I can’t believe the following job ad I just read on Tealit:
I am seeking a part-time native English speaking teacher to improve my general conversation ability and professional knowledge! Female teacher is the best (white), well-behaved, American accent, westerner or easterner (No American-born Chinese ). Master degree and teaching certificate, experience(u have to teach us conversation, writing, reading comprehension and so on). Have a wide range of knowledge. Major in related subjects. Twice a week, one hour each time. I would offer NT$ 600/hr and I live just beside Taichung botanical garden. Please contact me by email and we can make an arrangement for meeting each other. I hope to hear from you soon. (No homosexual, no smoker. )"U SHOULD" conform to the qualifications. I AM NOT a racism and i am not a prejudiced and bigoted person. If u feel out of sorts just don't reply.I hate arrogant foreigners who have no level no knowledge earn money in Taiwan and pick up girls everywhere.... BUT I respect some foreigners who teach in Taiwan seriously, conscientiously... I can choose whomever I want just like if u want to learn Chinese u choose someone who speaks standard Chinese......
If anyone cares to reply anyway and give her a piece of your mind, her name is Jade Young, and her email address is bestfishery@hotmail.com
Already wrote her…twice…and also got her ad kicked off TEALIT.
I always respond to interesting employment ads, although I certainly don’t want any jobs…just some kind of overriding curiosity on my part, plus I have a lot of friends looking for jobs who are not so Internet savvy, so I like to keep abreast of what’s offered and what the terms are…but this one was really something.
Anyway, as I wrote to TEALIT, the great comfort is that at the princely price she’s offering, there’s no WAY she’ll get anyone, even a skinhead, to take her job…
Now I just need a group like “Taiwan Job Ads Anonymous” so I stop always asking about jobs just for fun and responding to offensive job ads, and spend my time actually working with the clients I already have! (Dammit, Jim, I’m a translator, not a censor!)
I just got quite a nice e-mail reply from the lady who wrote the above ad, and in my opinion there’s no need to flame her further…she has had some negative experiences with irresponsible English “teachers” in the past, and just made a mistake with a knee-jerk reaction trying to exclude those teachers. She seems like a very rational person to me, judging from her e-mail.
I think this kind of reaction (trying to exclude certain “negative” characteristics which are actually things one is not familiar with) is very common both with Chinese and foreigners, so we probably shouldn’t throw any (further) stones. The first pebbles cast in her direction seem to have made her consider her statements further.
I guess this is taking things away from the topic of teaching, but what bothers me about an ad like this is the notion that it’s just the tip of the iceberg. If someone can feel so free as to post the above ad for all the world to see, what does that say about the assumption of how people in general think? The symptom is scary. It’s a little like riding the bus. If I sit beside the only empty seat, locals will deploy every conceivable manner of avoidance behaviour just so as not to sit beside me - even when the bus is uncomfortably crowded. When I asked my local housemate why this is, she explained that it’s not the people themselves who don’t want to sit beside me, it’s what they think the others will think of them if they do. The symptom is scary. Are people involved in a grand scheme of implicating themselves against their wills? Is there any way of communicating to society how reprehensible this way of thinking is without somehow jarring individuals within it?
I’m getting offended by all the “Westerners Only” replies I’ve gotten (I’m ABC). To be discriminated by my “own kind” is probably worst than being discriminated by another race (since calling Taiwanese biggotts is like insulting myself twice).
I’m still looking for some teaching work. Besides Tealit and Oriented.org, is there any other web site with similar tutoring/teaching job postings?
I assume that there are some Chinese sites out there for the people looking for English tutors (based on the fact that many ads on Tealit were actually posted by friends who speaks English).
Thanks in advance for any info you can share. Cheers.
If you use the “feedback on ad” button (or something like that – can’t remember exactly what it’s called) on Tealit, and send an e-mail to the board, they will actually pull discriminatory ads. I don’t know if they can do anything about cases where the ad doesn’t specifically say “no ABCs” and then the response from the poster by phone is “no ABCs”, but at least they are committed to wiping out ads that are overtly discriminatory.
I’ve zapped 2 or 3 ads on Tealit this way. I may have to register with them one of these days if this keeps up! Maybe some name like “EnglishDiscriminationPolice” or something??
