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panman36
Joined: 04 Jun 2008 Posts: 48
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Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 5:39 pm Post subject: Best and worst markets for teaching |
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I know it's kind of a vague question. So I'd like people to answer as they see fit. I guess you could consider supply and demand; salary and cost and quality of living; many other things... So if you were to set down in China, where would you go? Where would you avoid?  |
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Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010 Posts: 1339
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Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 10:32 pm Post subject: Re: Best and worst markets for teaching |
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panman36 wrote: |
I know it's kind of a vague question. So I'd like people to answer as they see fit. I guess you could consider supply and demand; salary and cost and quality of living; many other things... So if you were to set down in China, where would you go? Where would you avoid?  |
All things being equal, I'd base my job/life location on the climate and pollution. I'd avoid Sanya/Guanzhou and related areas as it would simply be too hot/humid for me. Equally you wouldn't find me in Beijing or another large city with air quality issues. |
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Simon in Suzhou
Joined: 09 Aug 2011 Posts: 404 Location: GZ
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Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 11:46 pm Post subject: |
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Simply on salaries....I'd say Shanghai and Guangzhou/Shenzhen are the best markets. Cost of living a bit more in Shanghai. |
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creeper1
Joined: 24 Aug 2010 Posts: 481 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan
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Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:16 am Post subject: markets |
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Markets? If we are talking demand then, yeah, big cities have plenty of people wanting to learn English. So there is where the market is.
Not so many people wanting to learn English in a farming community in the middle of nowhere. So that is where the market isn't.
The ambitious young parents eager for kids to learn English are to found in Beijing, Shanghai etc I'd probably look for a job in Shenzhen if I were you. It's a nice city.
Do note that for jobs in Guangdong province you need to get a Z-visa from your home country. A trip to Hong Kong will not suffice. |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010 Posts: 361
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Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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Of course the big cities are the places to go. It's like that for pretty much every country I've been to. As mentioned before, people in small farming villages probably won't care much about learning a second language.
Get privates for young children in big cities. Some parents are willing to pay boatloads if they think it'll give their kid a boost over all the others that live near them. One of my friends makes a killing holding small classrooms of young children for out of school tutoring. He pays some college student 10-15 RMB/hour for assisting him while he rakes in the cash. |
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it'snotmyfault
Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 527
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Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:51 pm Post subject: |
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I think you can find plenty of work anywhere in China if you look for it.
Where I am it's a pretty poor rural place and I've turned down loads of work (I didn't even have to look for it, they came and asked me).
A couple of jobs for 150rmb an hour and one for 250rmb an hour, but I don't want to work with young kids, especialy kindergarten. There's a lack of supply way out in the provinces, there's barely a handful of foreigners in this city of well over a million people, so you can name your price, to some degree.
Living out in the sticks can be a challenge though. |
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Markness
Joined: 30 Dec 2009 Posts: 738 Location: Chengdu
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 4:47 am Post subject: |
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it'snotmyfault wrote: |
I think you can find plenty of work anywhere in China if you look for it.
Where I am it's a pretty poor rural place and I've turned down loads of work (I didn't even have to look for it, they came and asked me).
A couple of jobs for 150rmb an hour and one for 250rmb an hour, but I don't want to work with young kids, especialy kindergarten. There's a lack of supply way out in the provinces, there's barely a handful of foreigners in this city of well over a million people, so you can name your price, to some degree.
Living out in the sticks can be a challenge though. |
Tell more of this, lol. You have me intrigued, I am looking around at different jobs, and it looks like universities in the tier 2 cities seem to be a good bet, are you in a similar situation? |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:07 am Post subject: |
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Tier 2 cities are still in 6m range although municipal boundaries are large. |
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it'snotmyfault
Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 527
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:13 am Post subject: |
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Markness wrote: |
it'snotmyfault wrote: |
I think you can find plenty of work anywhere in China if you look for it.
Where I am it's a pretty poor rural place and I've turned down loads of work (I didn't even have to look for it, they came and asked me).
A couple of jobs for 150rmb an hour and one for 250rmb an hour, but I don't want to work with young kids, especialy kindergarten. There's a lack of supply way out in the provinces, there's barely a handful of foreigners in this city of well over a million people, so you can name your price, to some degree.
Living out in the sticks can be a challenge though. |
Tell more of this, lol. You have me intrigued, I am looking around at different jobs, and it looks like universities in the tier 2 cities seem to be a good bet, are you in a similar situation? |
I don't know what the lowest tier category for cities is, but this place is probably down there I've got a standard uni contract for 18hrs a week plus I've been doing 8~10 hours extra each week, been saving about 7000rmb each month which isn't bad.
The good points about this place are that the students aren't spoilt kids like you get in a lot of the big cities. And a lot of the locals are the rough diamond, salt of the earth types.
But some of the locals are just extremely uncivilized, and not used to seeing foreigners, the intense staring and general rude behaviour has got old very quickly. |
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jibbs
Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Posts: 452
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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Just find it amusing that a city of a million can be called "rural", but I know it's sort of like that. Even several million can have that countryside feel plus all the downsides of city living. Upsides would include better shopping and ..? |
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Markness
Joined: 30 Dec 2009 Posts: 738 Location: Chengdu
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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it'snotmyfault wrote: |
Markness wrote: |
it'snotmyfault wrote: |
I think you can find plenty of work anywhere in China if you look for it.
Where I am it's a pretty poor rural place and I've turned down loads of work (I didn't even have to look for it, they came and asked me).
