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A few months ago, in an article entitled Can Non-Native English Speakers Teach English in China? I discussed some of the difficulties that non-native speakers of English may encounter in China in relation to finding teaching jobs. Since that article was posted, this site has received hundreds of hits from non-native speakers of English asking me to help them find schools that will hire them to teach English. Unfortunately, I am not a recruiter and nor do I run a school, but the overwhelming response the article produced prompted me to do some further investigation into the issue of non-native speakers of English teaching in China. Over the last few months, I have contacted a number of English schools in China in order to get some feedback about non-native English teachers in the PRC. Here is what I have discovered:
–Most of the English schools I contacted about non-native English speakers teaching in China did not bother to respond to my questions. The schools were either too busy or didn’t care.
– Non-native speakers of English are much more likely to get a teaching job in China if they are already in the country. Many schools in China are hesitant to hire teachers from countries that are considered to be ‘poorer’ than China. For better or for worse, some schools are afraid that teachers from these ‘poorer’ countries will simply use the school as a way to get into the China.
– Non-native speakers of English will often find themselves having to apply for part time teaching jobs first in China. If the school is satisfied with the quality of the part time work, it may consider ‘upgrading’ the non-native speaker to a full time position.
– A sad but true fact is that many schools in China are more inclined to hire a non-native English speaking person who looks at least in part like someone from the West. Preferential treatment is also often given to teachers who come from European countries that do not hold English as their official language (Spain, Denmark, etc) over other non English countries. In many English schools around China (especially privately owned schools), looks are far more important than actual teaching skills. I have seen many excellent non-native English speakers passed over because a school decided to hire a Westerner with blonde hair, blue eyes, and horrific teaching skills.
– This year in China, as a result of visa restrictions, English teachers are in high demand so non-native English speakers of English may have an easier time finding some work. However, non-native speakers of English can almost always expect to be paid lower than their ‘Western’ counterparts. This wage disparity between native-speakers and non-native speakers is all too common in China.
Is there any hope for me as a non-native speaker of English in China?
Now that I have gotten the bad news out of the way, I want to share some helpful tips for those of you who are really determined to teach in China:
– As I mentioned earlier, if you are already in China, it will probably be much easier for you to find a teaching job. I have met non-native English teachers who came to China originally to work in trading companies or do other forms of business. Obtaining a visa and traveling to China is your best way to ‘get your foot in the door.’ Once you have arrived, you can spend a few weeks taking part in job interviews and hopefully a school will hire you. If you are hired full time, the school will help you obtain that ‘precious’ work visa.
– If you want to teach in China, do not just focus on English. Many schools are looking for people who can effectively teach computers, math, music, and even physical education. Schools that are seeking to fill these positions are less likely to care about your ‘advertising value’; they just want to find someone who can teach these subjects regardless of where they are from. If you are passionate about English, perhaps you will also get the opportunity to teach some language classes as well after you have started working at the school.
– Make sure you are effectively pursuing a job in China. Please read our free guide to teaching English in China which will help you better understand the process that goes into finding a job here. Whether from the West or from another country, you can benefit by reading our helpful guide.
Do not be too discouraged if at first you receive little or no response in your quest to find a job in China. While the situation may seem bleak for non-native speakers of English in China, every year, hundreds of people from countries all over the world do find jobs in schools here. Exercising patience and not becoming discouraged is key to your success.
Please feel free to leave your questions, comments, and even ‘job wanted’ requests in the comments section. If you are the headmaster or recruiter of a school that does actively recruit and hire non-native speakers of English, then we also want to hear from you. One of our goals at TeachAbroadChina.com is to help non-native speakers of English as much as possible because we know that there are many quality teachers out there who come from countries other than just the United States, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
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[...] Please see an update to this article entitled Non-Native Speakers of English Teaching in China Revisited [...]
I’am an esl teacher in china,and what I’ve witnessed in observing non-native speakers is quite embarassing.First of all,their pronunciation of the english language is very difficult for esl students to understand.Secondly hardly any of the non-native Teachers are fluent in the English language.I don’t think they should be barred from teaching esl, but I think that they should have a lot better knowledge of the english language.
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Our school, ENL Program-Shanghai is located at the Gubei Area in Shanghai City, China. We are in need of English language teachers. This invitation is for top-caliber “non-native” English speakers. Please send your application letter with current CV/Resume to: enlprogramshanghai@yahoo.com.
@ greg…
I beg to disagree sir! There are lots of non-native English teachers with very good pronunciation. These teachers are very fluent and could even compete with native speakers. Maybe it was just unfortunate that you encountered somebody with bad qualifications.
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@TJ,
Thank you for your post. It is nice to know that there are some schools out there that are actively looking for non-native English teachers. This page does receive a lot of views so hopefully you will receive some responses. I definitely agree with you that there are plenty of non-native speakers who could compete with native English speakers. Unfortunately, they are passed over because of the color of their skin.
I welcome any other schools in China who are interested in hiring non-native English teachers to post the information here.
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The information given above is really very useful for a person like myself, who is thinking of moving to china to teach.
I have been teaching for past ten years in high schools in India and currently teaching in a reputed school in Jakarta, Indonesia.
I have many colleagues from so called ” West”. I find them rather a liability than an asset to the institution. Their knowledge of the language is rather poorer than teachers from India , The Phillipines so on and so forth.
The public education system in the west is in total shambles today,rather on the verge of collapse. What could be the reasons? The only reason i can see is the quality of teaching and teacher in the west.
Sadly countries like China and Indonesia will suffer in the long run, due to their biases and affinity to fair skinned west.ern teachers.
The irony is that American universities are full of teachers from India and China.
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Hmm. I would have to agree with Greg, especially his last sentence. Mr Shahi is a case in point. Why bucket Westerners? Indians and Filipinos and others learn a different version of ‘english’ compared with fluent, native, english educated teachers! World speech physics vary for one. Tongue placement, tones, etc.
Please note the word ‘fluent’. Written english is part of the language and there are a few gaps even in the above transcription by N.Shahi. Maybe just ‘chat’ discrepancies? I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
In Manila, where I taught in a public school and also edited university Masters Theses some of the english was incorrect. But it is the ‘teacher’ as Mr Shahi is quick to point out. Many think/speak in Tagalog and mix it up with English. Hence it is a self perpetuating cycle if you like. Students may then grow up to be teachers or write a thesis! “Face” can preclude correction as an adult.
