Job Discussion Forums

[wildgrace]

Hello,

I've been lurking for some time, reading about the various options in China. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share their experience.

I am looking to teach English in China. About me - 45, female, Canadian. I have a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and a Masters of Science Degree in Creativity. I have a 100 TESOL course as well.

After reading the forums, it seems a university job is the way to go. I am trying to focus in on cities and employers.

The following is important to me:
1) Good job/employer
2) Warmer weather
3) Walkable - I like to be able to walk to/from work and any where else I might need to go on a regular basis.
4) Large enough that I would have an expat community to draw on.

Nanjing seems like a possibility.

Any thoughts, comments, suggestions - especially of cities or employers would be much appreciated.

[katia04]

Just curious: how much ESL teaching experience do you have? If you've no experience in the ESL world, especially if you have no teaching experience, I would actually recommend a language school for the first year (but be careful - get references from current teachers). The reason is that language schools are high-pressure, high-stress, but you learn A LOT. For the most part, they're very structured and depending on where you go, you can get a lot of teacher support (observations, training, etc.). If you go to a university more than likely you'll just get "teach them," which for a first-year teacher isn't the best way to go about things, because managing a classroom and teaching at the same time can be an art form, depending on your students. It's also hard to figure out what they need and how to make sure they learn. It's easy for students to sense an inexperienced teacher, and when that happens, it can make the whole year awful. The language mill I was at taught six-month courses, and you usually taught five or six at a time, so if one class was a disaster you weren't stuck teaching them 3-4 times/week all year.

For me, I taught at a language school my first year. It was stressful, I won't lie, and you do have to put up with some difficult situations. But it taught me classroom management, how to think on my feet, and how to teach an active and engaging class. Two of the teachers at my current university came in as first-year teachers and they've both been struggling all year - it was pretty easy for me. Plus you can sometimes negotiate a higher salary because you have some experience - and it's generally easier to get a uni job if you have more experience, anyway.

I can't speak for places to teach. I live in Tianjin, which is cold during the winter, sweltering during the summer, and has some pretty polluted days. But I do love my job and I'm convinced it's because I came in with some experience under my belt.

Just my two cents.

[Deats]

I have a friend living in Nanjing now and he doesn't like it. He says it is way too hot and humid at the moment and is trying to leave his job.

I visited as a tourist a few years back and thought it was nice enough.

Be careful with pollution. A big Chinese city is gonna be polluted, especially if you are not near the coast. Check out the air quality index before deciding on where to work.

[doogsville]

I would consider Zhuhai. Still hot and humid, but I like that, and you get used to it. Also there's AC in most places. Close to Macau and Hong Kong, large and active expat community, lots of western bars and restaurants, very good environment, plenty of universities, public schools and private schools. And not too big.

[wildgrace]

I have experience teaching, I've been a corporate trainer and facilitator. No direct experience in ESl though. So definitely have a learning curve with the ESL part of it.

I will check out Zuhai.

Thanks for the replies, it is much appreciated. Such an overwhelming journey at the beginning.

[jimpellow]

Having been more than once to both (much more Nanjing) I think that between Nanjing and Zhuhai I would offer the following:

Nanjing is quite bad for weather. One of the great furnaces of China in the summer and the rest of the year rather drab save a short pleasant fall and spring.

For the city itself, I definitely think Nanjing has more to see and do and has more expat amenities. I do like that street with the bars right on it that Zhuhai has.

I think Nanjing is in a region with overall more to see and do and is not far from other cities. Zhuhai has Macau right there and HK not too far away. I do love Macau for the Macanese food and the vibe (not the casinos).

There are definitely more job opportunities in Nanjing. Seems to be a lot of lucrative privates available in Zhuhai talking to some ESL teachers the couple times I was there.

They are typical bleak polluted loud and crowded Chinese hell holes. I think Nanjing is prettier (in areas) but more polluted and hectic.

(I should add that Nanjing has earned an unfair bad reputation in China. It was the first city to be industrialized and became infamous for the pollution. There are many worse cities now. Plus being the former capital of the ROC it has sort of been put down by the education system. Many Chinese will thus talk badly about it though they have never been there. They will offer their ignorant opinion to teachers in other cities of China and a fair amount of ESL teachers will believe them. Morons! I did too though until I went there the first time. )

I would think since you are leaning to do uni to focus on smaller cities in the Southeast. Zhuhai may fit your bill, but I think the fit is not perfect judging on what you shared.