Why Be An English Teacher?

[Niko]

Top 10 Reasons To Teach English

At times I wonder why so many people want to teach English and why so many choose to teach English abroad rather than in their home country.

I have been teaching English in Hong Kong now for a few years. It's surely a wonderful opportunity for me. Here are my reasons for wanting to teach English.

1. To teach children correct values.
2. To see the world.
3. Learn about a new culture.
4. Learn more about what type of person I am.
5. Earn a decent salary whilst saving money.
6. Meet lots of different people.
7. Appreciate how much I love my home country and how lucky I am.
8. Take me out of my comfort zone.
9. Free up time for my other interests. I only teach 25 hours a week!
10. You tell me... still am thinking about my 10th reason..

As you can see, teaching English abroad has way more benefits than one can imagine. I have learnt so much from my time teaching in Hong Kong.

Moving out of our comfort zone to teach in a different country allows you to grow into a better person. I would have to agree with another blog I read saying that it should be mandatory for all individuals to work overseas for at least a few months.

I know it can be scary at times to make the intial move, but nowadays, with forums and blogs, there are so many teachers out there willing to help and make your journey teaching abroad an enjoyable one.

Margaret Greer.
(English Teacher - Hong Kong)

Teaching children "correct" values is the job of their parents not some foreigner. You are practicing cultural imperialism.

EFL Geek: ESL & EFL in Korea

That would be an ideal world where all parents raise their children with correct values. But I'm sure we are all aware that often, parents now do rely on teachers to assist in the upbringing. Be it fair or not, that just happens to be the case.

For me, I am more than just "some foreigner". I have a Bachelor degree, TESL certificate, 2 years teaching experience and an idea what is required to teach English to children.

You may be qualified to teach children but I hardly think you are qualified to teach "proper" values to children from your own culture let alone a culture that is different from your own. I say keep the imperialism at home and stick to teaching language - that is what you were hired to do, not to be a moral crusader.

EFL Geek: ESL & EFL in Korea

Should teachers teach the British and American culture in the EFL classroom?

Since English has become a lingua franca of the global village, so indispensable in the business world, it has reached every classroom around the globe as a primary foreign language to be learned. All those wishing to keep abreast with the modern global society need to have a good communicative competence in this language. But learning a foreign language does not mean memorization of a few grammar rules and thousands of words. To understand a Brit or an American is to have some basic knowledge of their culture and the way these people think.

See more at www.geocities.com/pan_andrew/culture.htm
pan_andrew[at]yahoo.ca

[exported_kiwi]

Whoa, cultural imperialism! I thought the cold war was over, sheesh! Get agrip man, or woman!
We are there, usually at a cost to ourselves in one form, or another, to bring English to those who want or need to learn it.

Many schools have social studies programs where they study other cultures etc and many schools also have American or British culture studies groups. I was in a school that had Canadian studies. Does this constitute cultural imperialism, nope! It constitutes a desire to bring understanding amongst cultures so we can all learn that we're actually all the same under the skin and the world is a vastly smaller place now, a global community. I agree that it's the parents job to bring up the kids but this is an imperfect world and many parents are busy these days just trying to make ends meet so it falls to us, and other teachers, to try and instill some form of discipline on the students. This was evident where I worked in Guangzhou, where we were no more than overpriced baby sitters to a bunch of under performing teenagers. There was a rule in my campus that English must, must be spoken at all times. If this wasn't done, I enforced the rule with a bit of exercise, like jogging! The kids soon learned that I was serious and they started obeying the rules.... Result.... no more Chinese spoken there!

Maybe we should be enlightened rather than wallow in some cave that is a remnant of the old cold war rhetoric huh?

Just a thought there folks.
My 2 cents again.

[exported_kiwi]

Shoulda checked my spelling, sorry folks!
Just 1 cent this time!

[gfell]

Hey no worries. We're always on top of things here. You sure are building up your cents worth. Cheers.

[exported_kiwi]

Yeah, spending too many cents, going broke, need money, any donors?
my 0 cents.