Hot Topic: Working for a Local Boss

As a TEFL teacher you will often have to interact with the locals and sometimes you may end up with a local as a boss. There are usually three issues with this: the language barrier, the cultural barrier, and their educational background.

If you're lucky, your boss will speak fluent or be nearly fluent in English, so language won't be a problem. Though sometimes people decide to open a TEFL school because it's a good business and might barely be able to speak English.

Culture is also an issue. Even though your boss might be fluent in English, they might not be fluent in your culture. English speakers are often more direct and to the point than other people. They might not like it if you come right out and tell them no. Likewise, they might not think well of you if you offer suggestions to help improve the school. Sometimes they've lived in an English speaking country for years and you'll have no problems at all.

Educational background is the last issue.  Ideally, people who open a school should know about English and education. However, the reality is that for many people, opening an English school means big money. They might be business professionals who are looking to earn a bit more. This can be a problem since they will often cater to the parents and the students, rather than care about teaching.

What do you think?
Have you had an issues working for a local boss? How did you solve them?

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