Why do you like foreign teachers?

Mighty

Almom, all good points!!  Cantonese is a very dominant language.  So if we use the same tone and pronounciation method to speak English, then it is really very Hong Kong English n you can tell from miles away.  Mandarin is a softer language compared to Cantonese, so as you said, Mandarin speakers have a better accent than us.

almom

Imagine you are going to hire a Putonghua teacher for your child. Do you want your child to learn Beijing accent or Hunan accent?

I agree that, generally, we should be looking for "good" teachers. But if 2 teachers are as good in almost all other aspects, and one has good western accent (ok, London accent or New York accent, whatever you prefer) and one has horrible Hong Kong accent (ie robotic, monotonus accent), which one you would like more? I am trying compare scientifically.

What accent is proper accent is still arguable. Generally, we all have our own "preference" in our mind. But if I really have a choice, I really do not like the typical Hong Kong accent. May be it is because of our language, ie Cantonese. Typical Hong Kong English accent is too robotic and monotonus. Even people from Beijing have much more "beautiful" English accent.

Accent is important, especially when we are taking about early childhood education up to lower primary education. Children are learning a language, even their own mother tongue. If children are constantly exposed to undesirable or strange accents, they sure are going to pick up some. So this accent issue is even more important to local school children, ie children that are learning English as a second language. When a child is learning a second language, of course, we would want them to learn it properly.

However, once a child is in secondary school, or even in university, accent is probably having much lesser influences on a person. My first year chemistry professor was a Russian lady and she was probably the best chemistry teacher I had ever had. (Still miss her.) But I just cannot image having her as a classroom teacher for Year 1s or 2s.

Gisele

We prefer foreign native speaker.  Our experience is that ABCs or Asian English speaking teachers tend to place more attention on caucasian or children who speak good English, whereas western teachers are fairer, they are more apt to look after those shy and less outspoken Asian children.

Mighty

我就覚得種族不重要、重要的是先生的資格及其発音。　　因只有向以英文為母語的老師学、才会学到好的発音。　　当然何為好的発音、就非常個人。　　我只喜歓英国英文、如BUSH的英文、我一聴見、就要転台。　　如TONY　BLAIR的英文我覚得好好聴、之前的CHRIS　PATTEN也非常動聴。　　一間好的学校選択老師時比較有経験、所以有時信学校多過信一個個別老師。　　PAPAOF２、您在英国留学多年、覚得不是所有GWEILO都可以任教、那当然啦、教学
是専業的、不是毎個人都得。　　小時候学英文、同NET学会比較好、因発音要従小打好基礎。　文法亦然、有没有発覚香港人很多時在会話上錯用HIS、HER,HE,SHE,這個根本従小時候学好非常重要啊！！　　我就要女児一定要同NET学英文、但種族就没所謂的。　　PAPAOF2的英文有基本文法錯誤之処、可能就是小時候没有打好基礎。　　Dont get offened, ok?

crystallam5

原文章由 bbJP 於 08-3-31 18:38 發表


Of course it's "not a must". It's a general phenomenon and it's also my own experience. Definitely there are good local teachers and foreign teachers,and bad local teachers and foreign teachers as w ...

Foreign teacher as in someone that is educated and qualified overseas or a "white guy".  In internatinal schools there lots of asian faces, they are from overseas, raised and educated, are those foreign teachers or you mean "White"

quite confused.  I am for a good teacher not the color.  am I with you guys???

bbJP

原文章由 502 於 08-3-31 16:45 發表
Not a must that "foreign teachers are nice + respect to the children + more encouraging in general while the local teachers always shouting to the children"

It really depends on the teachers themselv ...

Of course it's "not a must". It's a general phenomenon and it's also my own experience. Definitely there are good local teachers and foreign teachers,and bad local teachers and foreign teachers as well. However, foreign teachers are more fexible and creative in teaching, more understanding and encouraging,more nice and friendly IN GENERAL. It may due to cultural difference. That's why we always hear that some "problematic" students become co-operative after changing from local schools to IS schools and they feel being respected by teachers there.

The matter is just like asking the hygience level of ppls in mainland China and HK, HK ppl is better generally,right? But some HK ppl is still poor than some ppls in Mainland China on this issue. There is always exception,but it's always true as well.

[ 本文章最後由 bbJP 於 08-3-31 18:42 編輯 ]

502

Not a must that "foreign teachers are nice + respect to the children + more encouraging in general while the local teachers always shouting to the children"

It really depends on the teachers themselves + the management team of the school!

鬼佬不一定好！人也不一定差！

原文章由 bbJP 於 08-3-31 16:26 發表

agree! and, foreign teachers are nice + respect to the children + more encouraging in general while the local teachers always shouting to the children and demonstrating authority to children and even ...

bbJP

原文章由 naby 於 08-3-31 13:27 發表
Generally foreign teachers are more creative in teaching. Traditional teachers in HK only put in information in children's brain, because they are educated that way as well. Foreign teachers tend to u ...

agree! and, foreign teachers are nice + respect to the children + more encouraging in general while the local teachers always shouting to the children and demonstrating authority to children and even parents.

[ 本文章最後由 bbJP 於 08-3-31 16:29 編輯 ]

naby

Generally foreign teachers are more creative in teaching. Traditional teachers in HK only put in information in children's brain, because they are educated that way as well. Foreign teachers tend to use more flexible way to teach, like games, funny jokes, which are easier for children to remember, not just strictly memorize the knowledge.

almom

原文章由 papaof2 於 08-3-28 12:22 發表
I have studied in England for many years and have met my fair share of foreigners. Why is it that Hong Kong parents want foreign teachers as one of the basic requirement when they look for schools?

F ...

Have you posted to the wrong section?

Your interpretation of "foreign teachers" (did you mean "western teachers" though?) are not exactly "foreign" in international schools. International schools have children of different ethnic group, so basically anyone can be "foreign" to everyone. So this "foreign teachers" issue is never a concern in international school. A lot of international schools have teachers of all ethnic groups and nationality. International schools do not hire only western teachers but also Indian, Japanese, Chinese, etc teachers. Just that they have to have the specific qualifications to teach. For your information, in my children school, there is a gweilo teacher that teaches Chinese language.

I think you were probably talking about the situation of western teachers teaching in local schools? You might want to re-post your topic to local school section for more discussions.

I do not know how local schools choose western teachers. May be you have seen some really lousy western teachers in some local schools. But with the budget on hand and the backgrounds of almost all international schools, I am quite confident that teachers they choose are all qualified professionals. Unlike local school teachers who mostly do not carry any qualification in "education", teachers in western countries have to have a post degree training in education.

Talking about manners, behaviours etc., this goes slightly beyond the CV of the teachers and it is really hard for the schools to tell whether a teacher is a decent person by looking at his certificates and by talking to him in a couple of interviews. But so far, teachers I have met are all nice decent people. On the other hand, I am not as confident as you are in local teachers. I have read too much unhappy cases here in BK, where teachers (local) mistreat students in many unbelievable ways.

[ 本文章最後由 almom 於 08-3-31 09:44 編輯 ]

kohuei

I am so with you on this one. I once attended a playgroup with my son at a "renowned" English speaking pre-school which many moms in BB Kingdom think they have a very decent "white" teacher.

First day at class, "what the fxxx" bursted out of our "decent" teacher's mouth...I couldn't believe what I have heard.

原文章由 papaof2 於 08-3-28 12:22 發表
I have studied in England for many years and have met my fair share of foreigners. Why is it that Hong Kong parents want foreign teachers as one of the basic requirement when they look for schools?

F ...

Y6baba

原文章由 matthewdad 於 08-3-29 10:35 發表
I preferred teacher from England and also learn the english genetleman culture. Of course it is also very important to learn chinese culture from mandrain NET teacher from Beijing.

learn chinese culture from mandrain NET teacher from Beijing ???