To hope to teach in the UK as a non-native speaker?

[Gizmoreturns]

Posting here for traffic mainly, sorry.

Quick background: my partner is from the UK - I am not. We have been together for twelve years, have two kids and are currently living in my home country. We're considering a move to the UK for various reasons.

However, what's holding me back is that I am quite worried about finding a job there. I'm in education, currently teaching the equivalent of primary 5 in my home country. Before that, I spent years teaching a so-called "bridging class" (here kids between 8 and 12 who are new to the country & don't speak the language spent a year in "bridging class" before enrolling in a local school. The focus is on language acquisition, but also not letting them fall behind in other subject areas like maths. I've taught kids from over 60 different countries - best job I ever had).

My English language skills are generally strong; I have lived and studied abroad in the US and the UK & after graduation spent a few years as an English teacher at the local university (mainly taught academic writing and business English). We speak English at home as well, of course. People generally notice I am not a native speaker only after a while. But yea, I know my limitations. I did not grow up in an English speaking country, I do not have the same cultural capital as a native would have, and I still have to make a conscious effort to pronounce the th sound correctly (which means at times I don't). I have lots of experience, two master's degrees, but I still wonder if anyone will even look at my resume. Feel like I might have stood a decent chance if I was from France or Germany, you know, one of the popular modern foreign languages, or if I taught one of the science subjects... but alas.

What do you think? As parents, would you be happy for a non-native speaker to teach your children? Any other ideas for jobs I might look for?

I doubt it would be an issue, especially if not teaching infant classes where you need to teach phonics.

The most important thing will be whether your teaching qualification is considered valid.

In Scotland I think you would need to do a one year Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) before teaching primary, but you're otherwise an excellent candidate.

vast numbers of school teachers here do not have English as a first language.
i don't think that will be an issue at all.
would your teaching qualification be recognised here ?
there are all kinds of opportunities, state schools, private schools, private tutoring etc, also teaching English for professional use, to foreign business people.
maybe you could start your own tutoring business ? there is always plenty of demand for tutoring. this country is obsessed with exams esp for selective secondary school.

The most important thing will be whether your teaching qualification is considered valid.

I checked this out already, and it should be fairly easy for me to get qualified teacher status since I got my teaching qualification from an EEA country. Not sure how agonising the process will be in reality, but the government's website makes it sound like a formality only.

I have several colleagues who have English as their second language and nobody bats an eyelid other than the occasional racist student/parent. The main thing will be checking whether your teaching qualification is valid to teach in whichever UK country you are moving to.

Plenty of teachers aren't native speakers. You may need a pgce (postgraduate teaching qualification) if your degree isn't in education and/or not recognised in the U.K.

Of course you can be a teacher if you're not a native speaker, I don't see why it would be an issue if you speak good English. You need to work out the right route to get qualified teacher status based on your qualifications and background - www.gov.uk/guidance/recruit-teachers-from-overseas#getting-qualified-teacher-status-qts.

Sorry, x post I see you've seen this. As the list demonstrates, there's an established procedure for people from non-English speaking countries to teach here.

Absolutely you have a chance as a teacher here in the U.K. The one thing I'd research and consider though is the conditions as where you have taught previously might be quite different in terms of pay/conditions/workload etc

Goodness! Not an issue in the least OP. My kids have had teachers like you many times over the years. Wouldn’t even bat an eye. I’m in West London. My kids go to the West London Free School primary and secondary. Lots of brilliant teachers and TAs who aren’t native speakers.

To be absolutely clear, many, many excellent teachers have left the profession because of well, everything that has happened in the last decade.

Schools are crying out for good teachers but certainly in the state sector have little scope to treat them well and to protect them from a burdensome requirement of non teaching reporting and administration.

I know many who are ardent supporters of state education have moved into the private sector where they can focus on teacher rather than issues more properly dearth with by crowd controllers or social workers

The qualifications required are also different in the private sector, certainly jog more onerous. Good luck, you will be very welcome in an overstretched profession.

My daughter has a french teacher (she also teaches RE) from Hungary and had an Iranian languages teacher before that.

Our neighbour is Italian and teaches MFL at a secondary.

In my school 96% of the children have EAL and I've found it's of great benefit having teachers whose first language is also not English. As long as your written English was strong, your qualification valid and your subject knowledge excellent, I'd happily employ someone in your position!

Most of my colleagues speak English as a second language

@peanutbutter00

Absolutely you have a chance as a teacher here in the U.K. The one thing I'd research and consider though is the conditions as where you have taught previously might be quite different in terms of pay/conditions/workload etc

I don't see why you can't work here. Are you looking to relocate to your partner's home town or would you consider anywhere?

Only suggestion I'd make is to avoid London if possible as the way that salaries and living costs work in the UK are that in London, teacher pay is insufficient to cover housing, unless they have a very well paid partner, whereas in the rest of the UK, teachers probably earn slightly more than average, so financially you will be much more comfortable. And if you live in or near a large city, you won't feel out of place for not being British.

Not a problem at all. An advantage if anything - you're (at least) bi-lingual.

I think we would be an absolute asset to many UK schools based on your experience in helping students adapt to a new country and as an immigrant yourself. I think there is a bit of a skills gap in this area (at least where I live).

I’d also be really happy if my child had a teacher from another country. I’d hope it would help them to understand that they are part of a global community .

Good luck OP!

Best of luck, op. You shouldn't have any problems 🍀

If I started listing all the teachers I had as a kid who weren't native English speakers, I would quickly run out of fingers.. its not an issue

I am foreign and a non-native speaker myself, OP, and not even particularly fluent despite living here for years. Please take it in the spirit intended - I would not be too thrilled if my children's English teacher was a non-native speaker, even if an ESOL teacher in the past.
As an option, you could continue teaching ESOL to adults - there is plenty of demand here in large cities!

Have you got a British passport or settled status? Without that getting a job after Brexit might be a bit complicated

As long as all the legalities work out, you should be fine. I know two primary teachers who don’t have English as their first language, and as there’s a shortage of teachers, I’m sure you’ll find a job easily enough.

I teach primary and came here from Sweden 17 years ago. My English is excellent although like you I'm no good at the th sound bit I teach upper primary so not much phonics. When I moved it was very easy to get my qualifications transferred. It took time to get used to the English school system but I'm now an assistant head teacher so think I've got the hang of it :)

Teaching here is hard but I still love it.

You will have no problem finding a job once you are settled here. However, you will face quite a few hurdles before you are allowed to settle here.

DS2's favourite English teacher at secondary school is Polish. Not an issue at all.