Perhaps India, Philippines, etc could use more native english teachers to speed up acceptability and placement overseas.
I dont think China or Indonesia are blatantly racist. Mostly they want the pronunciation, etc also noted by Greg and TJ. Past American salaries would have had nothing to do with attracting well educated Indian or Chinese lecturers to the USA, would they?
I am all for ‘fluent’, non native english teachers. Even ‘TJ’ above is looking for “top caliber”. We have a standing call centre joke in Oz – “Hello, is that Maureen from Mumbai speaking?” Thanks Vance; excellent article.
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Steve said,
Perhaps India, Philippines, etc could use more native english teachers to speed up acceptability and placement overseas.
Robert Vance says:
That’s the best idea I’ve heard yet. I think that some of these non-native English speakers could really improve the way their English sounds and looks (on paper) if they simply had a native speaker who would help them fix some of the common mistakes that they make. Some of these people have great vocabularies but they just need to fine tune their mechanics a little bit. Pronunciation? Well, that’s a little more difficult to fix but I can tell you that I have non-native English speaking friends whose pronunciation is much easier to understand than some of my native friends who mumble and slur words together.
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I’m a teacher from the Philippines. I take offense on the way the people mentioned the nationalities of the non-native speakers you are talking about. It is quite weird that this topic stemmed from an invitation for non-native speakers to teach in China, when all I read were prejudiced remarks about the pronunciation of non-native speakers and their grammatical errors. To the person who was working here in the Manila, it was quite unfortunate for you to be assigned to “edit” ungrammatical theses. Let me just enlighten you a bit, ok? Not everyone in the Philippines can ask a native speaker like yourself to edit his/her thesis. It would just be too expensive! It is so sad that you were not able to read the other theses of the other students here so that you might be more enlightened about their level of STANDARD ENGLISH understanding (whatever standard English is). May I also remind the people here that thousands of teachers who happen to be non-native English speakers are recruited to native English speaking countries. Why is that so? You know what is funny? China is asking to learn to speak English like native speakers, when what she should be doing is to start teaching the world how to speak her language.
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@Dina,
Thanks for your comments. I think most of us are aware that many teachers from the Phillipines are recruited to teach worldwide. However, it is ironic to note that even Phillipinos seem to have a much better chance of finding a teaching job in China than do Africans (or even African Americans for that matter). I think that I had teachers from Africa, India, and the Middle East especially in mind when I wrote this article. The majority of the Phillipinos who I know in this area have been able to find teaching jobs around my city.
You do bring up a good point when you write about STANDARD ENGLISH. I think this term is thrown around loosely but does anyone really know what it means? I am American; do I speak standard English? I would like to hope so but I don’t really know. I do know that I have met plenty of Americans who do not speak the same ‘kind’ of English that I do. Does that mean their English is non-standard? Or is mine non-standard? It’s a puzzling question…
If English schools in China that hire only native English speakers are doing so because they are truly worried about pronunciation then I see little problem with that. They are in the English business and it is their right to try to provide a native sounding pronunciation. I happen to speak Spanish (as a second language) and I would expect that I would be passed over in the U.S. for a native Spanish speaking teacher from South America for example. Unless I live in Mexico for 10 years, I realize that I will always have an accent.
However, as I have stated in numerous posts on this website, I am not convinced that pronunciation is really much of a worry for English schools in China. I think that ’skin’ color is the most important factor for advertising purposes. The school wants someone who they think will ‘attract’ attention and bring in more students. Can this be called racism? I think so. But, I think that the schools are only part of the problem since they are simply responding to a culture that seems to value more light skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair.
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I’ve been wondering for a while now about my English/Spanish teaching career. How do I categorise myself. Am I a native speaker of English? Or am I a native speaker of Spanish? I was born in Chile and received all my education in English, moved to Australia and also completed my education in English. I have not only one undergraduate degree but also 2 post graduate degrees, but I do have an accent. I really don’t understand why countries will prefer native English speakers to teach English. It is not only China that asks for native English teachers, but many other countries around the world.
There’s one thing I realised. No matter how many NATIVE English speaking teachers the school has, the students or learners will NEVER speak like a native unless they are growing up and studying at an English school in an English speaking country, with English native neighbours, with English native friend! Etc. etc.
I do firmly believe that it is better to teach English with an “accent” so learners or students are aware of the different pronunciation of the “English” language and they get use to it. Australia has many nationalities and we all speak English with different “accents”. Once the students are “outside” the classroom in the “real world”, they don’t understand a word of what’s happening. At the beginning, I made an effort to exaggerate my pronunciation and they understood me perfectly. The next day, when they were coming back to class, they used to tell me: “How come I understand you perfectly, and when I am going to buy things, I cannot understand them or they cannot understand me”. It was at that moment that I realised that I wasn’t doing them any favour. I began to speak with my accent, and fast. No more slowing down for them. I have taken the same approach and I see the need for them to get used not only to my accent but also to the different people’s “accents” in their English language, and they are doing great. I am looking for a job in China, and I was concerned about the “native”. However, I will keep applying.
If China or any other country in the world believes that a native English teacher will teach its students to speak like a native, they are surely, in Dreamland.
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to robert vance, well i want to say if today africans have less chances to find jobs in china, it is as a result of some bad guys involving them selves in dirty business that have help to create this scenerio..as you rightly said, infact white guy ,sorry to say europeans or the so called natives do commit crimes here but …..??????? , it is color not pronunciation or standard english that plays the game of finding a job in china.it si not surprising that a school once hired an 18 years old boy to teach college students after they rejecting non-natives, this was shameful to the school because this guy didnt want to but they told him just to go to class , what ever….i m african ,why should i speak like an american, i can easily mimic american or british accents, but that makes me more or less a carricature.i will like to say english is all about good pronunciation and fluency not about accent, accent comes from so many other factors however a moderate and flexiable accent is good , too hard is too bad indeed, not all british or americans speak the same, they all have diffrent accents and some are laughable, so we shouldnt concentrate on accents and non-natives, we should try to educate others to know that english is a world language.
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Hey, but why should Chinese, Indian or Filipinos copy the pronunciation and accent of Americans, British or Australians? English is an international language and it is spoken and written differently in different regions. That’s it.
