Can a non-native speaker of English pursuit a degree in creative writing at a US university?
Having another first language will not disqualify you. Two of the greatest modern novelists in English, Joseph Conrad and Vladimir Nabokov, were not native speakers of English as you probably know. However, they did not have to earn M.F.A. degrees in creative writing. I do not believe that it matters that they are deceased. Publication standards were much higher during their lifetimes than they are now. Earning an M.F.A. does not create writing ability even for people who are native speakers of English. It may refine the writing ability which they already have. It is one of the most useless master's degrees. Do not spend time and money earning it. As your grammar appears to be an issue, please be aware that your question contains at least seven errors in capitalization and grammar. I will be glad to explain them if you email your entire question to me. Best wishes.
Can you teach English in Russia without a degree?
I am starting a job in Moscow this fall and I don't have a degree. I do have a lot of experience working for the government and in the oil and gas sector so I think that is why I had no problem. Check out the job lists on www.expat.ru and also if go on the forum there is some good info. Also check out www.eslcafe.com for job adds and Russia forum. The thing is that most jobs don't seem to pay too well for beginners. For beginners most people seem to recomment Language Links, English First and BKC. None pay well but some give you accommodations and have lots of activities. I think it would be something that you would do more for the experience then the money. It seems like you have to build up a lot of private clients to make money there. Email me if you want to talk more about this.
Should those not from the USA learn to speak English?
I think they are doing themselves a disservice to not understand English if they are going to live here. To be successful at your work in America you really do need to know our language. Also it is sometimes a problem for those of us who live here. Here is one example: I went to Wal-Mart one day and I asked a young woman in a Wal-Mart smock if she could tell me where the bathroom scales are. She looked at me puzzled and in a thick Spanish accent she said "scales"? I said yes, bathroom scales. She replied "I no understand?". I tried to describe what I meant to no avail. It was very frustrating. I finally found them on my own. Can you imagine though? Here she is working in the US in a customer service job where the majority of her customers speak English and not Spanish. I'm trying to figure out why someone like that would be hired for a customer service position when communication is KEY. This makes no since to me. In any case I do agree with you.
Why aren't Mexicans forced to learn English, shouldn't it be a requirement to be an American?
Everytime I call anywhere, I am forced to decide between Spanish or English. I find that it isn't fair that I am having to cater to them in my own country. Sholdn't is be a law tat they HAVE to Speak fluent English before they can have a Green card?
Why don't American unemployed people go to teach English in other country for a work?
I'm going to answer your question as to why Americans don't teach English overseas. It's not because it is too expensive to travel. You can get reimbursed for that by many countries. It's not that you need special education or a degree or even certification. Nor that you be required to know the language of the country to which you go to teach. Many countries don't require this at all. It's not because the homeless have psychiatric problems or are too old. There aren't that many homeless with mental problems and there are a lot of countries who would prefer teachers who are 50+. Probably because there's less of a chance of their getting wanderer fever and taking off to explore as younger people often do.It's because most Americans don't even think of it. It's not something that will come to the mind of the average American when looking for work. When I was unemployed 8 years ago because of our major recession in 2008, it just never crossed my mind. In point of fact, it's only since I've been on Quora for the past month that I realized it is something I could do without a degree which I don't have. I am well read, well spoken, know my grammar and have been told I'm a great teacher. Two things stop me. I am disabled and collecting disability and am at a point in my life where I don't want to leave what little family I have. If I'd known about this opportunity in the past, when I was younger and more able, I'd have leapt at the chance since I've wanted to travel the world as long as I can remember.But it never even crossed my mind. I think that is why Americans don't go overseas to teach. For that reason and for the reason that they don't want to travel, leave their families or live in a foreign country.Moving away from home is not easy for anyone, and leaving your country for an extended period isn't either. It takes a certain type of person, someone adventurous and open to new things, to up and leave everything they know for a chance to earn money in a country where they may not even know the language.But first, they have to think of it.
How does an American speaking Spanish sound to a native Spanish speaker?
