A Comparative Study On The Qualities Of Foreign Language Teachers’ Embodied In Job Advertisements From China And The U.S.

Of the many factors in education, teachers play a central role, hence,teachers’ qualities should be paid great attention to. From the perspective ofteacher recruiting advertisements, the present research compares the requirementsfor teachers from China and the U. S. It aims to explore different professionalqualities of middle school foreign language teachers in both countries.In the thesis,100American teacher-selection advertisements and100Chineseteacher-selection advertisements, all published in2013, are collected respectivelyfrom four American recruitment websites and four Chinese recruitment websites.This thesis uses eight variables manifested both in Chinese and American teacher-selection advertisements, and makes a quantitative analysis of them by usingExcel software.The analysis shows that American and Chinese foreign language teacher-selection criteria differ significantly. First, American schools have detailed andoperational requirements for foreign language teachers while Chinese schoolshave general and abstract requirements. Second, Chinese schools restrictcandidates’ residence, age, gender, appearance, teaching experience, schoolscandidates attended, which is not found in the U.S. Third, The minimaleducational requirements in China and America are Junior College Degree andBachelor degree respectively. Fourth, as a mandatory requirement, teachercertification in the U.S. is explained in detail and systematically, emphasizingcomprehensive qualities and professional development. However, teachercertification in China is not necessarily mandatory and it is only intended forteacher candidates once for all. It fails to effectively examine candidates’ qualitiesand promote their continuous development. Fifth, Chinese schools emphasizecandidates’ moral state while American schools stress candidates’ professionalability. Sixth, work ethics in China is abstract and teacher-centered while in the U.S. it is specific and student-centered. Seventh, Chinese candidates are requiredto be knowledgeable even though no examinations have been set to check thisquality. Eighth, Chinese schools pay great attention to candidates’ teaching abilitywhile American schools stress both language teaching ability and other abilities.By comparing foreign language teachers’ qualities embodied in Sino-US jobadvertisements, it is expected that the findings may provide a couple ofimplications for the study on the cultivation, selection and professionaldevelopment of foreign language teachers in China. Besides, it may help schoolsrecruit better teachers and teacher hunters have rules to follow.