The ad does not spell out this policy explicitly. Even if it did, I don’t think I would complaint. I don’t want to deny the kids of an English teacher (regardless of his/her race/nationality). Besides, I think the root of such demand is from parents themselves.
As a mechanical engineer who worked in many Asian and MiddleEastern countries, I have witness similiar self-discriminatory attitude. Local companies that hired American technical services expect to see an expert who looks American. Otherwise, they think they’re getting ripped off (for paying premium price). Having worked with more than two dozen different nationalties, I know first hand that competence and ethnic backgrounds, nationalities, or religions have no correlations.
But, how do I explain all this to a local Taiwanese kindergarten owner who wants a western face to show his/her customers?
It seems to be the same in China too. The boss of a foreign company is always expected to be a big fat white bloke who only eats well-done steaks. Everyone is so disappointed at client dinners if you speak Chinese and are not frightened of eating live shrimps.
I could almost accept this - she wants to exclude the “bad eggs” and that’s reasonable enough … since I’ve met the kind of “teacher” she is trying to exclude… but this:
“No American-born Chinese”
WHY??? What does this have to do with “bad experiences in the past”? I’ve never met an ABC whose English wasn’t “standard” American.
“No homosexual[sic]”
WHY??? What does a person’s sexual orientation have to do with their ability to teach English?
I agree her ad was a bit over the top but, she’s paying, her right to pick what type of teacher she wants. Agree that a lot of it is stupid requirements, but again, her cash, her choice.
I found Tealit is itself racist, in a way. They say they want ads posted directly by schools, students, or managers, or they will delete the ad. I’ve posted twice, once organizing a class with (not for) a group of neighbors, and also as the dean of a department, as the person directly responsible for hiring. I have posted ads several times, only to have them yanked, even after pleading my case to Tealit. It seems to me they don’t want people with foreign, non-Chinese names posting there. My case aside, there are plenty of non-English speaking foreigners in Taipei whom they should consider. I used to tutor Koreans, Japanese, and French expats. I wonder if they would yank French-sounding names too.
Here’s a lovely one right here on oriented.org. Not as if one should EVER go with a recruiter, especially one as shady as IACC, but here it is, kids…
50 Full Time Positions. Positions start July 1st, August 1st and Sept 2nd,2002
Date posted 15 Apr 2002 Expiry date 15 May 2002
Position: 50 Full Time Positions. Positions start July 1st, August 1st and Sept 2nd,2002
Company: International Avenue
Job Description: Whether you are a young graduate (in any field) looking for a cool work-travel adventure in Asia, or a career EFL teacher looking for a change of scenery, we can help you. Sincerely, International Avenue Consulting Company
Qualifications: 1) You must be caucasian - The parents/schools want this item. 2) You must be from a Native English country - IE: Britain, Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand 3) You must want to commit to one year of teaching for a school. 4) You must have a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline.
quote:Originally posted by Tai Le Meiguoren:
Here's a lovely one right here on oriented.org. Not as if one should EVER go with a recruiter, especially one as shady as IACC, but here it is, kids...
50 Full Time Positions. Positions start July 1st, August 1st and Sept 2nd,2002
Date posted 15 Apr 2002 Expiry date 15 May 2002
Position: 50 Full Time Positions. Positions start July 1st, August 1st and Sept 2nd,2002
Company: International Avenue Consulting Company
Qualifications: 1) You must be caucasian - The parents/schools want this item. 2) You must be from a Native English country - IE: Britain, Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand 3) You must want to commit to one year of teaching for a school. 4) You must have a 4 year Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline.
F*ck that. Here’s their phone number : (04) 2375-9800. I wonder how many phone lines they have? I promise you, I’ll be keeping at least one of them busy tomorrow. Their e-mail address is service@iacc.com.tw. I’d encourage everyone reading this to let these twats know how we feel. Stupid…
I honestly dont know why you people get worked up over statements like “you must be white” in english teaching ads. Its a simple fact, the parents pay a lot of money to educate their kids, they do want to see a western/white teacher. Now im not saying an ABC or something cant teach as good if not better, people are people it doesnt matter what/where we are from, but they do want to see the white teacher. I’ll be honest, if i wanted to study chinese, i would want a chinese/taiwanese native speaker to teach me. Im sorry, i wouldnt want a westerner to do the job. My main concern would be that their chinese is not as good as a native chinese person, even though in fact it may be, esp if they were born in Taiwan/China etc. Yes they shouldnt say “must be white english teacher” but the sad fact is, this sells. The majority of parents want to see it, its good for business to have a bunch of westerners walking around, and they pay money to educate their kids. Its wrong but thats life.
