How much more difficult is it for someone of south asian (think South Indian) decent to secure an English teaching job?
I just finished my 4 year university degree. I'm as fluent in English any native English speaker, and I'm planning on getting a CELTA.
I'm of Sri Lankan decent but spent the majority of my life in Canada, and am 10x more proficient in English than my "mother tongue". However, I've read that countries such as China and South Korea are notorious for mainly hiring only white people at the best paying schools, and the job hunt is much more difficult for non-whites.
So, is it even worth it for me to get a CELTA and pursue teaching English abroad? Are there any countries with schools that discriminate less than others?
Any advice or insight would be awesome!
Reply to this The demand for a 'white face in front of a white board' is unfortunately all too common here in Asia, but don't let that put you off.
This demand is often driven by parents who mistakenly believe that their little darlings won't receive the education they are paying for unless the person is Caucasian.
I personally know several 'white' teachers whose teaching skills are diabolical and simply see 'teaching' as a way to fund their lifestyles here and at the same time, I know a few dark skinned teachers who are excellent at their jobs.
Nevertheless, the prejudice remains and while it won't be difficult for you to secure a job, you won't be offered as much in the way of financial recompense for your services.
You might want to look into teaching for more professional institutions such as universities or well renowned international language centres. Whatever you decide, I wish you luck with your endeavours.
[Edited: 2013 Jan 01 06:00 - Cockle:46288 ]
Reply to this Thanks for the reply. At this point I'm thinking of working just any regular job here in Canada to save up some cash, and then head out. But, I'd like to explore the options just a little bit further first...
Do you think I'll have any less trouble in countries like Cambodia, Philippines, Laos, India or Thailand?
I'd even be interested in spending an year in African countries even if the pay isn't as great. Has anyone taught English in Africa or met anyone who has? I'd be interested to hear what the English teaching situation is like there.
Reply to this In my experience, rather than "only hiring only white people at the best paying schools", I find that it's the less professional organisations that are prejudice on your skin colour. Professional schools and the internationally owned/run language centres should judge you on your ability to teach and your language knowledge. The school I work in in Vietnam employs many non-native speakers, of which many are non-white.
The Philippines is not a big area for language teaching, as they have their own proficient teachers. You will probably find work in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
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