Job Discussion Forums

[Malsol]

McEFL

Putting aside all prejudice and looking at EF objectively, it has to rightfully be called the McDonald�s of TEFL offering McEF crap jobs at McEF low wages. The London High Court ruled that McDonald�s low wages act to depress the entire industry that does a disservice to the entire community. The same is true of McEF crap jobs at low wages.

That being said, there are plenty of takers for the McJobs just as there are plenty of takers for the McEF jobs. So long as people accept low wages and high hours, the chain will continue to offer the same.

Lest we not forget, McEF is a business first and foremost and the bottom line is profits, not education. McD�s offers fast food, not a nutritious diet. EF does not really stand for English First, it stands for Economics First.

Globalization, McDonaldization, EF? (EF could also stand for �easy f�� because that is what they think of anyone who accepts their McCrap jobs.

McEF is a factory and jobs are factory type assembly line production jobs. If you do not want this kind of work, do not accept their job offer. Beyond that, if you want to negate their adverse effect on the entire EFL market, you must get the word out and warn the newbies away. However, there will always be those backpackers who will accept the job to finance their perpetual vacation, so you are fighting a losing battle.

Frankly, I have no ax to grind with EF either way. I just think we need to be realistic in looking at it as the globalized business that it is, making profit off the slave labor it employs, just like any other successful company that pays low wages.

Does anyone really think that McD�s or Wal-Mart could be successful if they had to pay a humane wage? NO WAY! Their success, and hence profits, are derived from cheap labor, just like the sweatshops, less the sweat. Remember, Wal-Mart is an Arkansas plantation company still laboring under the slave labor mentality of the old cotton fields.

There has to be a better business model but complaining about EF is not going to change anything.

[Shan-Shan]

Many FTs, regardless of how many certifictates/diplomas/degrees they have earned, are just regarded as plain stupid for coming here in the first place. I've heard such veiled comments from the factory where I work. Slights like, "Why are you here when it's so much better in your country...Why don't you go home?... Are you here because you can't find a job in your country?" Many, hopefully most, Chinese teachers know that China is not all that it's made up to be. This makes them wonder, from comments that I've heard, why many of us choose to disembark from the ship many of them want to sail on for this overcrowded, dangerous barge.

Seeing, in their eyes, that we are already fools for coming here, respect for FTs, before any contract negotiation or performance evaluation, is already low. Such a view just might deserve a commensurate wage in many opinions. If we are willing to work in a country where the streets smell of feces and little children are the real masters in the households, how could we get all that upset when the wages don't reach decent? Shouldn't we be happy, instead? The absurb wage is on par with the absurb society in which the wage is earned.

Now, of course I'm not advocating this. And I do know that many Chinese at schools do respect the FTs that deserve respect. However, the country is large, and the many folk are quite bigoted towards those from outside the kingdom, and feel that they can do whatever they like with the foreign chattel. When FTs are willing to be assaulted, groped, work without pay, and accept duties beyond those stipulated in the contract, the cycle of abuse and bad wages will continue. We are our worst enemies here. Many Chinese employees may certainly well know that their behaviour in, say, Canada would not be tolerated; yet it is tolerated by some Canadians in China. One only has to wonder the thrilling surge of power such a boss would have knowing that he/she has broken the Canuck down into something the Canuck abhorred back in Canuck Land.

So complaining about EF are other schools that treat FTs poorly is useful only in warning others about what might await them. But it is the FTs that keep telling themselves "only 11 more months and then I'm free from this hell" which should receive some censure. We weren't born (yet) in Chinese labs in tubes labelled "English Language Acquisition Devices, aka FT", brought into the world to be a disposeable device in the English classroom. Why some FTs should treat themselves this way -- that is, disrespect themselvs, co-workers, ande future co-workers-- is something that needs to be addressed. ESL schools want to make money -- be it here, in Korea or in Canada. The only difference is how far owners feel they can go to exploit the labour that allows itself to be bought so cheaply. If the FT, or some other T., won't accept such treatment, and fellow acronymns don't scab out, then the world of ESL work might begin to improve. When there ain't a teacher, there ain't a class, and there ain't profits.

[saint57]

Good post Shan-Shan, but please bring Ricky back! I was thinking of using Bubbles as my avatar.

[vikdk]

but what are the alternatives - my god I need an alternative - my backpack is full I want to travel -in the name of god-fearing rightous backpackers give me an alternative
After all wasn't this FT industry invented to support my hobby

[william wallace]

That's the stuff I've been saying for a few years openly, but McESL China is even a bit worse than McESL globally. Here's my synopsis:

1993-1998: Students treat you as some strange exotic bird, they buy you gift after gift, dinner after dinner, trip after trip, just to spend time with you outside of the classroom.They rarely focus on the lessons at hand, and prefer to talk politics and religion, but I'd say 25-40% of the students are hard working.

