Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

New Zealand "attraction"
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Australia/New Zealand
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
artemisia



Joined: 04 Nov 2008
Posts: 875
Location: the world

PostPosted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

..

Last edited by artemisia on Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:23 am; edited 2 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2011 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Poster hellionzap. I am about to move to Oman with my Omani partner � we have two young children.
All very warm and cuddly at the moment, but back in Oman � who knows?
I�ve Googled that a solo parent of two like you living in Auckland NZ would get (including an accommodation allowance) about NZ$510 after tax per week as a dole payment.
Totally uncaring, narrow-minded, baby-like and unsympathetic levels of support I know, but that�s NZ for you!
I know from your comments that in Oman, I will be loved and respected most wonderfully - but hey I will need cash.
If you can give me the address of the Omani Social Services office just in case, that would be great. Any idea of the levels of social support I can expect if things turn to humus in Oman would help too.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2011 7:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The ranking of universities is usually by the research funds they have available.
The quality of the teaching and staff/student ratios which is what most 4 year bachelor students experience, isn�t part of the ranking.
That highly sought-after place in a high ranked US university may be a direct result of the several million US$ Pentagon research grant to build a better neutron bomb.
But hey if a bachelors humanities degree from a ranked school enhances your job prospects why should you worry about WMC?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frankly



Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Sat May 07, 2011 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Last edited by frankly on Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:53 am; edited 8 times in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mmcmorrow



Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Posts: 143
Location: New Zealand

PostPosted: Wed May 18, 2011 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll just reiterate what I said in a few postings last year and the year before. These anonymous digs at NZ don't come across as credible to me, because they're exaggerated, as well as somewhat vague and random.

NZ isn't perfect, but nowhere else is. The employment laws here, for instance, are essentially just the same as in a number of other countries - ie an uneasy balance between the interests of employees (eg a minimum wage) and employers (eg workers can now be dismissed in first six months with minimal fuss). Whether or not this is the right balance is a political question - up for discussion here every three years at the general election, at which every permanent resident (ie not only citizens, as in most countries) has a vote. As a result, the laws are regularly revised (as they were last year) depending on the political mood. If you don't like them, you can join a political party or union and campaign against them. If your opinion is so obviously right, it won't take long to win people over. Otherwise, you can just whinge to your heart's content - although that's hardly going to improve your mood! What I don't get is why is this so very 'shocking'? Compared to what? China? Iran? ...

I've been in Auckland for 6 years now, having previously lived and worked in language teaching in several other cities. Life's been good here - very friendly people, good professional opportunities and plenty of things to do. This week, for instance, I've been to the international comedy festival twice, played soccer with a group of guys from the UK, NZ, the Middle East and S. America, and taken part in a music session hosted by a fellow fiddler at her home. Over the last week, one Kiwi friend has lent me her van for a month so that I can move my furniture around; another gave me a music centre, as my amplifier had died. My neighbours pop round for a chat and to see how things are going. Stop Press: Kiwis found to be friendly, generous, welcoming, open-minded .. ! So, what's not to like?!

I know a lot of migrants from the UK and Asia here. Most of them knew exactly why they were coming here and are not disappointed. The only real drawback is that it's a small country with a small economy. So, the main reason people go over to work in Australia etc is because the pay's better and there's greater mobility - ie several cities of a million plus rather than just one. Nothing wrong with that - I go over to Oz from time to time myself. It's all good. There is a bit of concern about young people going over to Oz, but then again, as a New Zealand premier once famously remarked, in making the move they're often raising the average IQ of both countries!

Here's an old story about what to make of people's opinions about the places they've lived in:

A traveller stopped and asked an old man, seated by the side of the road, between two cities, 'What is the next city like? Are the people friendly? Is there much to do?' The old man thought for a moment and asked, 'How did you find the last city you are coming from?' 'Oh God, that place!' the traveller said, 'I'll never set foot in it again. The people are horrible and there's absolutely nothing to do'. 'I'm afraid,' the old man said, 'that you'll find the next city much the same'.

