Hello Friends,

this is not to scare you off but just to draw you attention towards the myopic view of the language institutes in the middle east. I am a fresh celta trained teacher and have scored better than the native speakers on the course.

I was on cloud nine when a reputed language institute called me for an interview, conducted a training and offered me a project. I thought my CELTA training and proficiency in the English language paid off. I was however in for a rude shock, when they called me a day before the course was supposed to start and said if students asked me where I was born and brought up in, I should be say "in the UK"; my "perfect" accent would lead them to believe my story. It felt like selling my soul to the satan, but thinking it was one of the marketing strategies, I reluctantly agreed. I was told no matter how good a non-native speaker was, students wouldnt't want to learn English from a non-native especially an INDIAN!!.

The worst was still to come when a few minutes later I got a call again, saying that the course had been cancelled due to "problems with the students". When I asked the director (the guy who had appointed me), he said he would discuss things with the marketing guy and get back to me!! - which as expected, never happened.

All other institutes in need of English language teachers dont even consider you for an interview if you are not a native, so it makes me wonder whether qualifications to a job are based on one's academic credentials and personality or merely by virtue of the passport you hold!

Good luck to all you out there!!