Canadian envoy calls Korea's working holiday program 'biased'

[asth77.livejournal.com]

David Chatterson, Canadian ambassador to Korea

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Canada requested Thursday that its citizens on the working holiday program in Korea be granted the same benefits their Korean counterparts enjoy in the North American country.

"We have about 5,000 Canadians teaching English in Korea", David Chatterson, Canadian ambassador to Korea, told The Korea Times, explaining that they were E-2 visa holders and would not be eligible to teach if they were here on the working holiday program.

According to the Canadian Embassy in Seoul, the North American country allows Koreans on working holidays to find work in a broad range of fields, including teaching, while Canadians are not allowed to teach English in Korea.

The bilateral exchange program enables those aged between 18 and 30 to travel and work in each other's country.

Chatterson, who has served here since September, said that his government has asked Korea to address the discrepancy.

If Korea accepted the Canadian proposal, it would mean that more Canadians would come to Korea and teach English.

"Most Canadians are here as English teachers but they can't do it under the working holiday program", Chatterson said.

He said the Korean government had rejected the request.

"I think it is discrimination… (in that) Koreans can do almost anything in Canada under the working holiday program", he noted.

The Canadian Embassy claims Koreans on working holidays are allowed to work as teaching assistants in Canada, saying it has evidence that can support this.

The Korea Immigration Service failed to answer inquiries on this subject.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Embassy in Seoul noted Korea is the only country that does not allow Canadians on working holiday visas to teach English. The embassy said other East Asian nations that Canada has signed the visa agreement with allow this.

"Unlike in Korea, Canadians who participate in our other working holiday programs in East Asia, such as Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, are not prohibited from teaching English there", it said.

"However, because Korea doesn't allow working holiday visa holders to teach English in Korea, even as part-time private tutors, it is difficult for Canadians who want to come to Korea to benefit from the program".

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade stressed not only Canadians but also those on working holidays from other countries with which Korea agreed to the visa program, are not allowed to teach English here, either.

"This is because the government issues a work permit, the E-2 visa, for foreign language instructors. Foreigners, who are visiting here under the working holiday visa, will receive an H-1 visa which prohibits them from teaching English", an official said on condition of anonymity.

Canada's complaint about Korea's "discriminatory" visa regulations has erupted as there have been deep discrepancies in the number of Koreans and Canadians on working holidays.

Last year, nearly 4,000 Koreans explored Canada on the work and travel visa to learn English and pay their way there. In contrast, only 20 Canadians came here under the same program. The deep imbalance has continued since the two governments signed the visa agreement in 1996.

Chatterson believes that the "discriminatory" visa regulations here are largely responsible for the imbalance.

"The Korean government would like to double or triple that (the number of Koreans going to Canada under the working holiday program)", the envoy said.

Cr : The Korea Times
Source : Hancinema

Comments

[cettefemme90.livejournal.com]

Well yeah, it's only fair that they reciprocate.

Did I miss something though? Is there a specific reason why the Canadians on the programme aren't allowed to teach English?

[soundczech.livejournal.com]

It's not just Canadians, nobody can teach English on a Korean working holiday visa.

[lobotronic.livejournal.com]

This is just my own speculation, so take it as you like, but the hagwon business in South Korea is big. Like, REALLY BIG. It is possible that private teachers doing English lessons could undermine the hagwon business (why make parents pay $1000 a month to a hagwon with a native English teacher when this English teacher will do it for $300 a month in private?). This causes competition to erupt between short-term workers like Canadians on working holidays and the hagwons, who run year-round. Hiring native teachers for a hagwon is expensive--the school pays for their flights AND pays for their entire apartment, as well as giving them a monthly salary of roughly 2000+ CAD. That's not cheap. IF foreigners on working holiday visas just swing in and start charging less than the hagwons are, it screws everything up and the monopoly hagwons have on private education is ruined. This is just one small aspect; I'm sure there are other reasons (or perhaps...none at all? Government policy does not always make sense ;D).

[jia-zhang.livejournal.com]

I find it ironic this post about Canadians in Korea came out on Canada Day. XD This could be a good thing for development between the two nations.

[miyozari.livejournal.com]

I think it's even more unfair that most teaching programs only allow teachers from native speaking countries
I'm sorry but what if I have the same level as a native speaker, which is even certified by an university but just because i come from Europe or from wherever...whatever I'm just sayin'

[neo-sin-derella.livejournal.com]

THIS!!!!
Thought exactly the same.

[valieleen.livejournal.com]

mte

[chunsakuma.livejournal.com]

It's unfair, but it makes sense. If someone learns a language after childhood, it's almost impossible to attain the same level as a native speaker, especially in terms of the accent of a language, and having a good accent is a huge part of being seen as proficient in a language.

