Job Discussion Forums

[Denim-Maniac]

But bearing in mind we have all the things people normally have on their checklist for things they want ... Yangshuo should be a recommendation for almost everyone. Id be very very reluctant to go anywhere else in China TBH. For newbies even more so as its probably the easiest place in China to live, without many of the difficulties found elsewhere.

[RalphReggin]

i like to play darts is there any place where a man can find a darts game ? i like to go to bars / taverns ,, im going to be heading for china when i finish my degree and i want a place that is not too diferent from where i live now,,i live in ala. right now born and raised,, i know it will be diferent i most ways but i do want a place with taverns

[rogerwilco]

[dean_a_jones]

[RalphReggin]

Do you understand what I'm saying? A tavern enviroment , I am looking for a place with that . Would any town have small bars like that or would it only be the big cities that has american style places like that ? I can deal with a lot of change in moving from one place to another , diferent type foods and such don't bother me ,but that is one thing I need to feel comfortable in the new place , is a good bar . i dont think im asking too much im sure any place with a good number of foregners would have bars caterring to them, am i right ?

[Kanada_Goose]

I was not aware of the North vs South ideology....but I guess staying 'north' of the river might be better...??

From what I have read to date, I was fairly confident that CELTA was the only real alternative...I say this because, anything else from my understanding...would not be adequate...am I to understand something less than that should be suitable to obtain employment ?

Yangshuo you say ?

I appreciate all the advice folks...it is very informative..

[Denim-Maniac]

A CELTA or similar isnt essential for employment in most places, but it will prepare you/train you for the job. (depending on the type of work you secure of course...it probably isnt much use if you take a kindergarten job). Teaching English does have its own challenges ... taking a course to learn how to approach the job is never a bad thing, and although there are many posts that suggest you should save your money and skip it ... having some sort of training and suitable qualification is NEVER a bad thing, and should be encouraged IMO.

And yep...you're right about the online options...and you can include weekend courses in the 'useless' category too. You'd be better buying a book like 'Learning Teaching' by Jim Scrivener rather than taking the online/weekend option.

[RalphReggin]

ive been asking around on the diferent threads ,, was kind of warned off of spain do to not having the cetla and ue citizenship ,, have pit in a request on the Middle east form and will see what they say but in their form it sounds like most need a ma or cetla or both ,, looks like it may be china after all which frankly is the one that apeels to me the most any way

[sainthood]

[Denim-Maniac]

I dont think there is much in the way of Uni's here. Guilin has at least one I think...but its 60+km away / 1.5 hours by bus. The benefits of easy living in Yangshuo are probably/possibly confined only to Yangshuo. Guilin was pretty much like any small Chinese city that Ive been to.

I work in a training centre in Yangshuo, where the pay is notoriously low. Its probably not the place for anyone who needs to do serious saving/has debts/has family. Because of the amount of training schools and foreigners here, there isnt much call for private tutoring work either TBH.

However, I believe the low pay is partly countered by the lower cost of living here. The example of cheeseburger, chips and a large beer at 28RMB is less than half the cost I paid for a similar burger in a similar Western bar in Haikou in 2008. (I dont eat cheeseburgers all the time BTW...thats just a typical illustration.)

I teach adults only....typical class size of 6 students. I only take 2 x 90 minute classes per day...none of which are ever scheduled for evenings or weekends...and I have no office hours. Its a very sweet gig for me.

I recently considered applying for Wall Street in SZ. Their advert stated 11200 per month pre-tax, no housing included. But that was for 25 hours a week plus 5 office hours. Majority of classes are evenings and weekends, in a noisy city Vs small town, with a higher cost of living. It was a no-brainer for me. I live about 300 metres from my school too and I doubt Id be able to do that in SZ.

If you PM me Ill tell you my salary details, but Im wary about posting them here...contract terms etc...but yes, salary is quite low here. I just feel that the overall package makes up for that. My employer isnt perfect...but Im on my second contract here...two teachers have just returned here after several months absence....one older couple are here for their 6th contract so it cant all be bad.

[dannyb87]

Online tesol diplomas are not a waste of time, I did a 120 hour diploma in young learners and after only one day of completing it I got a job in a private state school in China.

[Denim-Maniac]

I accepted my first job in 2006, conditional upon completing a TEFL cert of any kind. I chose a popular online course. When I started the job I had to house share with another guy who had secured exactly the same job without any course whatsoever.

Fact was.....I could have secured that job without any course...online or other. An online cert is rarely a deal clincher...There is a very real chance you could have gotten you job either with or without your online certification. Most employers who will accept an online course will also accept you without one.

In 2008 I completed a Trinity Cert TESOL. Without a doubt it was worth the investment and the difference between it and my online course is considerable, especially in how it has improved my teaching practice. An online course is better than nothing...but is not any better than buying the oft recommended book 'Learning Teaching' by Scrivener, and a couple of the 'How to...' books by Scott Thornbury.

This thread was started with the question how important a CELTA etc is for China...the truth is that in terms of securing most jobs here...its isnt very important at all. But in giving you the skills to do the job...I personally think its very important.

I also work as a course trainer in China, and I couldnt have secured that job without my Trinity cert. I should also say the cert wasnt the only thing I needed though ... several years of teaching practice based on the skills learnt on said course was also important.

[Non Sequitur]

Denim has nailed it in my view.
Firstly the confidence it gives you to perform from the get go in what seems to be (to a newbie) a chaotic situation.
Secondly, if you want to progress into management roles - DOS etc in the chains a qualification is essential. A lot of work (for DOS) is getting poorly performing or overwhelmed teachers into their stride.

[PathToChina]

I think Hunan Province does have some of the best places to live but also TRAVEL. The landscape there is pretty amazing and while located in the south region of China, it does provide easy access to the numerous SE Asian countries as well.

There are tons of places to live and work in China but I would definitely avoid BJ, SH, SZ as they as just big cities to get lost in and not really enjoy the REAL Chinese experience.

Hope this helps!

[stinkytofu]