[Mynameishappy]

I would halfway understand the preference for a British, Amercian, Australian or Kiwi passport, but I'm not asking about nationality. My question was regarding skin colour or ethnicity.

I want to know if the bias surrounding skin colour is due to association with nationality or race?

Let me put it in a different way:

I was born and educated in London so of course I'm naturally fluent in written and spoken English, but would some doors be closed to me despite of my British nationality due to my non white ethnicity?

[seperalem]

Depends a lot on the schools. Private schools, which are run as a business, will supply teachers according to market demand. If the consumers (i.e. parents) demand their children to be taught by a "farang" (i.e. white faced) from the UK or USA then that is what the school has to supply. They don't really have a choice. If you are really not worried about the pay, then apply for a job in government schools outside of Bangkok. You shouldn't have a problem if you are smartly dressed and well-spoken.

[heennaRaf]

Quote[/b] (rcalaimo @ July 19 2004,02:15)]khun Stacker ouch!!
"...those who are educated." What is your definition of educated?
Sure a person with the accent would help; but not all people of accent are suited to be a teacher. Sounds like you are prejudging in your post.

My sincere appology for the late reply... If it sounded like I was judging allow to rephrase please.

I was talking about the people who go on vacation in Thailand and never return. The Backpackers as the farang ajarns refer to them. These people all for one reason or another have decided to live in a paradise and do the easiest work they come across and due to the demands would be teaching for the most part.

I am talking about the people who have not gone through any schooling or training to instruct them in the ways to properly teach someone. I am sure you could find teachers in Thailand that did not even finish their High School education let alone college level courses.

I am certain as Sonic said he is native born, thus his English would be the same tongue as the Royal Queen's. However, getting a job based on that is possible, yet many schools advertise for a 'white' skinned person explicitly. That was my point, not that his/her English was poor in any way. Simply that the skin color would unfortunatly have some impact on the people looking to fill the position. This is the reason many unqualified people have the ability to teach in Thailand.

And finally, yes I agree a teacher is not a teacher due to their educational background. I have said in other posts that a farmkid with no college education could easily be a better teacher than some of the people I had gone to college with. It very much depends upon the person, and even more so when teaching a foreign language to non-speakers. Teaching is about an earnest desire to help, and a complete self sacrificing attitude, not a degree. The only problem with this concept is what about those who are bad teachers, and have no educational background? This is what I meant when I said ..."this topic has come up serveral times and is usually a heated debate that upsets those of us who are educated."

Hope to clear up the misunderstanding

[Chooriwrocaey]

LOL It is obvious that khun Sonic is a native English speaker. Still, there might be a bias against persons of Asian ancestry. Personally, I do not think anyone from England should be allowed to teach English. They do not even speak English LOL

[Mynameishappy]

Hello everyone!

I was wondering if anyone knows from experience if there is a preference against Asian English teachers?

The reason I'm asking is because I'm a London born Chinese and was considering taking a year out of my job as a project manager in London to go to Thailand to teach English for a year.

I have heard that many schools do not want Asian people to teach English and would prefer any white/falang person, even if they aren't native English speakers.

Can this be true? It would be really crazy because the students would suffer so badly if they learn from people who have jobs only because of their "white faces".

Just to clarify, I have a BSc from a very good Univeristy in England, A in English language, A in English Literature and a 1 in oral. If I completed a TEFL course, would I still be seen as a second rate teacher because I am not white/falang?

I would not be teaching for the money because I make more money in a few days work in London than a month teaching in Bangkok, but it is the principle of the situation which makes me feel sad.

Does anyone have experience or knowledge of this kind of thing happening?

Thanks!!!

[JMLot]

khun Stacker ouch!!
"...those who are educated." What is your definition of educated?
Sure a person with the accent would help;but not all people of accent are suited to be a teacher.
Do you know the accent of our friend sonic? If sonic were to speak to you and your eyes were closed,would you think sonic spoke with the Queens English or other?
Sounds like you are prejudging in your post.

[heennaRaf]

The answers are already in the forums, you just need to use your skills to search
Much like writing a paper, yes there is an overwhelming preference (by the students and faculty alike) for native born English teachers, the white skin simply reinforces the native born issue.

For the most part, and in accordance the with the newer laws in place, this person would be educated, not just getting a job because of their 'white face'. If principal's are what sadden you then you should continue on in London, in the meantime the new laws soon will be enforced strongly nationwide, thus helping rid the people who are simply looking for a free way to stay in Thailand and buy their pleasures at a low cost.

In all honesty, if you were to attempt to learn chinese would you want a Frenchman to teach you? How about Thai if you want to learn Thai would you be happy if you were learning it from a Canadian? Or if you were the headmaster, superintendent or principal of a school how would the parent's feel if you hired a German man to teach their children Japanese ? I am sure that public opinion is also strongly considered when the school decides who will be teaching the foreign language. If you answered no problem to any of the above then you need to ask yourself, do these people have accents? Do you want to learn how to speak with broken language or strong difficult to undertstand accents ?

I personally have seen some Thai student after learning English from a Thai that they have wonderful writing grammer, but they can not speak in a manner you can understand well at all. This is usually not the goal of the school. As mentioned many times, there is a difference of 'teaching English' and 'teaching IN English'. Teaching in English is quite easy and hopefully they get truly native people to do so. But teaching English, I personally think the Thai's do quite well, but the students do need more than grammar if they expect to use English in a practical speaking manner later.

Hope this helped if you need further info I suggest searching the forums, this topic has come up serveral times and is usually a heated debate that upsets those of us who are educated.