Teaching English As A Non-Native English In Vietnam
If you are classified as a Non-native English speaker in Vietnam, it’s important to understand why teachers from native English-speaking countries are preferred over you when it comes to hiring teachers. There are 2 main reasons. By understanding these, you will be able to apply for jobs in a way that improves your chances. You need to also learn to emphasize with employers and recruiters. Many of them have never left Vietnam or even the small town where the school is located. So they don’t know much about people from countries around the world.
They might have just seen other schools hiring teachers from those native English-speaking countries and started doing the same. So let’s take a look at the 2 reasons why native English speakers are preferred.
The first reason is related to your accent. Simply put, some people speak English more clearly than others. Sure you might speak fluently, but schools assume that you don’t because you are not from the countries they were told can speak fluent and clear English. By knowing this, you now have an advantage. You can show them how fluent your English and speaking, is by finding a way to let them hear you speak before they read your nationality. The absolute best way to do this is to send an introduction video. Or at least have one ready upon request.
This can be a simple video where you just introduce yourself and say a few things about why you want to teach in Vietnam. That way the school can hear you speak and then if they didn’t know people from your country could speak clear English, they will hire you. Some schools are very specific when it comes to accents and might even turn down British English speakers as they prefer American English for example.
The second reason is related to culture, understanding, and appearance. This means that English education in Vietnam is intended to be immersive. They want their students to be in the presence of someone who has lived in an English-speaking country and experienced things that these students might have seen in English movies.
If grammar, spelling, and vocabulary were all that mattered, the schools could just hire Vietnamese English teachers. That’s why appearance also matters. Schools look for 2 things. Being a good teacher, and being a foreigner. If you are from Europe, Russia, Africa, and South America, you might not be a native Speaker, but you do look like a foreigner, so you can fit that role well.
Final Thoughts On Teaching English In Vietnam
The last few years have been a bumpy ride for the TEFL industry with borders being closed and schools closing down, but right now, English education is on the rise in Vietnam and things are not going to slow down. There is a massive shortage of teachers, so there has never been a better time to apply for a teaching job.