A couple of jobs for 150rmb an hour and one for 250rmb an hour, but I don't want to work with young kids, especialy kindergarten. There's a lack of supply way out in the provinces, there's barely a handful of foreigners in this city of well over a million people, so you can name your price, to some degree.
Living out in the sticks can be a challenge though. |
Tell more of this, lol. You have me intrigued, I am looking around at different jobs, and it looks like universities in the tier 2 cities seem to be a good bet, are you in a similar situation? |
I don't know what the lowest tier category for cities is, but this place is probably down there I've got a standard uni contract for 18hrs a week plus I've been doing 8~10 hours extra each week, been saving about 7000rmb each month which isn't bad.
The good points about this place are that the students aren't spoilt kids like you get in a lot of the big cities. And a lot of the locals are the rough diamond, salt of the earth types.
But some of the locals are just extremely uncivilized, and not used to seeing foreigners, the intense staring and general rude behaviour has got old very quickly. |
Yeah, that happened to me too, and it was overwhelming at times. Having people wander up to you all the time and look into your grocery basket and having people stop in their tracks and stare at you was a bit too much. I got over it and just found it to be a comedy, but would you recommend the smaller cities? Or you vanishing after your contract is complete? I was in Harbin btw, it wasn't that small of a city as yours from the sounds of it. |
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it'snotmyfault
Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 527
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Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 12:07 am Post subject: |
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Markness wrote: |
it'snotmyfault wrote: |
Markness wrote: |
it'snotmyfault wrote: |
I think you can find plenty of work anywhere in China if you look for it.
Where I am it's a pretty poor rural place and I've turned down loads of work (I didn't even have to look for it, they came and asked me).
A couple of jobs for 150rmb an hour and one for 250rmb an hour, but I don't want to work with young kids, especialy kindergarten. There's a lack of supply way out in the provinces, there's barely a handful of foreigners in this city of well over a million people, so you can name your price, to some degree.
Living out in the sticks can be a challenge though. |
Tell more of this, lol. You have me intrigued, I am looking around at different jobs, and it looks like universities in the tier 2 cities seem to be a good bet, are you in a similar situation? |
I don't know what the lowest tier category for cities is, but this place is probably down there I've got a standard uni contract for 18hrs a week plus I've been doing 8~10 hours extra each week, been saving about 7000rmb each month which isn't bad.
The good points about this place are that the students aren't spoilt kids like you get in a lot of the big cities. And a lot of the locals are the rough diamond, salt of the earth types.
But some of the locals are just extremely uncivilized, and not used to seeing foreigners, the intense staring and general rude behaviour has got old very quickly. |
Yeah, that happened to me too, and it was overwhelming at times. Having people wander up to you all the time and look into your grocery basket and having people stop in their tracks and stare at you was a bit too much. I got over it and just found it to be a comedy, but would you recommend the smaller cities? Or you vanishing after your contract is complete? I was in Harbin btw, it wasn't that small of a city as yours from the sounds of it. |
In my humble opinion, I think the smaller places can be a bit of a lottery. What's made it bearable for me is a couple of good (Chinese) friends I've made and the students who are generally a great bunch. Without this it would definitely have been more of a challenge.
There's some great scenery on my doorstep too, which helps.
Not sure what I'll do next....find a nice beach somewhere! |
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Markness
Joined: 30 Dec 2009 Posts: 738 Location: Chengdu
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Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 4:37 am Post subject: |
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it'snotmyfault wrote: |
Markness wrote: |
it'snotmyfault wrote: |
Markness wrote: |
it'snotmyfault wrote: |
I think you can find plenty of work anywhere in China if you look for it.
Where I am it's a pretty poor rural place and I've turned down loads of work (I didn't even have to look for it, they came and asked me).
A couple of jobs for 150rmb an hour and one for 250rmb an hour, but I don't want to work with young kids, especialy kindergarten. There's a lack of supply way out in the provinces, there's barely a handful of foreigners in this city of well over a million people, so you can name your price, to some degree.
Living out in the sticks can be a challenge though. |
Tell more of this, lol. You have me intrigued, I am looking around at different jobs, and it looks like universities in the tier 2 cities seem to be a good bet, are you in a similar situation? |
I don't know what the lowest tier category for cities is, but this place is probably down there I've got a standard uni contract for 18hrs a week plus I've been doing 8~10 hours extra each week, been saving about 7000rmb each month which isn't bad.
The good points about this place are that the students aren't spoilt kids like you get in a lot of the big cities. And a lot of the locals are the rough diamond, salt of the earth types.
But some of the locals are just extremely uncivilized, and not used to seeing foreigners, the intense staring and general rude behaviour has got old very quickly. |
Yeah, that happened to me too, and it was overwhelming at times. Having people wander up to you all the time and look into your grocery basket and having people stop in their tracks and stare at you was a bit too much. I got over it and just found it to be a comedy, but would you recommend the smaller cities? Or you vanishing after your contract is complete? I was in Harbin btw, it wasn't that small of a city as yours from the sounds of it. |
In my humble opinion, I think the smaller places can be a bit of a lottery. What's made it bearable for me is a couple of good (Chinese) friends I've made and the students who are generally a great bunch. Without this it would definitely have been more of a challenge.
There's some great scenery on my doorstep too, which helps.
Not sure what I'll do next....find a nice beach somewhere! |
Thanks for the heads up. I am sure this is not only good info for myself, but for other lurkers around. Im at that point where im studying Chinese, and I want to put myself in a position where I would be immersed in Chinese, but I am paranoid the countryside might be too much man. Perhaps I should toss PMs your way. |
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it'snotmyfault
Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 527
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Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 5:21 am Post subject: |
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Maybe this deserves its own thread. |
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