I realize that we here in the United States consider ourselves at the top rung of the educational ladder, if only for the fact that so many foreign language
students are breaking their necks to come here to both study and live English.
But, on second glance, we should not deceive ourselves. On this board, we read
one teacher complaint after another pertaining to the impossible conditions of
Asian ESL schools, while we fail to remember or, perhaps, admit that right
here in the good old US of A, ESL instructors are pretty much in the same leaky
boat! In fact, was it not this very realization that originally induced so many
of us to leave our country to seek better professional pastures elsewhere? On
these shores, after having met the oft-times rigid academic and certification
standards of most US ESL institutions, for the mere sake of gaining employment
experience, we’ve often found ourselves accepting as little as $12 per hour for
part-time and $15 per hour for full-time employment. That, I would guess, is not
that far above the national poverty level for … say … a family of two. But,
provided one is willing to accept the all-too-often shoddy living standards of
an underdeveloped foreign land, not to mention the gross disregard of apathetic
management sources (with a salary to match), there’s ALWAYS employment to be had
… that is, until which time one finally decides enough is enough!
In the interim, we fans of the eslteachersboard.com are literally besieged by
critiques which become sadder and more desperate by the day. We KNOW all too
well what you are suffering, folks. It’s not exactly been a picnic here on this
side of the tracks, you know. What I have trouble figuring is WHERE one might
locate any regard for an ESL instructor as a “professional,” let alone his/her
financial needs as a human being. And if we residents of this more “sanctified”
side of the Pacific are forced to utter such concerns, HOW in hell can we dare
sit in condemnation of the lesser-developed ESL situations in Asia? After all,
is it not WE whom they are attempting to emulate? WHY, in fact, should we cringe
at the discovery of dishonesty and misrepresentation over there when right here
it’s so often identical? Once you’ve realized it’s pretty much the same on
either side of the Great Ocean, it’s a small wonder WHY teachers flit between
continents in search of their educational Mecca and, in many cases, eventually
wind up frustrated enough to seek other careers.
I, for one, love the theory of English as a foreign language especially the
preparation of students for entry into American universities for pursuit of
advanced degrees. However, it’s the reality of it all that serves to disillusion
me no end. There can be no denial that ESL is a business. However, when such an
ambition becomes the sole purpose of a school’s existence, and academic and even
human values seem scarcer to come by, it’s high time to rise up and reform the
bloody system … or leave it! I pray that I’ll not eventually be forced to opt
for the latter choice. Amen.
Love to all,
The Arrogant One
About The Author
Ellis E. Seamone is an Veteran ESL teacher with 13+ years of experience. Ellis publishes articles at the
(free access to ESL resumes, jobs and materials). See more articles by Ellis by visiting:
