Asian features seal my fate (part two)

Sent in by Multi racial American

18th March 2011

The example of being discriminated at Hooters for not being a sexy young female is not equitable with my discrimination here. That is the restaurant industry in America and this is education

You give customers what they want - it’s a business

Sent in by Joe Hoeson

17th March 2011

I would like to say that my original letter was regarding whether or not it's okay to put 'native speakers only' need apply. Now, whether or not native speaker is used to mean we do not want black or Asian teachers is another story.

Asian features seal my fate

Sent in by Multi racial American

16th March 2011

Schools can technically hire whoever they want. If they want white faces, there is nothing that can be done about it.

Let’s not kid ourselves

Sent in by Anonymous

16th March 2011

The bottom line is that Thailand does not adhere to non-discriminatory hiring practices: height, age, attractiveness, overall appearance, and especially skin tone are typically and explicitly considered for any job that requires working with the public

Job ads are not racist

Sent in by Joe Hoeson

16th March 2011

Having been a school owner before, I see nothing racist in saying that I only want native speakers to apply.

Racism in job ads

Sent in by Sar C. Astic

15th March 2011

This letter is for employers who post their job ads here on Ajarn.com. I hope that you will consider "some" non-native English speakers. Changing "NES only" to "NES preferred" can make the ad more sensitive to NNES like me.

Don’t judge a book by its cover

Sent in by Kulveen Thakral

23rd February 2011

It's really irritating you know when your experience is ignored because of the fact that you are not a native speaker.

It does matter if you’re black or white

The blatant discrimination in TEFL job ads

27th May 2010

Although it is rarely mentioned in job ads, most if not all Asian recruiters on the lookout for teachers are after whities. And let’s make no mistake about it: the prize specimens are Caucasian white, not some locals having overindulged in skin-whitening products.

Native vs non-native speaking teachers

Who would you employ?

2nd May 2010

If you were a language school owner, who would you rather employ – a non native speaker with experience and good qualifications at 30,000 baht, or a native speaker with little or no experience and no formal qualifications at 40,000 baht?

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Ajarn Guests

Fear of change?

In Thailand the government has set 2012 as English Speaking Year with a goal of encouraging students to converse in English every Monday. Such policies are useful but the major leap of enacting legislation to make English an official language for Thailand is also needed

Software for student tests

The integration of internet and computers with education and English learning is something students find normal, and classrooms without some access to educational software may seem quaint. Some students may even feel they can get more ‘professional' teaching from the numerous online ELT sites if a school is behind in IT.

Whatever happened to the shopping mall teacher?

They are the shopping mall English teachers - gliding like pale, undernourished phantoms amid the hordes of weekend Thai shoppers. The main reason I empathize with the shopping mall teacher is because I was once one myself. I know how desperate and soul-destroying it can be.

About Ajarn.com

Ajarn.com was started as a small hobby website in 1999 by Ian McNamara. It was a simple way for one Bangkok teacher to share his Thailand experiences and pass on advice. The website developed a loyal and enthusiastic following. In 2004, Ian handed over the reins to Phil Williams and 'Bangkok Phil' has run the ajarn website ever since.

Ajarn.com has grown enormously and is now the most popular TEFL site in Thailand - possibly even South East Asia. Although best-known for its vibrant jobs page, Ajarn has a wealth of articles, blogs, features and help and advice. But one principle has always remained at Ajarn's core - to tell things like they are and to do it with a sense of humor. Thailand can be Heaven or Hell for an English teacher. It's always been Ajarn.com's duty to present both sides of the equation. Thanks for stopping by.