It’s very difficult for me understand my Scottish colleagues – Steve, are going to send more native English teachers to Scotland ‘to speed up acceptability and placement overseas’
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I think pronunciation is not so important as long as people don’t have to try hard to understand you. The bigger problem is when non-natives mix words that don’t belong together, words that can’t be used together in the same context. I also have this problem since I’m from Bosnia and Herzegovina and English is not my native language. I try to read and listen in English as much as I can, but I would like someone to talk to other than my students!! I think I still manage quite alright but I can’t say that I speak English ‘fluently’ and that prevents me from applying to teach abroad.
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@Millie,
Thanks for your comments. You mentioned that not speaking English fluently “prevents” you from applying to teach abroad. Is that a restriction that your country has in place or do you think that no one in China would hire you? I think that non-native speakers CAN find jobs here but that they just have to look a little harder.
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I’m afraid no one would hire me! My spoken English is good, but it’s not excellent. Maybe spending some time in an English speaking country would be just what I need to feel more confident, but I can’t afford it just now… I won’t be discouraged so easily, I’m just pointing out my fears…
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@Millie,
Well, as much as I write about the problems that non native speakers of English have in China, there are a lot of them here and a lot of them have found decent jobs. It never hurts to try. Your written English seems excellent in my opinion. I’m glad you are not discouraged. Keep practicing as much as possible so that when you do have the chance to go you will be able to fully take advantage of the opportunity. By the way, you mention that you have students so I am guessing that you are an English teacher in your country?
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Hi Robert,
How do you define “non-native” speaker? I know quite a few ABC (American born Chinese) that have taught or still teaching English in China. Are they considered native speaker? I’ve been thinking about this route myself. I was born in Taiwan though I moved to Canada when I was 8 and have lived in California for the past 23 years. I have 3 college degrees from the US and feel I have native speaker fluency in American English with Mandarin being a very distant second. Is that good enough to avoid the dreaded “non-native” speaker label?
Also, does the fact that I can pass for a local Chinese person, depending on what clothes I wear, a plus or minus? Sometimes I find that being a “banana” is a detriment when I travel through China. Will students think, “Cool, he’s Chinese so we can connect better,” or “Hmm, he appears to be fluent in English but I’d rather be taught by a white guy.”
Thanks.
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@Totochi,
Thanks for your comments. I really hate working with ‘definitions’ but in China, there is no question that the term “non-native” speaker is very important if you want to find a teaching job. From a technical standpoint, yes, ABC, as you call them are native speakers. Many schools in China, especially universities, would have no qualms about hiring them. However, there are other schools in China, especially private schools, that do care about appearance. It is not just if you can speak English fluently but do you look like you can? Some schools that I have been involved with seem to put more emphasis on the advertising value than the actual teaching skills.
Considering your qualifications, I think it would be hard for a school to say ‘no’ to you. Having a teacher who is fully fluent in English and also very conversent in Mandarin is a huge plus wherever you go in China. Considering that you spent most of your time in the West, you should also be able to fulfill the responsibility of teaching your students about Western culture.
I really don’t know what other Chinese students will think about you. It’s an interesting question. I think that most would be happy to have you as their teacher but there would undoubtedly be some who might resent you or even be jealous. It’s just something you would have to deal with as you go along.
I hope you let us know how this process goes if you do decide to teach in China. I am very curious about how schools and students will treat you in light of your life in America and Taiwanese background.
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Sir / Madam ,
I have the honour and most respect to apply for a teaching position in china. I am a holder of a BSc in Economics and Management, a BA in English Modern letters and a Diplec from Higher Teachers Trianing School. am also a holder of the General Certificate of Education ( G.C.E) Ordinary and Advanced level.
I would like to share my expirenced abroad. I wish to serve you honestly ,deligently and with determination.
while waiting to hear from you.
sincerely applicant
ashu nassa barnabas
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I would like to make a correction about our nationality as what Robert has posted last July 14. We don’t call ourselves as Philippinos, Phillipinos or Philipinos but rather Filipinos.
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@Jhunex,
Thank you for pointing that out. I made a mistake with the spelling. I’m glad you caught it.
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i am a non-native speaker (filipino) and i teach IELTS classes in a school. for me to be “acceptable” to the students and their parents, the school suggested that i should tell my students that i come from a western country, that i am an immigrant. the irony is, the school considers me to be their best IELTS teacher (based on student evaluation and feedback) yet, i have to pretend i am something i’m not and my salary is lower than my american counterparts. so excellent teaching skills and strategies or knowledge for that matter do not really play a big role when looking for a good job in china. appearance does.
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sir / madam,
when you talked of non-native speaker , they people from asia who are still learning the language. I have study in english from nursery ,primary,secondary,high school and university. up to this date am using the language and having a good pronunaciation of words and a very good ascent. some of the native speacker do not even write, spell or pronounce well.
I went to the british council and meet ,Americans,Austrilians, canadian whom you prefered as native speacker and pay them high salaries could not even speak langue as their mother tongue. please kindly give us non native speacker a chance and good wages for them to do it better.
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Ashu, I have always defend non-native speakers, however, in your paragraph above, there are a lot of mistakes: I’m just going to point out the spelling. I don’t want you to get offended but, you should look a bit more carefully to the “spelling”.
they people… I think you meant “the”
pronunaciation = pronunciation
ascent = accent
speacker = speaker
Austrilians = Australians
langue = language
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Through all these discussions, one thing is very certain: English is the ‘lingua franca’ of the world. Chinese, as the most widely spoken one, would have had the honors but it is not as easy to learn as English.
Our offer still stands. We are in need of top caliber non-native English language teachers. Especially now that we are opening a new branch in Shanghai. Please send your CV and application letter to: enlprogramshanghai@yahoo.com.
Thank you for the free advertisment Mr. Robert Vance.
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Hello Sir/ Madam,
It’s my pleasure again to outline certain facts as concerning the issue of non -native speaker teaching English as a foreign language. well even though the call us non native speacker or the difficulties of visa today that does not change the fact that we are better place to teach the language than the native speakers themself.
some body who have studied in English from nursery,primary,secondary,highschool ,university and training colleges is turn to be a native speaker because he is not within your area of selection. now let us look on the number of english language spoken in the world. just to name a few ,canadian english ,american english,austrilian english ,new zealand english, south african english,zimbawian english, nigerian english,keyaian english all this originated from the british english. The british english which is the best and that is what all british colonies used . and why should you people call us non-native speackers. it is because of segregation of the colour or what, whereas those other nations that you regard as native speakers could not use the language very well as we do. Lastly how many of these native speakers can go to asia to teach as compered to the high wage level in their pespective countries.
what i would say is this ,use what you have to gain what you want.
thanks
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@Kaisa,
That is really a sad story you shared with us and it just goes to confirm what I have always said about teaching in China. As you suggest, getting a job is all about appearances and not so much teaching skills.
