Shanghai plans to weed out unqualified foreign English teachers with a language and teaching test.

 

The test, organized by the Shanghai Personnel Bureau, will mainly target non-native-English speakers who apply for English-teaching positions in kindergartens, middle schools and language training schools, the bureau revealed at the city's second job fair for English teachers on Saturday.

 

The bureau will invite an English-language expert panel from local universities to test applicants' English speaking ability, especially pronunciation and accent.

 

Recent education graduates from English-speaking countries must also take a similar test on their teaching skills, bureau officials said.

 

People who fail the test will be disqualified from obtaining a foreign expert certificate -- the work permit for foreign teachers and foreign professionals in China.

 

Foreigners who teach without a work permit could be deported, officials said.

 

Huang Weimao, director of the bureau's international exchange division, said the city government wanted to safeguard the booming language-training market.

 

"The enthusiasm here for learning English has left many training institutes thirsty for foreign teachers. But that doesn't mean everybody can be let in," Huang said.

 

Earlier this year, the bureau turned down one of five foreigners hired by a local middle school.

 

The bureau said the foreigner, who was only identified as coming from another Asian country, spoke with a strong non-native-English accent.

 

One foreign visitor to the job fair dismissed the test.

 

"Certificates cannot demonstrate your ability. Experience is more important," said an applicant who identified himself as Issa.

 

From Niger in west Africa, Issa said he had been teaching English near Yangzhou, in neighboring Jiangsu Province, for three years.

 

Saturday's job fair advertised nearly 400 teaching positions in 30 kindergartens, elementary schools, universities and training institutes. It attracted more than 300 foreigners.

 

Last year's fair held more than 200 job vacancies in 30 kindergartens, schools and training institutes.

 

Concerns over the suitability of English teachers also surfaced last year.

 

"Schools now know that not every foreigner with white skin and blue eyes is qualified to teach English," Cindy Mi, director of the ABC English Training Center Shanghai told Shanghai Daily.

 

(Shanghai Daily April 23, 2007)