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creeper1
Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Posts: 481
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan
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 Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 1:06 am Post subject: China - the next big thing in ESL? |
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It is said that in the 1990s that Japan was the place to teach ESL. The economy was good and people had money to spend learning English.
Then things went south and these days competition makes finding a job very tough there. Freebies like paid accomodation and flights got cut.  It is expensive etc.
So another country took the place of Japan and went crazy over English. They were and are a huge employer of NETs.
I don't want to talk about this country (clue - this country is close to China) and get the thread locked but some people are predicting this country is the next Japan. That is things are heading south.
So is China worth all the hype?
Is ESL a growing field over there?
I have my doubts because it took a lot of looking for me to secure my Chinese position and it really isn't that great of a position.
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waterloo_jamie_m
Joined: 08 Jan 2012
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:11 am Post subject: |
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| If you're not going to provide all the details regarding your own topic of discussion then how can anyone comment on it? Are we supposed to infer your meaning and intent? If it is about China, then say so. If it isn't, then it doesn't belong in this forum (is this your meaning about getting the thread locked?). |
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MNguy
Joined: 01 Feb 2010
Posts: 129
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:34 am Post subject: |
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| waterloo_jamie_m wrote: |
| If you're not going to provide all the details regarding your own topic of discussion then how can anyone comment on it? Are we supposed to infer your meaning and intent? If it is about China, then say so. If it isn't, then it doesn't belong in this forum (is this your meaning about getting the thread locked?). |
He was talking about Korea, but to talk about Korea, you must post in the Korean forum. |
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igorG
Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 1473
Location: asia
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 4:32 am Post subject: |
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| In late 1990s, or perhaps on the beginning of the new millennium, it was the hype in China. The ballyhoo is over and die-hardism, which is growing, has taken over. What is worthwhile is that you may revive a few hearts around. |
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creeper1
Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Posts: 481
Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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No. I don't necessarily want to talk about Korea or Japan. Other than to say that in some countries interest in ESL peaks then fades.
I am talking about the theory that China and South East Asia block adopt English as the official way of doing business and business gets going thus creating a demand for ESL. |
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Zero
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 2:22 pm Post subject: |
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I predict that the China market will stay about like it is for quite a few years to come. Demand will be high, but employers won't require many qualifications, and they won't pay much. I don't see any major factors on the horizon that would change that.
Last edited by Zero on Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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igorG
Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 1473
Location: asia
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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| creeper1 wrote: |
| I am talking about the theory that China and South East Asia block adopt English as the official way of doing business and business gets going thus creating a demand for ESL. |
English language is a money maker in China. Kindergartens without it charge a few hundred monthly but with it often more than a few thousand per kid. This doesn't change in primary or secondary education, and the schools most certainly do not share the profits with FTs. The demand for FTs is most often driven by business as oppose to educational needs and the requirements of FTs are either business or students motivating oriented. Nowhere there in the system seems to lie a plan to bring in English as the actual second language in the country, even though they now teach from pre-kindergartens all the way to higher education. Amazingly, few around can actually use the langauge, which proves the local ESL isn't for education but business. It's a shame how the local ESL market has been treated.
Amen |
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milkweedma
Joined: 19 Nov 2006
Posts: 151
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| Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:48 am Post subject: |
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| Only if salaries ever increase or the RMB is floated will it be worthwhile. |
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Old Surrender
Joined: 01 Jun 2009
Posts: 393
Location: The World's Largest Tobacco Factory
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| Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:18 am Post subject: |
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| The money will never match the gimbop peninsula's salaries. Also, the standard of living is much higher there. I've mulled jumping from here to there several times the past few years but my friends in the world's largest kimchi factory are saying the good times are in their demise. |
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Lobster
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 2040
Location: Somewhere under the Sea
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| Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:47 am Post subject: |
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People I've known who've worked in both places tell me the people are more xenophobic, the students of lower caliber and the bosses more devious and demanding in the land of dog munchers.
