StroppyChops wrote:

John Bingham wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2017 11:30 pm

kyleincambo wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2017 10:42 pm<some rage that I'm still not sure isn't trolling>

You sound a bit naive and pious, and seem to misunderstand the modern language teaching techniques. You do make some good points, but as far as I know there are plenty of qualified graduates looking for work here now so people like the OP with no experience won't find many openings, except perhaps at some of the worse factory schools.

And to be honest a certain mod is naive if he genuinely thinks that backpackers-cum-English-teachers are exactly the same as and can exactly replace qualified and experienced teachers, but we've had that discussion before. To be honest, with the aid of reasonable learning systems by Oxford, Pearson, and other publishing houses, pretty much any muppet from an English-speaking (or even American-speaking) background can do a reasonable job teaching English to ESL kids - it's more about personality, herd management, and, well, entertainment than actual academic practicum - and if I'm honest millennials are far more entertaining than me with my Masters and 20 years experience. If we stay being honest, no school in PP is really interested in learning, they're interested in making lots, and lots, and lots of money - entertained kids equals ongoing enrollments and growth, equals lots, and lots, and lots of money. This is the country where exam results are sold to high-school students just before the exams are handed out, remember?

What is also true, though, is that qualified/experienced teachers (that is, those with an actual teaching qualification, not a TESOL "certificate") get the big bucks ($1200 and over) with the perks - down-on-their-luck backpackers get base rate, no benefits.

kyleincambo wrote:You know I figured I would like to ruffle some feathers for my first post on here. Ive spent a good year sifting through this forum and trying to understand expats and what they are doing here in Cambodia. My only point is that Cambodia deserves better. That's all. Not pious, not self righteous, not bitter. Call me what you will. Now that I am finally here for the long haul I wanted to jump into the conversation with a splash. I do not feel like I need to plaster my credentials for you guys to find more ways to think I am something I am not. Not worth anyone's time. I will say I have spent the last 10 years traveling the world and learning about cultures and destroying my Western worldview in the process for the better. I will also say I do not have the answers, and wont claim too. I chose to live in Cambodia with my family (2 small children) to hopefully make a small dent in the education system for the better. Truthfully my wife is the one with all the credentials and masters and what not's. It actually took me 15 years to finally get my BS. Blood sweat and tears, and nothing handed to me on a silver platter. Sure anyone can come and be an English helper and thats fine. If you want to be in a classroom and actually teach I would hope you have the students well beings in mind, and that really is my whole point

Sure Makavelli I could probably use a kick in the nuts from time to time. If you want to call me out for judging people thats fine, but I feel obliged to stand up for the people that cant stand up for themselves.

Im glad for this forum, it has helped me a lot, and I look forward to joining the conversation amongst people from the West who call Cambodia home. In the end this post wasnt about getting you all defensive, just about making the people who want to come here think long and hard about what it is they actually want out of this. Cambodia after all is not ours so I believe we should respect the people who's it actually is. Maybe Im just tired of all these old gross Westerners walking around Samudera in nothing but their skimpy shorts. That shi+ pisses me off. Ya thats probably it.

AE86 wrote:

General Mackevili wrote: ↑Mon May 08, 2017 3:18 am It reminds me of some Americans who complain about Mexicans walking over the border and taking their jobs. If a Mexican who doesn't even speak the local language, who has no degree nor documents of any kind can walk over and take YOUR job, you have a job that requires next to no skills, LoL. Don't be mad at the person who can do your job, be mad at yourself for only being qualified to do a job that someone without your qualifications can also do.

Hang on, completely different thing here. If you're referring to legal Mexicans then I absolutely agree, they do a much better job than your run of the mill nth generation "educated" softy, but when it comes to illegals, totally different thing. There's absolutely no way a legal Mexican can compete with an illegal Mexican in the market because of the huge cost it takes to legally employ a person thanks to Uncle Tom.

Not saying you're saying that, but a big reason the U.S. is in such trouble is because of the massive influx of cheap labour and stifling regulations on small business owners, and not so much on qualifications vs. not.


And while I see both you and Stroppy's points, I think there's a balance that needs to be struck.

If you're a motivated charasmatic guy and can probably teach fairly well. That will come across obviously to those who hire you if they know anything about teachers. In that case, qualifications be damned the point is to teach English.

But if you're a sloth just hoping for an easy paycheck...well, that's the kind of people these qualifications are trying to weed out.


But it's 4 AM, I should sleep.