Job Discussion Forums

[muffintop]

[davelister]

[dirtybird1980]

Well, for what it's worth, sorry I didn't feel like doing a spell check or grammar check after I wrote my piece after going through training all day.

And for the record, I wanted to address every major corcern and answer every question that people had about SZIPTC, so that's the reason why I wrote a lot (I'm not sure if there's been a scientific study done to prove this, but I bet any scientist can prove that the amount a person writes is directionally proportional to the amount that person wishes to write).

And I will say I misspoke, I checked the big bag of rice I have this morning and it's 10 kilos-22.5 lbs. So for spring festival we all got a big bag and a little bag (about 1/3 the size of the big bag) and then for May Day we got another big bag but not a smaller bag. the last big bottle of vegetable oil I got from my school was 5.4 liters. So sorry for earlier, I misspoke (again too tired to see if I spelled incorrectly or if "misspoke" is even a word) earlier and I'm sorry for that.

If you have any more questions about SZIPTC, post them here so that I can try and answer them. If the only thing people have against SZIPTC is that I don't proof-read my posts and we don't get 50 lbs. of rice at a time but instead get 50 lbs. of rice over the course of a year, then fine, whatever. it's your decision.

[dirtybird1980]

*It's

[muffintop]

When a dude makes his first post and it's in defense of a school and has awkwardly phrased English in addition to that whole their/there thing......yeah I tend to be more than a bit skeptical. Then there is the great plan to just have faith that everything will be OK.....

[Javelin of Radiance]

[Javelin of Radiance]

[tin man]

I think that this school is legit. I spoke with a foreign teacher at length and he seems quite happy.

I finally did pull the trigger and ended up in S. China after giving up on the USA job market and the ridiculous lowball salaries for sales these days. However, I went with a diffent school. For what it is worth, I don't know how to cook rice lol

[wangdaning]

The only thing I found awkward about the English was the use of the adverb extremely. Other things were just common mistakes that most people make.

Calling someone Chinese, ie implying they are a liar, because they write "I extremely like it" is a bit over the top.

On a side note was asking my wife about the rice discussion here. She said if someone really liked their rice they could eat 15 kg per month. People who just normally eat rice with meals would be about half of that.

[haopengyou]

Very interesting discussion. I also work for the SIPTC. No, I am not Chinese I have not found any significant problems with this company. The recruiter was very cordial and professional, though the scope of the recruiter's job is very limited - just interview me, get the paperwork together and turn it over to the SIPTC. I was picked up at the HK airport, as agreed, at almost midnight, taken to a hotel and then "processed" to finalize the visa. If you are not familiar with the Chinese requirements, just ask. It did take them a couple of weeks to get me assigned to a school but I chalked that up to not arriving at the beginning of the year or semester. The SIPTC's job is basically to keep me here legally and pay me, which they have done, and after that they turned me over to the school where I was to be teaching. The school is responsible for dealing with the day to day logistics of the foreign teacher. This is the part of the equation that seems to have the complex variable. From conversations I have had with other teachers in the system, some schools expected the FT to have a high degree of independence while others are more willing to provide more help. Overall, pay has always been given before their promised date. They are not the model of efficiency but in the more than 8 years that I have been in China, the situation is one of the most consistent that I have been in - it still could be improved (I am not trying to be an ad for this place but trying to undo some of the damage done. It is a good opportunity for the RIGHT person.) The rice, oil and toilet paper and whatever else that the other poster was talking about are given by the school you are assigned to. Some (most, I think) schools provide free breakfast and lunch. In addition to these things, I have also been given fresh fruit 3 times.

It is not an international school teaching job, so if you require the same degree of detail and service that you would find in an international school you will be disappointed. If you require/want a large amount of help, you are better off getting a job with one of the private language schools that hire 6 or more FT. They have their advantages and disadvantages as well. They usually hire one Chinese person full time to help out their FT staff.

The biggest complaint that I have heard from other teachers is about the class size. They are Chinese public schools and class sizes range from 40 to 50+ students and usually do not provide an aid or interpretor...and no, Chinese students are not quiet, respectful little human beings that are just so anxious to study English that they stay up all night doing their homework. If you believe this, you have been watching too many Charly Chan films - do not come to China, do not pass go, do not collect $200 . They are spoiled and easily bored. The FT is expected to provide an "exciting classroom experience" to help the students learn English. To balance the picture, the kids are pretty good to work with IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT EXPECTATIONS. You will find this kind of expectation (exciting classroom experience) almost anywhere in China. The other common complaint is that some schools expect the FT to have curriculum to teach oral English, which is what almost all FT do here, so they do not provide a text. I am sure they would help in this area if you asked (I have not had this experience).

In summary, not everyone is well suited to live and teach in China. Some people are better off looking to other parts of the world. Korea seems to have more government intervention in the FT picture - friends I have talked to who worked there have given me the impression that jobs across the board are pretty stable, and living there without knowing the language (according to them) is easier than living in China without knowing Chinese. The three people that I know personally who have worked in SE Asia have all shared stories of corruption and grief but I have met a number of people in youth hostels in China that enjoy(ed) their experience there. Japan seems to be a stable work and life environment but the requirements for teaching there are likely to be higher than in other places...and, then again, there is also the Middle East.

Choose your poison, but research your options carefully.

This is my 2 cents worth.

So....how was my grammar?