RED |
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imjustme
Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 28
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| Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 4:44 pm Post subject: Slowly but Surely . . . |
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| milkweedma wrote: |
| Only if salaries ever increase or the RMB is floated will it be worthwhile. |
Salaries are increasing, if my own in-country experience is anything to go by. Five thousand RMB/mo. is beginning to look a thing of the past: position yourself right, and you'll get 6000+. Honestly, a non-native speaker joined us here at my Nanjing college just yesterday, and he's at 6500/mo. without a college degree. Demand these wages and you'll get them, if not initially offered them.
The RMB is floating too, just not as fast as we'd like. I think the Chinese are handling this very adroitly: too swift an appreciation would shut down too many businesses overnight, resulting in unemployment and social disorder. Revaluation of the RMB is being managed long-term, in classically Chinese fashion. They waited decades to retake HK and Macao, and they'll take decades more to revalue their currency and democratize. Give it time. But going from 6.8 to 6.3 in the past few years is no small matter.
Back in 2002, having taught for a year in a country bordering China's northeast, I began looking online at China jobs and was horrified. I kept looking at the RMB wage, doing an online currency conversion, and seeing that I'd be making about 200 USD a month. Having just spent $2000 on a new computer, I could see only too clearly that working in China would mean no tech shopping ever again, no luxuries, no money saved. All that's changed now, of course, if, again, not as fast as we'd like. But looking ahead--yes, the future seems fair.
To Lobster: dogmeat hot pot was on the menu at the restaurant where I ate just last night, though without Chinese reading ability you'd have missed it, at a place only advertising its chicken. So let's not be too hard on a country bordering China, west of the Sea of Japan, which also chows down on canines. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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| OP, hey, we're in the same city! I think China is the next big thing. I've found a couple jobs that pay similar what I make here in Suwon, plus give housing and the chance to do IELTS. |
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ecubyrd94
Joined: 25 Aug 2011
Posts: 77
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| Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:51 am Post subject: |
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| Lobster wrote: |
People I've known who've worked in both places tell me the people are more xenophobic, the students of lower caliber and the bosses more devious and demanding in the land of dog munchers.
RED |
Taught there for 5 years. There is some (maybe a lot of) truth to what you have heard.
Things are not looking good for the public school NETs there. I got the heads up a couple of years ago from my school that NETs were going to be phased out altogether in the coming years. I took that as my cue that enough had been enough and packed up and came on over to China.
With that being said, I have found myself teaching the Han here,  . |
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RiverMystic
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 1986
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| Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 5:38 pm Post subject: Re: Slowly but Surely . . . |
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| imjustme wrote: |
| milkweedma wrote: |
| Only if salaries ever increase or the RMB is floated will it be worthwhile. |
Salaries are increasing, if my own in-country experience is anything to go by. Five thousand RMB/mo. is beginning to look a thing of the past: position yourself right, and you'll get 6000+. Honestly, a non-native speaker joined us here at my Nanjing college just yesterday, and he's at 6500/mo. without a college degree. Demand these wages and you'll get them. |
Sorry, but 6500 was crud ten years ago, and it's still crud now. In any decent sized city it will barely pay the rent. The rent for my place in BJ was 5500, for example. If you are a uni grad or an acid attack victim looking for a break in the modeling industry, it will look good, however. |
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TechTeacher
Joined: 07 Feb 2012
Posts: 20
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:53 am Post subject: Re: Slowly but Surely . . . |
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| RiverMystic wrote: |
| imjustme wrote: |
| milkweedma wrote: |
| Only if salaries ever increase or the RMB is floated will it be worthwhile. |
Salaries are increasing, if my own in-country experience is anything to go by. Five thousand RMB/mo. is beginning to look a thing of the past: position yourself right, and you'll get 6000+. Honestly, a non-native speaker joined us here at my Nanjing college just yesterday, and he's at 6500/mo. without a college degree. Demand these wages and you'll get them. |
Sorry, but 6500 was crud ten years ago, and it's still crud now. In any decent sized city it will barely pay the rent. The rent for my place in BJ was 5500, for example. If you are a uni grad or an acid attack victim looking for a break in the modeling industry, it will look good, however. |
Whats the average rent in Beijing? |
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