1995-2000: Working in the emmigration game; many misleading documents on education and experience.I eventually learn that I am cheated as much as the clients. I come to see that the Australian and Canadian embassies like to be overly concerned with the T's crossed and i's dotted, and pass the buck at fraudulent cases(paper work?)- At least the 10-15 cases I appealed to them to review. I turn down( 6 times) marriage for money for Canadian citizenship.The first time was a young Dong Bei gal for 30,000 USD, the last one was for 12,000 CDN. Funny enough,new Chinese and Canadian/Aussie policies lead to fewer companies with much lower fees-I leave this BS game during this time.

1998-2003: Join IELTS, 14 examiners for North China-A really cool job! Then they hire more examiners and change the test completely to what we have today. By 2001 they have something like 120 examiners, and the prestige we once held starts to go down, what with the increasing number of boses and policies/rules we have to follow, and the training courses ceasing , as there are too many examiners.I now begin to see how much business and politicking is involved in this ELT(Teaching and Testing).

2000-2006: China has become the blinking neon ELT market, salaries have gone up a bit, but the quality of student is becoming so frustrating with students being overtly disrespectful, schools are popping up everywhere(including the big chains) to suck up that surplus wealth set aside for training.I and my close group of friends tell strangers anything other than being in ELT.I stop giving out business cards, and no longer use a mobile phone.
Summation:
Pure BS, but if you get more education and go into International schools, or specialize(Montessori) you will still have BS,but can make a Western wage, and carry it to your home country.
Yes. Malsol, it is a McJob, and yes, ELT is McBS. The ELT golden days 1970- 1990 are gone for good.

[Brian Caulfield]

Shan Shan , this is not altogether true . Foreigners are a threat to the Chinese English teacher . The more of us that bolt the better it is for them . What is the classic line they tell us ," We need to prepare the students for the tests." Now these test have nothing to do with what they are being taught . But only a Chinese English teacher can help the students pass these obscure insipid outdated exams .

[Shan-Shan]

I agree that many Chinese English teachers (the comments in my intial post actually came from some Computer Science teachers) are fearful of our presence. A couple of months ago, I posted a message about my attempts to organize a monthly meeting with all English teachers at the school, foreign and local, to exchange ideas on teaching/experiences in the classroom. Another FT at the factory mentioned that he had been speaking with a Chinese English teacher who thought that my idea deserved implementation, but feared he could not support it. The CT was afraid othat his and other CT's true English ability would be exposed, and that their jobs could be in jeopardy.

Only shows that many Chinese teachers themselves know they can't use English, let alone teach it. As for the test preparation, students could do it themselves without attending class. Just read the books, and listen to the tapes. The seven CT classes I observed really did not need the teacher. A recording of someone with better pronunciation reciting the dictionary would have sufficed.

[vikdk]

fellow teachers - during my years of reading this fine upstanding forum I have seen some of our illustrious posters pointing out that the a good personality is the only neccessary credential needed to become an FT - however some of those good unqualified inexperienced young people (you know the type with good hygiene, who trim their hair regularly and how wouldn't welch on contract under the most severe forms of physical torture) who wish to travel feel a tad nervous - you know lacking confidence - which is not supprising when you think about how many darn commies there probably are in Red China. Well the point of my post is that those wonderful institutes like EF apparently do a fine job in moulding our youth into the role of FT - and that we must ignore that lousy pay in deference to letting our youth train themselves for the greatest vocation of all - going forth to spread the word of English.
If these crappy low paying mills are countered surely the commies will win - what is the alternative

[saint57]

Keep it on Randy!

[william wallace]

You mentioned the word "vocation", are you sure you wouldn't give the word vacation a try ?
Cheers

[vikdk]

Me chinese mill manager - big man boss she tell look company EF get white monkey nice cheap - you stop bad to EF - what alternative - expensive monkey - big boss man she no like alternative

william wallace you is bad bad man - this is workers paradise

[Lobster]

Nan ren bu huai, nu ren bu ai.

Glad to see your Chinglish is coming along vikdk.

RED

[vikdk]

big man boss she like idea of monkey called RED - she say plenty shopping center here you sing okey kokey song - you get plenty customer big man boss she give 32RMB/hour

what alternative RED comerade - EF standard starting package only 31.5RMB/hour

[vikdk]

hey mannnnnnnnnnn - I'm that back packer from post 4 in this thread - that okey kokey job looks great - and good wages better than that EF 31.5RMB/hour - good alternative.
Hey I'm out of weed gotta go out - ill give you a mail when I get back

wowwww and some guys here at daves have been moaning about finding alternatives to EF

[Lobster]

Monkey dance
Monkey sing
Monkey clown for boss man king
Monkey like the monkey pay
Monkey think EF ok

Monkey see
Monkey do
Boss banana monkey threw
Monkey happy
Monkey smile
Monkey leave his sh1t in pile

RED