Pressure building for national language

<Actually, I'm with McG here >

Me, too.

Walter
It seems to me if it was made the national language that would in effect make it the official language as well. If not than official language it should be.

Well, one thing A. recently found out was interesting (and annoying). She's got her TEFL certificate (or TESL, or whatever other abbreviation it was - there's several, dunno by heart which one is which). The idea, of course, was to be able to get a job teaching English as a second/foreign language - thats how the course was sold, too, this'll get you the job.

Problem #1, as it turns out, is that Holland is a bit of an exception to the rule: seeing how many people here already speak pretty good English, there's less of a market, and the need there is for English teachers focuses instead on children and teenagers, and for teaching those you need other diplomas. But there was always the prospect of being able to go to Southern or Eastern Europe and teach there. She taught in Slovakia for half a year, after all, and she got that job without any certificate at all, they were so hard up for teachers just being a native speaker and quick learner was enough. So she had this idea in the back of her head of going to Croatia to teach English there. Country like Spain would be nice too, she thought (but probably harder to get a work permit for).

Bad news, though, when she went back to the sites she had used back then. We're four years on, now, after all. The EU is expanding. Slovakia is in now; Croatia not yet, but definitely eyeing the prize. And there's the rub. With the EU, and not the US, being the prime partner and object of interest for the country's citizens and businesses, what they want is to learn to speak British English, not US English. For all of Mediterranean and South-Eastern Europe, she found the same phrases. Native English speakers from an EU Member State. Speakers of British English. Americans would automatically be second-tier candidates ... because US English is not what the students and aspiring entrepreneurs there wanna learn. Sucks.

Whole thing made us wonder tho. I mean, if travelling around you'll suddenly meet a bunch of Bulgarians with a strong Irish accent, or a smart young Montenegrin speaking in improbable Glasvegian, you'll know what's up.

She'll also find strong competition from the Canajun TESL/TEFL's in Europe and Japan.

They seem to have no trouble picking up positions - they're taught "English English" in school, but have a decent handle on the alternate. It's like having two languages in their portfolio.



(the history of this sort of bias explains hamburger's very unusual accent - taught English by a Brit officer - everyone thinks he's from the Caribbean)

And Australian ESLs (as we call them here) - I have a number of friends - often sans certificate or any other formal qualifications as ESL teachers (they have degrees and such - but not in that) - teaching in Europe, Japan, China etc.

So there will be Oz accents there, too!

Steve
Quote:
Yes. You borrowed it from us and you still haven't returned it. I doubt I'll even recognize it when you've finished with it.

Do I say such things? Amazing. Only when I'm drunk do I appreciate the wisdom of my sobriety. I think

My son teaches English at one of the Universities in Europe. And has been for years.

I thought you were hilarious!

We ain't giving it back, neither.

Yes, Japan, China - China especially looks like its still wide open. But in the EU, with just a ESL certificate and no university or vocational training-kind of qualification, starting out's gotten tough, apparently. Here in Holland practically impossible. And even the near-EU, eg. Croatia, now apparently is getting difficult for people from outside the EU - and that would definitely be something new, like I said just four years ago she got a job in Slovakia without even a certificate or anything. The landscape is changing rapidly.

Au, if your son has already been teaching for years, and at a university no less, I'm sure he's got nothing to worry about. Different kettle altogether.

"We ain't giving it back, neither."

double negative. oh well its to be expected I suppose.

SHAKESPEARE used double negatives - often!!!! As did Donne......


Grrrrrrrrr.....what do they teach them in these demned schools - constipatin' the dem language....

As Shakespeare and Donne did, may not a mere Bun do, too?