I do have one question though. What if you decided just to tell the truth and tell your students that you are from the Phillipines and that you are proud of it…? Would the school fire you?
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Nobody can claim that he/she has perfect English…
I don’t think even Mr. Vance would claim that his English is perfect.
We are all teachers and we should always strive to better our craft.
Native or not, we should all go back to the drawing board.
Learning is a continuous process, as they say…
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hi robert!
even before i enter a new class, the school already tells them that their teacher is an immigrant and that even if she is filipino, she is actually a native speaker, having grown up in a western country. and yes, i actually have tried doing that but the school said that some parents are “very picky” and that it does have a positive effect on the students if they think i am a native speaker. so what i do is, i just tell them i’m also filipino and that i’m very proud of that fact. you see, parents might think they are not getting their money’s worth if their child’s teacher is an asian (total BS if you ask me). in fact, i have had students who do not attend my classes once they see me (usually the girls though haha) because they prefer the “white men” to teach them. no offense to chinese girls, but this has happened to me a lot. and i’m like, whatever, their loss not mine!
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Dear Readers,
Thank you very much for sending your applications. Our vacancy now is just for two Filipino teachers.
If you are from the Philippines and is presently staying in Shanghai City, China, we invite you to send your CV and application letter to: enlprogramshanghai@yahoo.com.
TJ
Program Coordinator
ENL Program-Shanghai
Language Academy
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We all know for the fact that “English is a Universal Language”, where in some words are borrowed from other countries. Example of these the words are imeldific derived from our Martial Law Philippines First Lady Imelda R. Marcos which means “extravagant and excessive”. Volkswagen means “people’s car in” German pronounced as fɔlksˌvaːgən. These are only few of the thousand words being used that didn’t came form the English speaking countries.
Now, for some reason that Chinese students couldn’t get the point that English Language is rapidly changing because of their thought that English words are only coming from native countries is totally ridiculous.
As what TJ has mentioned that Learning is a continuous process; it is also the same with the English Language where changes happen.
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@Jhunex,
Thanks for your comments. I am not so sure that English students in China think that all English words come from native speaking countries. Teachers like myself, for example, are always glad to point out to our students that certain words come from French, Latin, etc. The problem is, there is this conception in China that English cannot be learned as well from a non-native speaker. This is simply untrue because there are many excellent non-native speakers out there.
However, just like there are some pretty bad native speakers out there, there are some not-so-good non-native speakers in China as well who should probably not be teaching English. The main thing is, schools in China should be giving non-native speakers more of a chance to compete with the native speakers for jobs…
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@Robert
There is a misconception from Chinese students that English words come entirely from native countries like what I’ve experienced in a school in Dongying, Shandong before. where I taught for almost one year. We had a discussion on “How to be successful in an interview” and what are the requirements before having that such interview? We have come across the words like Resume and Curriculum vitae. At first, I asked them if these are English words and all of them said yes, but when I point out that resume is French meaning “summary” and Curriculum vitae is Latin meaning “course of life”; it was then that they’ve realized that in deed, English is a Universal Language.
Yeah, it is true that there are some pretty bad native speakers out there and non-qualified non-native speakers in China and should not be teaching English. As to my case, I’ve met lots of Filipino pretending to be ESL teachers but not teachers by profession specifically in Shijiazhuang, Hebei. I wouldn’t have known this but for the chance of visiting that city before because of a kindergarten school invited me to give a simple 20 mins demonstration. Upon reaching that school, to my surprise, I met 3 Filipinos, 1 Singaporean and 2 Ukrainian. To make it short, I volunteered to be the first one to have my demo, then after that very exhausting demo where I have to dance and sing just to make my lesson alive, these Filipinos asked for an advise. I’ve explained them that you better use the most traditional type of teaching method which is the Deductive or Inductive method then make some revision out of these methods. They suddenly said that, “OUCH, we don’t know what you are saying”. It was then that I’ve come to know that one was a taxi driver here, a clerk in mayor’s office and an assistant supervisor. They main reason that they said yes to the teaching profession in China is, they can speak fluent English which is a bad impression when it comes to applying for a job there.
You have written an article here which entitles teaching Demo-Have No Fear. I would suggest that schools in China must ask first their applicants to give a simple demo before hiring a teacher either, he be a native or non-native speaker. A demo will show how will be the teaching performance of that said teacher for the whole year.
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This ad might be off topic…
A job opportunity for English native speakers just opened in our institution. Aside from non-native English speakers, we are now in need of native speakers (note: Caucasians). As was duly noted in this article and the subsequent replies, white skin has its advantages. So, to sum it up, if you are a language teacher and is interested to teach in Shanghai, send your CV to: enlprogramshanghai@yahoo.com. Applicants within Shanghai will be prioritized. Thank you again Mr. Vance.
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@TJ,
Feel free to also post this on our main ESL board which can be found on our homepage.
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I am from Indonesia and has been working in a non-teaching field company in China for almost half a year now. I speak English and Chinese, in fact I was a part time private English teacher in my country before I finally came to China. After going through all the statements about difficulties for non-native speaker in finding a teaching job in China, my comment is: No matter where you come from as long as you have good proficiency in English and possess a good teaching skill sooner or later you will be spotted and hired! Jia You…!
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Gentlemen and Ladies in this forum,i greet you.I feel moved to comment on this topical issue which many will fear to address.I am a black African teacher teaching in China now for closed to four years.The feeling i have is that racism is highly and openly practiced here in China.In the minds of the Chinese,Africa is a worthless continent(feizhou) where nothing good can come from it.This largely explains the reason why African teachers who are relatively more performant in the teaching field here than their white counterparts are not fairly treated.First,the salary is too low and the hourly output per week is high meanwhile the white brothers are doing less work with high pay.A certain headmaster of a middle school in Central China hired me on part time basis since i got a full-time job and expressed dismay that he hired a female American lady the previous year with the hope that she will help improve his students’ oral English but she performed so poorly.I reminded him that they the Chinese have a rather strange feeling that being an American,British,Canadian or Australian makes you a wonderful English teacher which isnt true.Upon a deeper reflection,he conscented and saw with me.My performance in that school has been so great and they want to hire me as a full-timer but i wont accept it since i cant hold two posts concurrently.Black Americans too are in the same situation for they too are seen to be worthless Africans and their colour is displeasing and wont attract more students.It is time the Chinese opened their eyes and saw reality.What is the crime coming from Africa or the Philipines and India? Colour plays a very important role here in China as far as getting a job is concerned.An African female teacher was said to be smelling while she taught in class and when she told them that she is from America,they same students instantly said she no longer smells.This is another topic to be discussed another time.
