ESL Consulting -SeoulESL ’s Post

Teach English In Korea.

This is my face when I see other companies only hiring native speakers. Yesterday I announced that the Canguro Academy is looking for teachers, and in less than 24 hours I had to close submissions, because we had so many applications. I know this is a good problem to have. But the best part is that there were teachers applying from all over the world. In fact, only one of them was a native speaker. I know that each one of these teachers would bring different perspectives, teaching styles, cultures, humanity, and variety into the Academy. And my students would LOVE IT. Why would you NOT want that in business? If you're worried about language skills: you shouldn't. Lots of the applicants had better English than most monolinguals. If you're worried about students rejecting them: you shouldn't. Out of the more than 1000 students who have joined the Academy, only 1 of them has left because they didn't like the idea of non-native teachers (good riddance). In 2024 any company that hasn't woken up to the reality of English as a global language deserves to go out of business, and students should vote with their money. Students: please stop giving your money to people who sell the toxic ideology that monolingual English speakers OWN the English language. They don't: Language is a democracy and it belongs to the people.❤️

Well said Christian Saunders, thanks! My CELTA instructors about a million years ago had a similar position: When I started working as an English teacher, in my 20s, with good English, a linguistics background and that first teacher certification... I was really worried about not having the right passport. My instructor, Grant, told me something very simple that helped me navigate the industry over the years: if a school doesn't hire you because of your passport after they've interviewed you, a) they're missing out because you're competent b) they're missing out because student love you c) they're backwards and you don't want to work for them anyway. I almost always managed to find work in schools that valued my competence over my passport. I hope social media and all the honest discussion I'm seeing over this topic will help change things around. Being taught by someone who learned the language themselves can actually be *inspiring*: "If she got to that level of English, why can't I?" Exactly, why can't you? Let's explore and overcome that together. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm Paola, polyglot & interculture nerd! I help long-time English speakers like you actually find their voice, go from hesitant to fearless & get heard, so you can go and live a genuinely international life, at work and in your cultural & personal life. Life is more colourful with more input from all over the world. Ready to paint your life multicultural with English? Accepting new clients from mid-April: DM or write me at paola(@)flowingenglish.com for a chat, or to book your spot. Check out the link on my homepage for self-talk practice & self-coaching resources. Have fun! Love, Pao #nativespeakerism #tefl #discrimination #englishcoach

Totally agree, especially when you see the outcomes of native English teacher policies and the reality of English proficiency in countries that rely on native English language teachers. All those countries could already top of the pop countries with high English proficiency if they would simply ditch that policies.

When I advocate for our school, speak to colleagues, families, staff or prospective students I am often celebrating the work in an immersive bilingual school. Quite rightfully, the questions are often around measuring or evaluating what impact (both positively and negatively) bilingual education has on a child. Our NAPLAN results over the last two years demonstrate that our teaching and learning programs in both English and Japanese are value adds to our students. Large scale research supports this but so to does our data. All data shared identifies performance above similar school and network averages. When you benchmark this data against the reality of our students learning all mathematics content in Japanese and having a large proportion of Japanese literacy alongside their English literacy it begins to dispel some of the mistruths around bilingual education. These results are a great reflection of our teaching staff and our work. Yes, there is more to do (isn’t there always?) but it gives great validation and an authentic opportunity to audit the validity of our bilingual immersion work at our school. Really proud of our staff and our work! 👌

A close relative of mine, a highly qualified language teacher with a CELTA certification, a bachelor's degree (in 2020), and extensive experience teaching (7 years , from elementary to associate degrees levels) on two continents, faced rejection for not being a 'native' speaker. Despite fitting all professional criteria, he was suggested to work in reception rather than teach, solely due to his non-native status. Reflecting on his experience and facing similar biases myself, I've come to understand the profound impact of such discrimination. It's not just about not fitting a narrow and arbitrary standard—it's about capable professionals being denied opportunities to make a difference due to misconceptions about what effective teaching really involves. This post is a beacon of hope and a reminder that awareness and discussions like these are crucial for change. We must continue to advocate for merit-based evaluations in education that value skill and effectiveness over native status. Let's work together to create a more inclusive and equitable teaching environment.

CHANGE THE APPROACH TO LEARN ENGLISH ALTOGETHER. I am not saying that Malaysians must change the medium of instruction from Bahasa Melayu to English for all subjects in the public schools at all. In all my videos, I have been saying that Malaysians must change the APPROACH to teach and learn English in schools. That is all. In order to be proficient in the English language, Malaysians don't have to rely on English medium schools alone at the moment. Anyway, can many ordinary Malaysians even afford to send their children to international and private schools that use English as a medium of instruction for all subjects? So, think about the ordinary Malaysians. Where can they go if they really want to improve their proficiency in spoken and written English? It is the role of the Malaysian government to make quality education accessible to all its citizens. Therefore, the Malaysian policy makers should re-introduce the Structural Approach to teach and learn English although it is only one subject. Before 1970, Malaysians became proficient speakers and writers of the English language because they learned English using the Structural Approach, which is based on the study of Traditional Grammar. In the study of Traditional Grammar, people learn about Analysis and Synthesis of Sentences. Analysis and Synthesis of Sentences are not found at all in the other grammars. The use of the Structural Approach to teach and learn English can become a success even today as the three groups of people - the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians - are still the same in Malaysia. Knowledge is disseminated mostly in the English language today. Must we deprive our ordinary young Malaysians the opportunity to be proficient in both spoken and written English? Can ordinary young Malaysians who are not proficient in spoken and written English compete with others in the global arena? #education #Malaysia #grammar #English #englishgrammar #traditionalgrammar #englishtutor #learnenglish #learningenglishonline #standardenglish #englishteacher #structuralapproach #writtenenglish

Yes, it is illegal and discriminatory if a school asks for: A native speaker to teach English. WHY? ✅ It is called native speakerism and is at best a discriminatory practice and at worst “neo-racist.” ✅ In the European Union it is illegal to advertise jobs only for native speakers (Article 21. EU Charter of Fundamental Rights). Some schools claim that: "they only hire native speakers because of market demand." Schools´ clients are parents. This seems ironic since… A school´s job is to educate. 🎶 Isn't it ironic? Don't you think? It's like raaaain... Schools could educate their clients regarding these facts: ✏️ 73.4% of English speakers are NON-NATIVE. ✏️ Your child will always have an accent. We all do. ✏️ Clarity of speech is the goal for efficient communication. And I´ll throw one more for free: ✏️ Exam marks do not determine the worth of your child. I´m a bit more calm now.😮💨 Any thoughts on this?

Speakerism perpetuates discrimination and limits opportunities for non-native speakers, leading to a less diverse and less enriched educational experience for everyone. On the positive side, by fostering inclusivity, schools cultivate a culture of respect, collaboration, and appreciation for linguistic diversity, preparing students to thrive in a globalized world where intercultural communication skills are essential. #inclusiveeducation #interculturaleducation

Good opportunity in Egypt!