Hhmm, not easy to answer. Yes, they usually sound funny, but we ALL sound funny when speaking non-native languages. It also depends on the proficiency degree of the speaker, of course, but I would say that there are some common factors that contribute to this ‘funniness’ (and, please, do not take offense by what follows; a similar list could be made of Spanish native speakers when speaking English, of French native speakers when speaking Spanish, of German native speakers when speaking….):Most English speakers- not only Americans - have great difficulties in pronouncing Spanish vowels, in particular ‘e’ and ‘o’. They almost always diphthongize them as something like ‘ei’ and ‘ou’ (as in ‘lAke’ and ‘gOAL’). This sounds simply weird to us.Spanish ‘r’ /r/ (as in ‘caro’) and ‘rr’ /rː/ (as in ‘carro’) are invariably uttered with the English ‘r’ /ɹ/ (unless you are Scottish).Voiceless occlusives (‘p’, ‘t’, ‘k’) are systematically pronounced with a ‘puff’ (aspirated), and thus a simple phrase like ‘te quiero’ (/te.’kje.ro/) sounds like /tʰɛj.’kʰjɛ.ɹɔw/Intervocallic ‘d’, ‘g’ and ‘b/v’ are always pronounced as occlusives, when in Spanish they are very soft fricatives (so soft, that often they are almost not heard). So, ‘abogada’ is not pronounced /a.bo.’ga’da/, but /a.βoˈγa.ða/ (or something like “ahwogháhthah”, where the letters ‘gh’ represent a very soft ‘g’ and the letters ‘th’ represent the sound of English ‘weaTHer’).Grammatical genders are often mixed up (e.g. ‘el mano’ instead of ‘la mano’, ‘el pared’ instead of ‘la pared’, etc.).Subject pronouns are often used, when in normal Spanish sentences you don’t use them: ‘yo hablo español’ instead of ‘hablo español’.
USA Nurse: Should I learn Spanish, Korean, or Japanese?
If you are willing to learn two languages at one time, then I suggest you to learn Spanish and Japanese.. Spanish, as you said, before would be a reasonable choice for your career as a nurse. And true, they need a great help in healthcare. By learning Spanish, you can both have advantage for your career and you are helping them who are in need. As for learning Japanese over Korea. Although people in both country speak English, I know that not all Japanese do (especially senior people), plus it's really hard for them to speak English that most people can understand of their pronunciation. They are still feel more comfortbale to speak in their own language. I observe this one healthcare provider in my country, they actually provide translator for Japanese guests. I think it's so professional of them and the Japanese guest looked so pleased and satisfied because of that. As for Korea, I know that more and more people speak English now and it's not really that hard for them to speak English. As a result, more Koreans speak English fluently and without difficulty.. So that's my opinion.. I hope it helps
For ESL Teachers: In order to teach ESL, will I need to know spanish; or other lanuages as well?
Hi! Excellent question! And congrats on your decision to pursue this field! It is soooo fun to be in the ESL field! It is not necessary that you know other languages to teach ESL. There is a large movement towards authentic instruction in the ESL field, where students do task-based activities, which help them to begin to produce the English language in a more natural way. ESL teachers do not do as much traditional instruction anymore, where you would stand in front of the class as the students listen in. This is proven to be less effective in language classes. But because ESL instruction is more authentic now, it helps to have somewhat of a creative spirit! If you like to make up new ideas, lesson plans, and fun activities for students to learn language with, you'll love teaching ESL! But back to the language requirements....as mentioned, no, you don't have to know other languages. If you had, say, 10 ESL students who all spoke 10 different languages, obviously, knowing even just one of them will not help the rest. Also, you don't want to be tempted to talk to them too often in their native tongues, because then it will be easier for them to avoid speaking to you in English.... Having said all of that, usually you will have to learn at least 1 foreign language if you pursue a BA or MA in the ESL field. With a certificate, you may not have to do this. But for the BA or MA, you definitely will. I must recommend my alma mater, the Univ. of Memphis! They have a certificate program, a BA, and an MA in ESL, and you can earn almost all requirements ONLINE! Isn't that amazing?! If you would like to look into this, you'll need to look specifically at the English department on the UofM website: www.memphis.edu Well, I hope that helps you in your ESL journey! Good luck with everything, and happy learning/teaching! ;o)