I remember reading somewhere a while ago that Korean students who were taught English by non-native speakers from The Philippines spoke English with an accent typical of Tagalog. This caused others to look down on their English, even if they were fluent in it.

I'm a native English speaker studying Korean, and say if at some point I get good enough at it to teach it but get passed up in favour of someone who speaks Korean natively. Yes, I would likely be upset, but I would also completely understand. People who are learning a language want to acquire skills in it that are as close as possible to those of a native speaker.

[anathema-switch.livejournal.com]

The situation is a bit different in Europe. I haven't been in Europe for a while but I think most kids (at least urban kids) learn English at a very young age and almost concurrently with their native language. There are also English instruction / International schools. I would be very surprised to go somewhere in West Europe where most of the youth doesn't speak fluent English.

[chunsakuma.livejournal.com]

I don't know much about how it is in Europe as far as language learning goes, but yes, everybody that I've personally encountered from Western European countries has definitely been able to speak English extremely well.

I stand by my original point though and think that it applies to schooling in Europe as well. I bet that if students there could choose between learning English from a native speaker or from someone at the same level of fluency but who is not a native speaker, they would choose the native speaker nearly every time. It just makes more sense, especially if someone wants to sound as native as possible when speaking a language, and I think that's something that almost every person who is learning a language wants to be able to do.

[itskimbitches.livejournal.com]

most asian countries want to learn american english but uk teachers teach british english. they end up pronouncing words with accents like "hot" as "hawt" so when they come to the US they have an accent because english is not their first language and because they have a british accent...

also broken english is becoming a new thing. some companies teach their employees broken english since everybody has a basic english knowledge. that way everybody understands!

[iamtheliquorr.livejournal.com]

Yup, I'm an ESL teacher here and one of my students learned British English back in China. Sometimes, he seems to have a hard time understanding my American English. Unfortunately there isn't really anything I can do about that, though.

[iamtheliquorr.livejournal.com]

This. My Mom learned French from a non-native speaker and speaks it with a strong German accent. I was taught by a native French speaker and have a hard time understanding my Mom sometimes lol

[miyozari.livejournal.com]

I can see your point but I'm talking about those students who have degrees, let's take me as an example I've been studying English SINCE my CHILDHOOD (fyi), my mom went super crazy with learning when I was young, now I've CAE degree, level A by the Cambridge University,
which basically translates to I'm as good as a native speaker.

And I'm just 17 years old, so there's a lot of space for improvement if that's even possible.

Other than that European countries start teaching English early, the kids start in primary school in second/third grade (and that's still childhood).

And since you're so keen about the accent (and Korean people), I admit many students have an accent however they're also plenty of students with great American or British accents, because they often spend some time overseas or basically they just learned it.

[chunsakuma.livejournal.com]

What it all boils down to is that no matter what language it is, people want to sound as native as possible, and that is why they want to learn from native speakers. Someone could have the exact same fluency in a language as a native speaker, but if they have an accent that is not expected of that language, it's highly unlikely that their skills and effort would be taken seriously.

Theoretically, if a person has been learning a language from an early enough age that their accent is indistinguishable from a native speaker of that language, I don't see an issue with them teaching it. However, the probability of a non-native speaker's accent being completely identical to that of a native speaker is really quite low.

[lobotronic.livejournal.com]

I agree. I'm Canadian, so I've been offered a job in SK--but I feel bad for a German friend of mine who has no hope of getting one. :/ There is a huge difference between the standard American accent and the Irish, British, and South African English accent--yet all of the above are eligible to teach English in South Korea. I would argue that a person with a German or Singaporean accent would be just as well understood. It all boils down to the perceived "hierarchy" and "prestige" of English, which runs rampant in Asia. It's pretty sad. I really hate when one accent is ocnsidered "superior" to another. :(

If a person passes the tests and is an accredited English teacher in their home country, I think they should be able to teach English anywhere without problems. Unfortunately, South Korea is still swept up in the idea that English = The Big 7 (Canada, USA, Ireland, Britain, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa).

[nonpareildoll.livejournal.com]

MTE!

I'm from Singapore and English is my native language. I speak it a lot more than my own mother tongue in fact (which is Mandarin). & yet, I get denied from any agency looking for teachers just because I don't come the US or Australia or something. It doesn't even matter that I have a teaching degree too \:

[woohyun.livejournal.com]

OT but HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[anathema-switch.livejournal.com]

My first thought was that Korea has its reasons for the restrictions but then maybe having everyone being able to legally teach English will drive prices down?

[asth77.livejournal.com]

there is no such thing as Korea alone having its reason. Korea signed an agreement with Canada, they should follow it or openly say they don't want it anymore.