Overcoming "Hiring Bias" if you're not American, Australian, Canadian, or British

[exported_kiwi]

Yeah Margy, I've been asked to do the same kinda thing too. I bluntly, yet somehow very politely, told em to go shove that idea where the sun doesn't shine! I was employed to be a teacher...fullstop! I wasn't employed to walk around handing out flyers etc.

I don't mind them using my picture as a recruiting/enrolling tool, but I draw the line at being a workhorse like that!

Hope it's all stopped for you now, and that all's well where you are,
Cheers,
Moi!

[Margy]

I tried the tissue handouts twice, and that was enough. Here I was standing in the cold on the street handing out tissues thinking where I went wrong in life. I've worked hard in my life to get where I was, graduated from uni and have always been very motivated to succeed in life. Handing out tissues was not the step I wanted to take.

Thanks but no thanks I though.

Everything is fine now. Thanks for asking.

[reviewer]

Wow, how awful! I don't know how I would handle a situation like that, but good on you for standing up for yourself.

[Tutor]

Hello,

This is really great (I dont mean the handing of flyers ) but this stuff. I never knew even this was happening in some places. Great things to know about the world.

[exported_kiwi]

Tutor, flyers are the pieces of paper that are handed out on the street to advertise things....schools, restaurants etc. It sucks that we, as teachers, are asked to participate in something that schoolkids are usually employed to do, especially if the weather is cold. If the weather is so cold, the tissues then become useful for blowing ones nose, rather than being read by passers by and then discarded as garbage and contributing to the already formidable problem of pollution....this is the case in China, mostly, anyway!
Glad you're ok Margy, keep in touch!

[mstapia]

im a newbie here. im very frustrated about the discrimination to non-native speakers. iv sent a lot emails but no replies. this is really unfair.

schools should change their mindset about non-native speakers. i believe that there are a lot of non-native speakers who speak better english than native speakers.

[exported_kiwi]

Yes, you're right, it's totally unfair to non native speakers, as we've said in the many posts here, but you have to look at it from the employers point of view really. If you're not a native speaker, how can you know the nuances of the language, the "ins and outs" of the language etc. Only native speakers can know these things as it's their language and they've lived with it their whole lives.

There are many native speakers who aren't white too, like the African Americans and others but they're discriminated against a bit here too. White skin and a passport from a native English speaking country: U.S, U.K, Canada, Australia, N.Z and maybe, South Africa and Ireland are the ones who are more readily considered able to speak, therefore teach, English better than a non native speaker. A neutral accent helps too, but who among us can truly say we have one of those as we all have the accent of the country we're from.

As Margy has already said previously in this forum, maybe you should consider finding a job other than teaching English abroad, but don't let this stop you from trying. There are places in the provinces and more remote areas who'll accept people who aren't native speakers. I worked in Hunan for a term and there was an African woman from Cameroon who taught English there. The trouble is, that a lot of students couldn't understand her because her accent was a mixture of her own language and French and when she was confronted about this, she got angry and was rude to the students. The school kept her on though, because they couldn't get native speakers to go there because the college was in a little, poor ass, provincial city that was really badly underdeveloped and paid a tiny salary. Living conditions were terrible, but I kinda liked it there, I didn't mind staying as long is was only for a term. Maybe try applying to the cities like that.....Just and idea for you. Anyways, don't be discouraged too much, keep trying and remember that what you put "out there", you get back. Good luck!

just a few cents folks,

[editordgw]

jeez, this is all pretty depressing. Maybe I'll dye my hair and wear sunglasses in my photo, but it sounds like being a Chinese-American teacher in China is going to be harder than I thought.

[Victorio]

Originally Posted by editordgw

jeez, this is all pretty depressing. Maybe I'll dye my hair and wear sunglasses in my photo, but it sounds like being a Chinese-American teacher in China is going to be harder than I thought.

Don't give up! There are many other countries!

[exported_kiwi]

Yep, Victorio, there are many other countries and sadly. they're the same as here I think......if your passport doesn't show you're from an English speaking country, then, it's gonna be hard for you to land the job you want!
Sad, but true!