Chinese have gone to every nook and cranny of the world and hence familiarising them with the various English accents is laudable.Believing that American English is the best form of English is fallacious.I presently work with the so-called native speakers and many of them testify they had previously worked in bars,kitchens,ships etc back in their countries and here they are seen to be wonderful English teachers simply because they are white and have green eyes.Believe me or not,these fellows are rather unteaching the kids.Can someone in this forum throw more light on the usefullness of African teachers in China?Thanks once again for admitting me here and happy new year.
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Well, as far I know Indians are supposed to be taking their standard as the Queen’s English but somewhere along the line the American infiltration just sounds “kewl”(( Ouch!)) But I think the Queen’s English concept is already eroded and the English dictionary has been revised to incorporate many words of Indian origin by the boys at Oxford.
Can’t help this problem seeping into India with the number of movies the kids watch and the lack of good material to read – not just the books but also the kind of movies and educational activities that children are exposed to these days.
There is also the overlapping of languages because of the number of languages spoken in India so there could be the “Hinglish” problem as the younger generation is now experiencing.
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people…people… exchanging ideas about non-native english speakers and native english speakers. the fact is you are all bunch of people competing to get a teaching job.
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@Stan,
So what’s your point? Are non-native speakers not allowed to compete for jobs in China?
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like Korea, the chinese government will only allow native speakers to teach in china soon. the point is, the chinese english teachers are losing their teaching jobs to these non-native speakers who are not so competent or should i say, not having the native speakers’ accent. the chinese gov’t realized that they’d rather hire chinese english teachers than hiring other non-native speakers from other countries whose first language is not english.
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hi. its funny reading all these comments about non native speakers. but i have observed that discrimination first hand, firstly in regards to me as an african.. however i dnt care as i am endowed with a very clear neutral british accent that the training centre i am with is pleased and everyone thinks i am britiish. fluency in speaking and writing is as a result of your background education and circumstances and so u shdnt judge a person frm the country thr from..
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@ frank. hey i cdnt have said it any better than you… my african brother. we strive for excellence
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A few observations:
Fewer and fewer people in England now speak the Queens English.This would be due to a deteriorating education system, and also due to ‘dilution’ of the language by so very many newcomers into England in the last 30 years.
Many well educated people in India, Pakistan and from the former British Hong Kong actually speak a better English than what is generally spoken in England today.
I have never met a Scandinavian person who did not speak nearly impeccable English.
German people almost always speak very good English…Perhaps that is because Germans find English grammer quite easy, compared to their own long-winded, contorted grammer.
Germans do not generally speak as good English as Scandinavians though. Perhaps this is because many English language books and magazines brought into Germany must be translated into German, whereas English language publications brought into Denmark for sale, simply remain in English.
Obviously, some individuals from South America, the Philippines, Africa, or other non-native English speaking countries can speak English as well, or even better than Native speakers……Yet all other things being equal,I believe that the German, or the Scandinavian would almost always be hired first in China….Anyone who does not concede this is living in denial, and not in the real world…..!
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After reading the comments on this web page, and after commented myself, I was very dissapointed and thought that, being a native from South America, I was never going to find a teaching job in China. I placed my CV on a web page, and soon offers started to come. I managed to found a job at a University in China, and I am please to tell you all, that no matter where are you from, no matter what your nationality is, as long as you have qualifications, as long as you have the knowledge, as long as you can teach the English language, you WILL find a teaching job in China!
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I find some of the comments quite hilarious to say the least. I wonder if the so called native speakers have become so insecure that they have chosen to comment on the employment prospects of non-native speakers instead of concentrating on doing some good work and helping people learn English. It is a great tribute to the language of English that so many people around the world have chosen to learn and communicate in it. I think there are many non native Enlgish teachers who are well qualified and speak with a neutral accent who are eager to share their knowledge and seek nothing more than that. I also that think that any person seeking employment as an English Teacher is fully aware of the process of due dilligence and would accept any result at the end of an application for a position as an English Teacher with dignity. The problem in China is that the process of due dillegence is never really initiated for people from non-traditional English speaking Countries. I’m not sure it is about skin colour as I dont think people from China think any less of dark skinned people. I think most schools in China do not want to risk hiring foreigners who are bilingual and who may or may not speak English fluently and therefore rid themselves of any room for doubt by recruiting native speakers despite some of their seldom noticed shortcomings. One has to realise that legitimate schools that have the permits and licences in place to recruit foreign teachers do have to go through quite a process to recruit foreign teachers and it is only fair that that they take the safe route. Having said the above I think that some of the comments made on this site on non native English speakers were baseless and unnecessary. I wonder how a native English speaker would feel if he or she knew what people thought of their second language speaking skills in cases where one has learnt another language. Being bilingial or multilingual is a great accomplishment and despite some shortcomings, one has to laud the effort and the enthusiasm of non native speakers of English to share their knowledge of English, which by the way has greatly been enriched with words and phrases from many languages and cultures. I am a speaker of six languages and I find it extremely difficult to toggle between the languages and with it the cultures, but find it a highly rewarding experience to be able to share my knowledge with others. I hope Ive made sense and really hope that teachers of English stop bickering and just be happy that we are all able to communicate with each other.
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Who is making sense here on the issue about
the highest employability rate of native speakers against non-native counterparts
in the teaching field? No one I think so. Nobody is better that the other
as long as they both meet the standard qualifications of a teacher. All races
with enough qualifications have equal opportunities in the field of education,
except when they seek employment in a money making educational institution,
whose purpose is not to deliver quality education but to profit from
those who have wrong notions on who is best to deliver quality education to
the students.
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@Berns,
I don’t agree with that at all. I think even Chinese universities are prone to hire teachers based on their looks. It’s a matter of ‘image’…
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You’re right because there are many universities that exist mainly for business.
Their business will sell if they have good packaging and it’s the native speaker
that makes it to them.If I were the businessman, I would do the same because
it’s what my customers want and I will earn much. If I am an educator,
I would choose the teachers based on their skills and qualifications
regardless of race and color.
