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Comment: Teaching English Abroad (by Kaley Kennedy)

The opportunity to teach English abroad seems like a wonderful experience; a chance to travel the world and get paid at the same time, while also interacting with local children and adults alike.  However, is it truly as beneficial for the pupils as it seems to be for the instructor?  Are Western English-Speaking instructors aiding students overseas in establishing better lives for themselves or are they annihilating the students’ own cultures?  Do the Western instructors add to the societies they teach in, or are they simply taking jobs away from the citizens of the countries they teach in?  The benefits and drawbacks of this booming practice are plentiful, although, they seem to be seldom dealt with in the Western world exporting most of these teachers, leaving the teachers to question their actions once already abroad. 

On the surface, it is easy to deduce that teaching abroad is a win-win situation.  It is true that the experience is a worthwhile one, and that the children are introduced to a new language, however, the larger implications are much more complex.  With the Western teacher comes Western culture, habits, and preconceptions, which contrast dramatically from the culture, habits, and preconceptions of the country, especially some of the strictly traditional countries of the world.  These, quite obviously, will have a grand effect on what the students are taught, as well as the style by which they are taught.  This might seem harmless and the mingling of cultures is often praised, however, the tendency of Western culture to engulf other cultures can mean the loss of the students’ own cultures.  The spread of Western culture has moved beyond what we have seen in the past by way of Western businesses breaking through new markets, and extended itself into the classroom in many countries overseas.

Perhaps the most disheartening part of this situation is that the acceptance of Western culture is often encouraged as America, and the Western world in its entirety is seen as superior in some way to the students’ own countries.  It is evident that the technology of the twenty-first century has meant that the use of English has become much more widespread, due in particular, to the dominance of English-speaking countries in  the development of many of these technologies.  Because of the widespread use of English and the perceived superiority of the Western world, foreign teachers are often preferred and, consequently, paid better than domestic teachers.  Upon considering the initial cost of getting a job abroad, such as visas, health insurance, vaccinations, and the plane ticket itself, it is safe to say that those teaching in foreign countries are most often not teaching for financial reasons, and are essentially robbing qualified citizens of potential jobs.  This contributes to the lack of work available in these countries, and establishes a rather destructive cycle.

Western culture is spreading throughout the world, and the teaching of English is imperative to the success of children overseas. Eventually, it will help harmonize the world and establish more equal opportunities for people all over the world.  Perhaps, the students being taught English enjoy it, and do not experience loss in any part of their culture. It is often said that there are two sides to every story, and this issue is no different; teaching abroad has both its ups and downs.  While this article does point out some of the unfavorable aspects of teaching abroad, it is simply an attempt to shed light on those aspects often ignored when the opportunity of teaching overseas comes up.  All too often, those of us living in the developed world forget to look at the world outside our borders and reflect on what is really going on and how our actions contribute to other parts of the world.

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