My name is Linus, an ex-secondary English school teacher, and I've been reading your blog which is full of many interesting insights about Oz and yes - Singapore. As you can imagine, I'm one of the 30% who didn't vote for the status quo.
In any case, I sat for my IELTS last month, passed it and just sent my teaching docs to be assessed by the Oz teaching board. Pending their approval (keeping fingers crossed!) which is a prerequisite to submitting an EOI, I would like to ask if there are any English teaching jobs for someone like me? I am well aware that my non-native speaking background (and perhaps skin colour) puts me at a disadvantage. Are there schools in Oz, maybe those with an Asian majority, that will give me at least a fighting chance?
Lastly, I know you reside in Perth but I'd like to ask what you think of Sydney in particular? My major concern (aside from securing the PR) is landing a job.
Thank you so much and God bless.
Linus
Hi,
Unless the native language you spoke of referred to Arrernte or Kala Lagaw Ya, I estimate at least 80% of the people here speak English, the de-facto national language of Australia. I would imagine there must be a job somewhere here for you, since the vast majority of the population use English.
You have to change your mentality.
First, how does it sound if a foreigner asked you what are his chances of getting employed as an English teacher in Singapore, reminding you he can neither speak Malay nor Singlish? If immigrants worry about such things, there will not be swarms of them in Singapore today. Few of them will even attempt if they are held back by irrelevant assumptions. If there is a vacancy and you are the best candidate who turns up, you get the job.
Second, if you suspect you will be discriminate in this country due to your skin colour, why even consider moving in the first place or take the trouble to be assessed?
Third, if you think working in a place with an Asian majority is a good idea, choose Canningvale as your first suburb (if Perth), shop only at oriental joints and watch Mediacorp through the Internet for entertainment, my advise is stay and Stand up for Singapore. If you are still going ahead and the Asian fetish is an issue, you may want to look around learning centres that offer English or IELTS courses to Asians.
I have absolutely no idea how working and living in Sydney is. You may want to buddy up with the lady earning $120k per annum in my previous post and see what information she has already gathered about the place, since she mentioned something about suburbs (prob the kind of place you may like, many Asians etc.) All I can think of at the mention of Sydney is an image of this in my mind:
AND lots of traffic on the road. Lots of fucking traffic.