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Hi there,
I am very keen to teach English abroad preferably in China,South Korea or even Japan.I hold a Singaporean passport and have been speaking english since i was born. I have a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Finance while studying in Australia. I am very keen to teach english and although i dont have a western passport, I assure you I am very fluent in English and am sure,my english is better than some of my western counterparts. My email address is karanbajaj82@hotmail.com
I hope to hear from an English teaching school soon.
Thanks and Regards,
Karan Bajaj
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@Steve and @Robert Vance,
The problem isn’t that I don’t speak English, the “right” way. It’s that I won’t be considered for a job because of the way I look. You think half these schools will even bother with an interview once they see my photo? This isn’t an linguistic problem. This is a racism issue.
I speak English with more clarity than Scotsmen, Welshmen, Irishmen, southern Americans and even most Brits. And you’re suggesting that India get more westerners to teach English? Is your head wrapped around wrong?
White does not mean better.
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@An Indian,
No, I think the problem is your bad attitude.
Instead of coming on here attacking me, why don’t you take a look around this site and to see how much time and effort I have put into defending and helping NNS in China.
I never said that white means better. Neither did Steven.
You completely misread our posts because you wanted to pick a fight.
I don’t care what color your skin is or where you’re from. Do some reading on a site before you come on here and start making comments like ‘is your head wrapped around wrong’ and ‘white does not mean better.’
I’ll say it again. You have a bad attitude. That is your problem. You think everyone is against you before you even take a look around.
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@ An Indian
There is still hope for us…
If we just stop being negative and look at the bright side of life…
From A Filipino
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ALL I CAN SAY HERE, most of the schools here in China are stupid. Why?
Because they don’t know what’s the definition of neutral accent and/or U.K.
or American. We Filipinos has the neutral accent. Funny thing but we all know
that if you visit the Philippines, we have the most number
of call centers and outsourcing companies from the U.S. U.K. Australia and Canada
BECAUSE WE ARE GOOD!!!!HA HA!!!
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@ Eric Spoelstra
I hope you thought hard and wish you proofread before placing your comment my friend…
“Huwag sana tayong padadala sa ating emosyon. Ang ating pagiging Pinoy ang nakasalalay dito.”
(Let’s not get emotional. It’s our being Filipinos which are at stake here.)
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@ Eric and fellow Fils,
At least I can say that most Asian ESL teachers here in China, including myself,
are Filipinos. We can change the wrong generalizations other people make about
us Filipinos if we really prove to them they are wrong. I was an English teacher
in the Philippines but I can say that teaching here in China is a lot different
which requires our flexibility, creativity, patience and diligence. I hope
sooner or later, schools here in China will no longer be hesitant to employ
Filipinos.
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Good time of the day
A very nice and VITAL article – as am also facing this problem right now.
My name is Dmitry, I am from Russia, I am a qualified teacher of English and German with much practice and also experienced in translating and proofreading of English articles by non-native speakers for further publication in English science journals. And I want to teach English abroad (China, Japan, other) – so I am spending «tons of time and efforts» to contact the school with my CV and cover letter and to prove them (by providing MP3’s for speaking ability and pronunciation) that I could compete on a par with native speaking teachers – but all a get is the «only-native-speakers-accepted». So each time I need to start everything over again.
But why be so bias?
Let me give my main points on teaching:
1.The teacher must not only the seen as the «SPEAKING CLICHE» to be followed – but as the «GOOD EDUCATOR» for the first instance (and that implies full real and pure devotion to teaching)
2.The combination of native and non-native teachers (taking that both are pure teaching-devoted) could make the best of teaching. Natives can add-in with teaching speaking and cultural aspects of the language while the non-natives can add-in with teaching itself (especially in TESOL) as they learned the language themselves as foreigners, so they feel «the inside» of how it works, plus they could feel the «might-be-tough aspect» for other foreigners and could point them out.
P.S. If there is anybody who could help and advise me the school to apply to as the non-native teacher – I would greatly appreciate that.
My e-mail: frankdma@gmail.com (Dmitry)
Thanks in advance
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After reading the comments, I have this to write:
a) If one is a non native english speaker looking for employment in China, one has to ensure that the letter of application and the supporting documents are written well in English, and demonstrate both the ability and the willingness to teach English in China.
b) It would certainly help if one has a credible Masters degree acquired in a Country like the US or UK, to support one’s claims.
If one is not able to meet two basic requirements, I feel it wouldnt be worth the effort to apply.
Best wishes,
Max
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Robert,
My husband ( Canadian-born) and I just moved to Changzhou, Jiangsu Province two days ago due to his job. I am looking for a teaching job. I was born in the Philippines, taught there for three years after my Bachelor’s of Elementary Education and then move to Canada. I also got a Diploma in Early Childhood Education from Canada. I love to teach. It is my passion. I have taught in India for 6 years and 1 year in the US. I can say that my pronunciation is better than other fellow Filipinos whom I have met. I have applied to some schools while I was still in the US. One school was very interested but when I sent my documents, they said that they have chosen an older teacher. I’ve wondered, perhaps when they have seen that I was born in the Philippines that they have changed their minds. Well, I’m on a mission. Now that I am here in Chnagzhou, I will show them what I got. I need a list of schools in Changzhou though. Thanks for your article.
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This is more of a querry than a comment. I am a both a professor in English and teacher trainer in Tesol (Teaching English to Speakers of other languages). May I inquire about universities that need my services and qualification.
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Hugh!
a sigh,as i read some of the bad comments about non native speakers!
I am greatly depressed to hear that most of the schools in china prefer native speakers to teach English language.
I am Filipino, license teacher majoring in English subject and planning to apply in china but its very unfortunate to think that I have less opportunity working in china.Well, I’m hoping to resolve racial discrimination as i think it’s the root of the problem.
jasmin
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Well well…
China is an interesting country. One they DO WANT whities unfortunately.
Some WHITIES don’t help matters with comments of arrogance and the know-it-all
attitude. But having said that I think teaching langugage is not about accents
or lack of them. its about communication.
Think of it, some chinese people have been learning English for 15 years and still
cannot communicate beyond the annoying level of ‘HALO! welcome my hometown!, can you
speak Chinese, do you like Chinese food?. Anything spoken past that is gibberish,
unintelligent.
