[ELTWeekly Volume 7, Issue 14 | July 13, 2015 | ISSN 0975-3036]
Since winning our Unlock competition last year, in which we asked teachers to tell us how learning English had unlocked their potential, Anna Ostrovsky has found herself a new post, and is about to embark on her dream teaching job in the United Kingdom. Today, she offers some advice on how other non-native English speaker teachers can unlock their own potential, and overcome challenges to find a job.
1. Recognize and accept the fact that we are in a marketplace
Most of us non-native speaker language teachers want to pass their passion for the language on to their students. We know the value we bring into the classroom, and it can feel disheartening to see the evident favouritism of native-speaker teachers in the language teaching space. The best way to educate employers on the benefits we bring to the table is to show them exactly what we have to offer and why their students need us in the classroom. Like any other profession these days, language teaching is an industry with different businesses covering different needs. We can resist this reality, or we can choose to accept it and see it as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. The truth is, in a competitive marketplace it’s not about being better qualified anymore – it’s about being unique. Many non-native language teachers are equally qualified in terms of certifications and language skills, but this is just a small part of our profiles. What makes each profile unique is the personality of the teacher – and it is up to you, as a language teacher, to reflect on and to show recruiters your uniqueness.