Sometime later another traveller stopped and asked the old man about the next city. Again he asked, 'How did you find the last city you are coming from?'. The traveller replied, 'It was hard to leave all my friends behind. And I'll miss my life there. It was such a friendly and fun place to be.' 'I'm glad to say,' the old man replied, 'you'll find the next city much the same.'
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frankly



Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2011 12:40 am    Post subject: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Reply with quote

yawn

Last edited by frankly on Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:07 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2011 7:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Try Migration Watch UK for countless incidences of reverse racism.
At least NZ is a sovereign nation and theoretically able to fix its own problems.
The EU now dictates what the UK does.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frankly



Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2011 8:36 am    Post subject: lovely scenery zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Reply with quote

yawn

Last edited by frankly on Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:09 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2011 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well the worst, most boorish behaviour I witnessed in China was from a compatriot of yours Frankly.
From a teaching, cultural and simply interpersonal relations way, it was horrible and bullying.
So take your pick.
Best
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frankly



Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2011 8:41 pm    Post subject: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz yawn Reply with quote

yawn....

Last edited by frankly on Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:10 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 7:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm sorry but if one views your whole 8 posts they are all rants.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
frankly



Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 8:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

yawn

Last edited by frankly on Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:13 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mmcmorrow



Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Posts: 143
Location: New Zealand

PostPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 11:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I believe that claims like:

�[New Zealand is a] depressing place with narrow naive and bullying ways. Shocking workforce and employment laws and no opportunity�.

tell us much more about the person making the claim than they do about New Zealand.

I believe that anyone coming to New Zealand will find that employment legislation and workplace culture are pretty similar to other Western countries. I haven't seen any evidence that they're substantially different.

The same goes for Union membership - some organisations probably frown on it, others put up with it, some welcome it. Just as in other Western countries.

At Massey University, where I work, it's absolutely no impediment to promotion etc to be a Union member. Several members of the Senior Management team are members of the same union (the TEU) that I belong to. We have regular meetings on campus and I haven't seen any Secret Police monitoring attendance yet. Though the college registrar did supply an exceedingly gooey cake for our MayDay Union meeting last week. Should I read something into that? Anyway, I'm glad I joined and I've got absolutely no reason to hide the fact that I'm a card-carrying member of the Tertiary Education Union. If people feel this makes me 'dumb', so be it. Dumb I may be, but I've still got a job.

Unfortunately, many of our colleagues in ChCh don't have jobs. That's nothing to do with employment legislation, union membership etc and everything to do with the fact that the industry has been badly hit by the effects of earthquakes. EFL / ESOL jobs in ChCh are scarce and the immediate prospects are not good. Some of the schools up here in Auckland have taken on staff from Christchurch - others might have to move elsewhere or do something else while the numbers of international students remain fairly low there.

The national job market in NZ is not huge anyway and there are many well-qualified local teachers so it's not exactly a global destination for EFL / ESOL teachers right now. Having said that, there are some jobs around if you're in the right place at the right time - several local language schools here in Auckland are often looking for teachers on (at least) a temporary basis - or for Celta tutors etc. So it's not all doom and gloom.

Martin McMorrow, Massey University
Executive Committee member of TESOLANZ and ATLAANZ
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The post counter now has you at 9 posts and the Aust/NZ, Vietnam and Cambodia ones (which are all I can see) follow a certain approach which I have referred to as 'rants'.
I was wrong to use the word 'compatriot', as you have identified yourself as NZ.
The person I was referring to as being the worst behaved I had encountered in 3 years in China, was a Brit and female too as it happens.
If anyone needs a good outlet for negative comment about NZ there is a dedicated site - 'expat exposed' I think it's called.
Enjoy.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri May 20, 2011 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mmcmorrow
That sticky cake - a dead giveaway I'd say Laughing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Australia/New Zealand All times are GMT
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5  Next
Page 4 of 5

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China