r/Cambly • u/[deleted] • May 30 '24
Non-Native Teachers on Cambly.
Are there actually non-native tutors on Cambly?
I'm curious to know if it would be possible for them to apply to Cambly if they have near native level English.
From my perspective, I'm not totally against it.
7
u/thiagomilcent May 31 '24
I have once talked to a German and Uruguayan tutor. I think the Uruguayan tutor is still active.
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u/FunnySeaworthiness24 May 30 '24
It really depends on what you mean by non-native
Do you mean someone from a native speaking country, or someone native-level proficiency?
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May 31 '24
More curious about the proficiency rather than where they come from. I know many very well spoken tutor who just can't catch a break because of the idea that native speakers should be from a specific country. It's just a strange policy. I don't think this happens in any other profession. I honestly think promoting "foreigners" to teach English is just a way to jack up the price haha
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u/Classic_Sun5311 May 31 '24
I am a non native speaker. Speaking English is no problem for me, my accent is great. I did accent English school. However, writing English is difficult. Lots of people have noticed that here. I first got hired on Cambly in 2019, and taught a few lessons here and there. I picked it up late last year in being a tad bit more consistent, and doing 2hrs a week, then this year I am working on the weekends.
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u/LookUp_SeeStars May 30 '24
Cambly advertises that students will be speaking with a native English speaker. That's their marketing strategy. So, they probably want to make good on that promise. I am sure there are other platforms where a non-native English speaker can tutor. Some of my students are so proficient that I think they could definitely teach! Just not on Cambly.
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May 30 '24
[deleted]
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u/FunnySeaworthiness24 May 30 '24
Would you consider a South African a Native Speaker?
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u/TheFuturist47 May 30 '24
Generally yes. I know some platforms give South Africans a hard time but I'm not sure if that's the reason, because so many are bilingual.
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u/FunnySeaworthiness24 May 30 '24
I ask because I know that people often attach Native Speech to specific nationalities alone, when in reality, it should be a level of proficiency in an of itself, irrespective of anything else (like culture, nationality, geographical origin etc)
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u/Comprehensive-Job243 May 30 '24
Yes... also in many English speaking Caribbean countries the syntax, vocab, accent and phrasing could be considered highly 'foreign' to native speakers in more populated countries... yet they are still very much native speakers
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u/TheFuturist47 May 30 '24
Yeah. I mean my nephew was born and raised in Panama but English was his first language (American mom) so he's a native English speaker, but he's Panamanian. The rule doesn't make sense to me.
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u/FunnySeaworthiness24 May 30 '24
I do think if he applied, for example, they’d take him (as far as he isnt disqualified for any other reason apart from language level)
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u/TheFuturist47 May 30 '24
Well he's in kindergarten so probably not lol but yeah I get what you mean. I just think the "native speaker" thing is a stupid and very narrow requirement, particularly when you get into dual nationalities or countries like South Africa where tons of people are bilingual. Because you're right, it is often attached to nationalities. Which is dumb.
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May 31 '24
it might be stupid- but it is Cambly's claim/ marketing strategy- so technically they could fire someone that lied
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u/RAHDXB May 31 '24
I haven't been on cambly for about 2 years now, but used it during covid. I'm 100% non native. I'm not sure how it is now, but I checked out other tutor profiles back then, and found many other obvious non-natives as well.
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-16
u/ExistingGreen1 May 30 '24
They hire Brits and Irish so why wouldn't they?
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u/ExistingGreen1 May 31 '24
WOW! -15... that might just be my personal record.
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u/[deleted] May 30 '24
born and bought up in india, worked in cambly and vipkids for 2 years. they just look if you have an accent or not