My take on this: I don’t care how much English you can speak, or which
accent you can mimick, or how superior you think you are. China doesn’t need
arrogant native speakers who walk around feeling like models or superstars. They need REAL
language teachers, they need PROFESSORS who have been trained to TEACH language
acquisition. But are they willing to pay these
professionals? Well no… too costly. So they have all these foreign clowns posing as
teachers but the truth of the matter is most of these characters can’t even get
jobs in their own countries, native or non-native.
The fact that you are a native speaker doesn’t mean that you can automatically or
with wand impart the same on your students. But a real Professor will do wonders.
I still insist its not about accents. Like when they say they want UK accent
which one are they referring to pray? Or Irish? Irish English is totally different
from English as we know it. But a PROFESSOR of language will teach the damn student
to communicate with all ENGLISH SPEAKERS of the world. It’s wrong for people to claim
ownership of a language. The language belongs to the person who can speak it. And
yes there are many countries where English is spoken. the fact that it has been
localised to fit or suit the needs of the culture present is imaterial.
But having said that, I want to quickly add that the Chinese love Whities.
and it doesn’t matter where they come from. In the mind of the chinese all Whities
speak English. I know of a case where they wouldn’t offer a job to a jamaican, quite
well educated and armed with the queens accent having been educated there. they ere
however very keen to give the job to a blueeyed frenchgirl who couldn’t speak
the language. The parents are promised this paleness and ‘civilisation’ when they bring their kids.
so for the non-natives, be aware of this. It’s one of those things in china that
are
hard to understand. Why else do you think they ask for pictures? because somehow
they want to weed out the darker skinned brethren who hide behind the ‘preferred’
nations passports.
Just be intelligent in dealing with issues in China. I love diversity and its from
this point of view that I write this note. And remember it’s not really a normal
country and things can get very childish at all levels so take it in stride and enjoy.
Please don’t be upset with us for being frank…
Cheers everybody!
Morgan
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I’m non-native speaker, and surely, I can’t compete with native speaker (don’t think can do it even after several years). But I’ve got many offers from Chinese schools, colleges. This year I’m searching for another job, hope to get good job.
About face- it is fact, your face must be white and european looking, this is great advantage for non-native speakers, but I know many people, who have a chinese face, but still working, it is just matter of hard working on internet and sending hundreds of e-mails.
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I have a passport from Mexico. In my case, I had several interviews on “skype” where I was told that my speech was easy to understand. Non-natives can find employment; it will be hard, but it can be had. The best ESL teacher I ever encountered, in terms of technique and an easy to understand accent, was a woman from Hungary. She sounded like a native from the USA and her looks were what one would say “standard” American. I know there is no such thing as a “standard” American, but from the Chinese perspective there is one. One Chinese saying is apt for this discussion: “White cat or black it does not matter as long as they can catch the mouse.”
My advice for those who want to catch the mouse:
1. Come to the USA or another English speaking country. One can come as an exchange student, H-1 Visa,etc. Learn to speak with a neutral accent. Hard, but doable. Take some pronunciation classes.
2. Outwork the natives. Study your grammar! Know the difference between a noun and a verb, or the proper usage of the simple present versus the present progressive.
3. Learn how to spell. Only the English can mess up there own language (Gaelic gets an honorable mention), so grab a dictionary and learn all the words.
4. Do some ESL teaching in your home country to get experience.
5. Don’t let your students ever second guess you or somehow make your nationality an issue. You’re here for your knowledge, not your looks.
I hope these suggestions will help.
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Well said Morgan!!!
China is an interesting country. One they DO WANT whities unfortunately.
Some WHITIES don’t help matters with comments of arrogance and the know-it-all
attitude. But having said that I think teaching langugage is not about accents
or lack of them. It’s about communication.
Think of it, some chinese people have been learning English for 15 years and still
cannot communicate beyond the annoying level of ‘HALO! welcome my hometown!, can you
speak Chinese, do you like Chinese food?. Anything spoken past that is gibberish,
unintelligent.
My take on this: I don’t care how much English you can speak, or which
accent you can mimick, or how superior you think you are. China doesn’t need
arrogant native speakers who walk around feeling like models or superstars. They need REAL
language teachers, they need PROFESSORS who have been trained to TEACH language
acquisition. But are they willing to pay these
professionals? Well no… too costly. So they have all these foreign clowns posing as
teachers but the truth of the matter is most of these characters can’t even get
jobs in their own countries, native or non-native.
The fact that you are a native speaker doesn’t mean that you can automatically or
with a wand impart the same on your students. But a real Professor will do wonders.
I still insist its not about accents. Like when they say they want UK accent
which one are they referring to pray? Or Irish? Irish English is totally different
from English as we know it. But a PROFESSOR of language will teach the damn student
to communicate with all ENGLISH SPEAKERS of the world. It’s wrong for people to claim
ownership of a language. The language belongs to the person who can speak it. And
yes there are many countries where English is spoken. the fact that it has been
localised to fit or suit the needs of the culture present is immaterial.
But having said that, I want to quickly add that the Chinese love Whities.
and it doesn’t matter where they come from. In the mind of the chinese all Whities
speak English. I know of a case where they wouldn’t offer a job to a Jamaican, quite
well educated and armed with the queens accent having been educated there. They are
however very keen to give the job to a blue-eyed frenchgirl who couldn’t speak
the language. The parents are promised this paleness and ‘civilisation’ when they bring their kids.
So for the non-natives, be aware of this. It’s one of those things in china that
are
hard to understand. Why else do you think they ask for pictures? Because somehow
they want to weed out the darker skinned brethren who hide behind the ‘preferred’
nations passports.
Just be intelligent in dealing with issues in China. I love diversity and it’s from
this point of view that I write this note. And remember it’s not really a normal
country and things can get very childish at all levels so take it in stride and enjoy.
Please don’t be upset with us for being frank…
Cheers everybody!
Morgan
[Reply]
native or non-native who cares it’s just English… hahaha… the point here is… I understand you and You understand me…
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Hello Gentlemen,
I have read lots of interesting comments and I like to contribute too.
Currently I’m pursuing an International Master’s Program in Environmental Management in Shanghai and I have been thinking about doing some tutoring at my leisure. I also hold a certificate in teaching language arts and social sciences at primary school level.
