accent. Merely that students learning ESL may have trouble understanding it.
TBH, I have a public school accent, and when I have been in India, the people who speak English fluently there, have trouble understanding me. I need to repeat everything twice or thrice.
The ability to decipher an accent is relative to the individual, and I think its fair to say, if you have never come across certain English accents from the isle's initially some people may struggle more with them, simply because it might take some getting used too, especially if the teacher uses venacular.
That doesn't make them any less English, only less common.
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My comment was deleted, I have no idea why. Here it is again
Teaching English in HK is a Westerners game. Fact.
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I worked in a language centre 10 or 12 years ago & there were 2 Japanese guys who asked for a HK Chinese person to teach them English, as they needed to communicate with their local staff, so I think there's a niche for everyone. I grew up in the north of England & our Swedish exchange student found our accent much easier to comprehend than that in the south- same flat vowels etc (maybe cos we were invaded by Vikings once upon a time??). I know some of the bigger schools hire non-whites- suggests to me that a good school looks at qualifications and experience first. Also I think the big guys have the clout & established name to stand up to dopey parents with racist attitudes.
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