I refer to the letter from Philip Li, headlined, 'Local teachers do a great job' (South China Morning Post, May 17). I think local teachers do a great job too.
The pros and cons of native English teachers have been widely debated before.
In Hong Kong an appropriate period of time will be required before the Native English-speaking Teachers (NET) scheme which is still in its infancy can be assessed for its benefits.
In other countries such as Japan, native English teachers have been valued for many years for the exposure students get to another culture as well as the language acquisition.
I am sorry that Philip Li has difficulty with English spoken by Australian teachers. Accents and pronunciation can vary widely within English-speaking countries.
American English spoken by Californians may be familiar to some thanks to Hollywood, but if your teacher came from a southern state, rural America or even New York then you could be wishing you had your Australian teacher back.
It is up to the Education Department to recruit teachers with standard English pronunciation and clear delivery.