Like many people have previously mentioned, many schools offering English courses for students here are actually profit-driven institutions that care little or less about instructional qualities. They are more concern about the look of the teacher than what he can offer. Most Chinese institutions will prefer to hire a native who is a college drop-out instead of a non-native speaker who has the highest possible qualification and experience in the teaching field.So what are the Chinese after? Simple, they are more concern about convincing parents to send their children to their institutions and the easiest way to achieve this is to hire a “white” even if he is a former car washer.
What are parents getting in return? Rubbish! I have Chinese friends who have been learning English since they were born, but all they can say correctly are: “I can speak little”, “where are you from”.Worst of all, most of them can not distinguish between he and she; they use them interchangeably. While it is true that there are some very good native instructors around, it must also be understood that not all native speakers are English teachers.
I don’t bother myself any more to apply; I have had three telephone interviews and all went well, but each time I’m scheduled to start job I’m told they have hired a native speaker. The point here is the color. Nothing else but the color.Parents are the losers not the schools; they sooner parents realize this the sooner the schools will change.
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Before coming to China, make sure your English is up to standard before leaving your home country. At least get some basic language training just before you leave. Most guys just find themselves here simply because Chinese visas are more easy to grasp these days than those of other much preferred countries like North America and Europe. Hence they fin themselves in a mayhem and realize they need to learn and study rather than teach English here. My simple advice is that buy as many western movies as you can and listen rather than watch it and you just might get somewhere. Also checkout some linguistic websites and study or rather listen to the pronunciations of as many oral English words as you can and try to practice reading free short stories online. This might get you somewhere. Have confidence in yourself. Blacks do sell here in China more than Filipinos who are proliferated all over the place and are less preferred than darkies. Tell any Chinese you are from Miguo (USA) and they won’t doubt you for a second thanks to our black NBA basket ball idols in the states that they watch avidly all day. We are true foreigners once they spot us.
Above all have confidence in your self. If in doubt ask from experienced friends for advice on great teaching techniques and you’ll get by alright. Most of us gain our experience here on the field. When you mess up in your small corner, you poison the whole network of non-native teachers all over China. Hence be prudent or go home. If you can’t teach but can sing or dance then go for it. In fact that even pays mre herethan holding the chalk Thanks.
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What rubbish! “if you can’t teach but can sing and dance then go for it” Who is regulating these posts? Teachers who are posting such crap should be the ones sent home first. There are thousands of bilingual speakers who are qualified and experienced enough to be able to teach English both at the secondary and teritiary levels and it has nothing to do with being black or brown or white. There are Government run schools and there are language schools that are privately run. In my experience the Government run schools that are able to process expert licenses often look for people who can teach rather than sing and dance and I don’t think anyone should be discouraged because of their passport or their skin colour. If one is a qualified teacher with a Bachelor’s or a Masters Degree in Linguitics, Education or a related field, one can easily find employment and do much better than many native speakers who are college drop outs and get jobs on the basis of useless TESOL certificates. There are of course schools that did employ people based on the colour of their skin and their ability to entertain, but that has changed after the Government decided to add an Oral English component to the National Entrance Test. It will become evident to all concerned over the next few years that one can find employment only on the basis of qualifications and experience rather than the passport one is carrying.
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I am from Spain, with a Degree in Education, major English. I have experience teaching primary school students and young learners, both in English and Spanish. I also have one diploma in Teaching Young Children and TESOL, which I did in Toronto.
I,ve lived abroad several times, and now, I would love to teach in Asia.
I’m trying hard to find a position, either teaching English or Spanish? Any help???
Thanks.
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As I look through the many job boards and ESL forums, I am saddened to over and over again read the same painfully common criticisms and accusations. A seemingly universal declaration attesting to racist tendencies prevalent in Chinese culture.
I understand that many of you have been hurt by racism. And I myself feel a not insignificant twinge of contempt as I recognize that a peoples who have so recently suffered under the racist ideology of their Japanese neighbors, should now themselves adopt racist doctrines.
But it seems clear that this is what has occurred.
Perhaps events in Tibet should have warned us of this approaching farce.
It is a sad fact that victims, when freed from a bully, will so often redress their damaged ego by themselves attempting to emulate the bullies objectionable behavior.
Yet here we are – naked apes armed with flat teeth and harmless fingernails. We spent evolution so terrified that we learned to climb the highest trees to escape and hide from the monsters in the world.
Now we are free. And our first act is to try to emulate and revere the images and behavior of those who bullied us for so many million years.
It makes me feel like crying when I look into your eyes, sweet little monkey god.
But there is hope in the depth of this soul.
Because the reality is – nothing is ever black and white.
Hatred blinds people. Hatred can be born of pain as easily as of arrogance.
Many of you feel oppressed by what you describe as “Chinese racism”. But look around and you will see that in every group there is good and bad, wise and foolish.
You will see there are Chinese bosses who feel as you feel, and desire a just harmonious world.
China is a place of extremes. Her history has produce great heroes seeking Justice as deeply as the great villains who sought tyranny.
From the traditional Martial Arts masters to the wonderous compassion of Confusius and Buddhism. Every person in China, whether Communist or secretly anti-communist, knows of and openly reveres these works.
If you can quote these doctrines, your wisdom may be more potent a vector of change. But more importantly, if you can understand these things, your mind may be a more harmonious recipient of change.
I am not religious. I believe in humanity – hope still burns in my soul.
And like Chinese people, not all white people are racist.
I am Scottish, and mighty proud of my Gaelic ancestors!
Yet my wife is Chinese, and the most amazing woman I have ever encountered.
Every person who reads these words is human. Pain can blind us.
Let’s try to open our eyes again. And when we see wrongness, we can change it – by making ourselves an example.
By not submitting to the pain.
I consider every person who has written here to be my kin. Brothers and Sisters of Humanity, of our miraculous green Planet.
It is the only way to a high and happy future. Good Luck, my Good Friends.
Peace, Glen
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I’m a Ghanaian graduate from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana,West Africa.I graduated from the above named University in June 2005 with second class honours in Bachelor of Education (Arts).
I’m already in China with x visa and would like to know if your outfit can help me to find a school to teach in either part or full time.I arrived in China on the 20th of september 2009 and I have a staying permit which runs till August 31st 2010.
I really need your advise and would be glad to hear from you as soon as possible.If you can also use your experience and good office to help me find a job,I would be very grateful.
Currently i’m in Guilin in Guangxi province.
You can also give me some email address so that I can send my documents for consideration.Hoping to hear from you soon.
Yours faithfully,
ISAAC ANSAH.
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