Non-Native Speakers as Teachers‏‎

Details
Hits: 2,825

© <a href='http://www.flickr.com/photos/piaser/' target='_blank'>Gwenael Piaser</a>Can a non-native speaker get work?

This usually depends where. If you have the right qualifications then you can pick up work in your home country quite easily. Schools will often employ several local NNS (non-native speakers or those whose Mother Tongue‏‎ isn't English‏‎) for each NS (native speaker) they employ.

Getting work outside your home country is a little more difficult. If your English is very good and you can class yourself as bilingual‏‎ (maybe even if you're not quite) then you can often find work - especially if your other language is something the students might also be interested in learning.

But above all - regardless of your qualifications - you will have to demonstrate to your boss that you can speak English to a very high degree of fluency.

Qualifications

In an ideal world, you will need the following qualifications:

  1. A degree; if you are an non-native speaker of English then the best possible degree would be in English Language (or Literature).
  2. A TEFL Certificate such as the ICAL TEFL Certificate to prove you can teach.
  3. A certificate to prove your knowledge of English if your degree isn't English Language (e.g. TOEFL‏‎, IELTS‏‎, etc.)

It will also help if you have experience!

Finding Work

Regardless of how good your English is and regardless of how good your teaching ability is, one major problem is that school owners will immediately assume that a NS will make a better teacher than a NNS. Thus if you apply for a job online you may well find that the school will see on your CV/Resume‏‎ that you are not from an English speaking country and immediately disregard your application.

Unfortunately there's not a lot which can be done about this when applying online. However, there are few strategies you can try to get your foot in the door of a school. Aside from the usual methods of finding work‏‎ try these ideas:

  • Put up a video CV/Résumé. If the school can see and hear you speak English they may well realise that you sound so good that your nationality does not matter.
  • Go to the country in person. If you are actually living in a country and applying for work in person (i.e. visiting each school and presenting yourself there and then) you may well be able to pick up work. School owners will prefer to have a well presented teacher in person than take the chance of employing someone sight unseen across the internet.

Remember, however, that some countries have rules in place for employing native speakers. No matter how good your English you cannot get a job in South Korea unless you come from one of the major English speaking countries and are a native speaker.

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 4.20 (5 Votes)
Share
Please login to comment.

Comments (4)

  • A. Philip

    I am a non native Native English speaking teacher in Thailand. Here I find that the schools and company mostly hires native English Speakers to teach English. For the past 10-15 years NES are teaching English here. Whereas in India, Pakistan, SriLanka and Bangladesh English is taught by their own natives (Non-Natives) Why even Elementary students in these countries can speak, understand read and write so good English while the Thai students who are taught by NES Teachers cannot write their own names properly, cannot neither understand nor speak English as much as the Indians, Lankans, Paks nor Banglas? The other day I went to a famous University in Bangkok. I asked the location of Education Building which no student could properly direct. Mind you this university only hires only Native English Speaking Teachers. The average salary for a NES teacher in Thailand is 30000 Baht which is 1000 US dollar. Which teacher in NES country gets such pay so you can imagine thier quality. A

    0 Like Short URL:

  • Anila

    I do agree with the writer,I have the same problem, I am TEFL and TESOL qualified teacher but can't get the job in any good country because of NES,although NS can teach better than NES,

    0 Like Short URL:

  • R. Palma

    I am not a native speaker either, I cannot find jobs anywhere. I have Tesol Certificate, TITC Business English Certificate, TTC (Teachers Training Course) awarded by the Ministry of Education in my country, I also have a Certificate to teach Spanish as a second language, and still it is impossible. I wish I could go abroad for a couple of years and have the experience of teaching in a foreign country, but I guess that will remain as a sad dream.

    1 Like Short URL:

  • Mr.ahmed

    Im not a native english speaker . My problem is not finding a job . Its how to become fluent in speaking english like natives . I taught English for many years in my country and it was simple for me to make my students understand all the gramatical rules . but its difficult to make them understand english or communicate in english because they speak all the time in Arabic . I also find it difficult to get a job in international schools because they employ native speakers only . I know that the problem is in our education system but there must be a solution for these problems .

    0 Like Short URL:
Powered by Komento