The problem is, you can educate your private clients one at a time (whether these are students of yours, or clients for translation/interpreting services or any other endeavor where one color/type/sex/etc. is deemed “better” with no really compelling reason), but it’s hard to educate 99% of Taiwanese, especially when they have had little or no contact with non-Caucasian Westerner native English speakers.
But it seems that quite a few Westerners have this kind of idea in reverse, too – note the previous poster’s comment that he would “only accept a Chinese/Taiwanese teacher of Chinese.” After some of the “teachers” I’ve had in language schools over the years, I know I’m better, even though I’ve got a darned tall nose and pale skin.
Actually, my greatest amusement is the ads asking for “Native American English teachers” – finally, a niche market for the Sioux, Mohawks, Cherokees and all the others!!
quote:Originally posted by Creztor:
I honestly dont know why you people get worked up over statements like "you must be white" in english teaching ads. Its a simple fact, the parents pay a lot of money to educate their kids, they do want to see a western/white teacher. ...
Yes, that’s the attitude that launched the civil rights movement in the US.
I’ll be the first to admit that there are business reasons to discriminate. But clients can be educated, and I wouldn’t want to work for a company that was not willing to put in a little work up front to ensure a fair work environment. I’ve worked with several non-white teachers at children’s schools, and there really was very little backlash from parents.
Let’s try this scenario: You and your non-white friend walk into an English school for an interview. The company has several openings and offers you a position with a good salary. They look at your friend and say, sorry, we don’t hire people of your skin color. Would you take the job?
Let’s try this scenario: You and your non-white >friend walk into an English school for an >interview. The company has several openings and >offers you a position with a good salary. They >look at your friend and say, sorry, we don’t >hire people of your skin color. Would you take >the job?
Yes its stupid, but one has to ask why/what grounds are they discriminating against. My point is, do they HATE non-whites, as in the KKK, want to tie my friend up, put on their white hoods and drive down Roosevelt road dragging him/her behind, or is it because, “sorry thats what the parents want”. Both reasons are narrow
minded and are not acceptable, but thats business.
It should change as much as “north american accent” crap that I see. In my eyes both are stupid and both are very wrong. As i dont have the precious north american accent that has affected me before, however thats life, people are stupid, we all move on.
As for the I only want a Chinese/Taiwanese teacher to teach me Chinese etc, well am I a racist? I guess I must be as i discrimnate against wether you’re chinese/taiwanese or not. Damn better go hang myself But ironlady,
go work at a Chinese language school and I’d
happily join a class you were teaching
Actually I was once “rostered” as faculty at a certain Chinese-teaching buxiban in Taipei. The compromise that the director came to was to put me on the faculty list, as a nod to my education and experience, but simply neglect to actually line up any classes for me, as a way to handle what the director saw as the negative market perception that would, in the director’s opinion, inevitably result were a non-Chinese, non-native speaking teacher be given a Chinese class.
Kind of a neat way to save face, I guess…anyway, as for my teaching Chinese, it might just happen sometime. Stay tuned. 'Nuff said.
And, by the way, I would not take the job if the employer openly stated in front of me that s/he would not hire my friend because of skin color alone (assuming that I knew my friend was a good teacher and not a screw-up!) But then I’m not hurting for a work visa at present. If I were, maybe self-preservation would take over…?
Do you really think this is just about native speakers as teachers vs non-native speaking teachers? That’s an entirely different issue.
There are plenty of ABC’s or CBC’s who teach in Taiwan. Their English is as good as mine.
One of my Canadian Chinese colleagues has expressed how disheartening it is to walk into a new class when the students immediately begin to drill her on her English ability. This is a woman qualified to teach EFL and who is even doing a Masters degree in TESOL. It must be awful for her self-esteem.
On the other hand, I’ve known French and Germans to teach English and they don’t get the same kind of treatment!
Terry is right. It’s the education.
But look at Gus and Christine who founded this forum. They’re non-caucasian and it appears that their English is above standard, as opposed to some of the spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes I’ve seen strewn all over this forum by whities.
My own included, so don’t go flamin’…
