Page 7 - ELG2202 Feb Issue 479

NEWS
Non-native speakerism has had its day

By Melanie Butler country’. However, since UK Although most
Two inlingua schools, one in summer schools hired large EU teachers cannot
Germany and one in Italy, are numbers of EU teachers pre- legally work in PHOTO PIXABAY
among the 80% of schools in Brexit, this is not tantamount to Britain, jobs are
continental Europe no longer using excluding non-native speakers. appearing in other
the term ‘native speaker’ in job Some centres state a preference English language
ads. The three other international for teachers with proficiency destinations. Only
groups in our sample also used in the local language as well as a couple of Irish
‘native level’ rather than ‘native English, a practice long standard advertisers are
speaker’ in their advertising. in France and Germany. In so far specifically focusing
But, with one highly qualified as such a requirement is used to on applications from
Greek English teacher suing favour local teachers over those other EU countries,
another inlingua school in from other EU member states, specifying the right
Germany for language-based it may also be challenged as to work in the EU and offering from countries in Central Europe,
discrimination (see opposite discriminatory under EU law. help with accommodation. None where non-EU citizens can work
page), it’s clear that the problem Another potential problem is specified language level. By contrast freelance on business visas.
hasn’t gone away. the lack of definition as to what all the Maltese mentioned work Only one language school which
While the majority of adverts constitutes ‘native level’. Rather rights, but language levels in the specified native speakers offered
specify only ‘native level English’, surprisingly, given that all the country are based on the national help with visas.
they also require British teaching advertisers were language schools framework and specific language Sadly, many schools would
qualifications, such as Cambridge in Europe, only two specified a tests may need to be taken. still prefer native speakers. As an
CELTA and Trinity Cert TESOL level on the Common European Of the 20% of EU employers example, one group in Spain has
rather than, for example, full Framework of Reference for who specified native speaker been advertising teacher training
state teaching qualifications from Language, with others requiring teachers, just over half were courses in a magazine for local
an EU country. A small number teachers to be ‘fluent’, ‘proficient’ seeking teaching assistants in British expats. But Brussels law
of ads also state a preference and even ‘very competent of Spain’s bilingual state schools, and the aftermath of Brexit means
for candidates with ‘teaching understanding and using English posts which by law must go to L1 non-native speakerism is finally
experience in an English-speaking grammar (sic)’. applicants. Around a quarter were on its way out.

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