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I am a teacher of English from Algeria with5 years of experience. I am qualified and motivated. I sent hundredes of job applications but non of them have ansewered me becouse most of schools prefer NATIVE English speakers. What shall I do?
forforlorn advanced it may be true but for beginners I think that Arab teacher is the best one to give them English courses becauseteaching any new language needs communication between teachers and learners which is impossible to happen with English natives
First of all, you do have a chance to be hired in the GCC I assure you ! Many schools do hire non-native speakers, although some of these might not necessarily be the higher-paying ones. Yet, you may have a poor chance applying to vacancies in international schools. But do not let that steer you away from applying to any job post that you deem yourself suitable for ! Trust your abilities.
There are two factors that contribute to the successful teaching of English language to pupils anywhere in the world.
1. Profound knowledge of all aspects of the English Language to be taught to students (the "WHAT to teach")
2. Sound experience and knowledge of teaching skills (knowing HOW to teach and deliver the information to students)
Generally speaking, most schools in the GCC find it easier to hire and support a native English Language teacher in his teaching methods rather than hiring and supporting a non-native English language teacher. This is due to the fact that supporting the latter will - in most cases - require more effort to be put in monitoring and reforming both above-mentioned aspects of his/her profession.
Another reason is the accent and pronounciation that a native English language teacher can provide, having lived using the language throughout his life. In learning any language, the proper pronounciation, accent, and syntax are key elements.
Yet, many non-native English language teachers can do better in teaching than native speakers sometimes. It all depends on the knowledge, skills, experience, and the way you present yourself (not appearance-wise).
Natives got the trump card solely for INTONATION AND GRAMMATICALITY . yet Non-natives could make it like near-native and since they are enculturated ,they'll do a better job of teaching than natives.
to me,An american wont do much good as a teacher in arab country cuz of cultural disequilibrium.
My experience is that in Gulf countries native speakers are given more importance, salary and their workload is much less than non native speakers.
Some native speakers have such heavy accent that it is difficult for the students to understand what they speak but they bear up with them just because they feel they are being benefitted by the native speakers.
The inexperienced teachers who don't know English teaching according to the level of the students are appointed for teaching various English courses just because they are native speakers. Such teachers don't know how to assess the students and their assessment sheets and activities are total confusion for the students.
Most Arab Gulf nowadays ask for native speaking English to get a better output although the applicants may not be teachers but being a native speaker makes them be accepted to work and get the jobs, Indians an Pakistani people got jobs there as teachers ,the amazing thing is that the students search for a private teacher a tutor and he is not a native speaker of English ,people there recruite them thinking they will get a better output , I can't deny that there are some who are good and students learn the right pronounciation and speak very well but there are some disadvantages that are delivered to students and that is the most destructive .
I want to learn Arabic but I will try and get a teacher from one of the Arab nations, not a non native speaker, however fluent they are. It's human nature.
I've been encountering the same problem actually. It frustrates me a lot as being just a non-native speaker automatically disqualifies me at the very start of my pursue for the teaching jobs (??!!), discrediting my education and great academic knowledge.
I am a teacher of English (MA, BA) from Europe (Poland), trained by the native speakers from America, Ireland, UK, Canada, thus have a very good accent (can switch between the British and American accents), yet my country of origin is the reason of rejection. Addtionally I was working in many European countries, be it Norway, and have never met such a cruel system. It is quite unfair and by the end of the day, leaves me disappointed...I'm negative about it and this policy...where are the values that everyone is equal, irrespective the origin, colour of skin, religion, etc.? It seems all these values had long been forgotten.
Anyway, I would follow them because these are the values of well-educated sociaties and Europe and America have been built on them.
The employer usually does not know what their needs are and they have the idea that they need a native speaker. Most of the time, the employer doesn't even know what that means, and can't tell the difference.
Think of it this way, some doctors recommend a battery of expensive tests, and prescribe two or three types of medicine even when the patient's problem is obviously a simple viral infection that will take a few days to clear up.
How many factors are involved here?
may be the government need to define who is a native speaker of English. For its not the country that defines it but the mother tongue or rather the first language of the speaker. Phonetics may be have to do with a lot of the gulf going for the native speaker if we are to count on pronunciation. But the question remains is ia government policy or perception. The 'who' makes such policy must be having an empirically verifiable justification to the reason why native speakers even for those who are not trained teachers of English.
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