Job Discussion Forums

Tomjonesman · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 23 Location: Rhode Island

Anybody ever heard of or taught with Zhejiang University Global TEFL Network summer program? They have an ad on this eslcafe. They seem pretty reputable. I did a search on their summer program and came up with summer programs since 2002. I taught at a similar program in Shanghai last year, so they seem pretty reputable. The program seems almost like a carbon copy of the other one last year, which was at Shanghai International Studies University. To my mind, anything linked to a University probably pays less but is more liable to treat a foreigner better than a private organization.

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

Tomjonesman,
I am thinking about going there this summer as well. So I hope that someone post something about it!!!

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

Tomjonesman,
Could you give me the website for Shanghai International Studies University? If I like China I might want to try out another place in the future.

Tomjonesman · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 23 Location: Rhode Island

Jzer:

If you want information about Shanghai International Studies (SISU), e-mail me at [email protected] and I will give it to you.

The Zhejiang opportunity turns out to sound suspicious. I was told by the man who's lining up teachers that they don't pay until the END of the program. SISU paid up front.

So you could go to the one in Zhejiang and then at the end they could say, "So solly, we have no money." Or "So solly, we can only pay you 4000 yuan instead of 6500."

My response to paying at the end? "I'm not interested."

Mac · Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 77

I would be careful about this organization if I were you! Last summer two teachers posted on this website stating that the summer session was cancelled two weeks before the completion of the program. They had all of the teachers give back money for food and other things. The reason given was lack of students. The head of the summer program was to meet with the teachers the next day to give more information about the early closure but was never found. From the description given by the teachers, there was a lot of confusion and very little explanation. Another poster taught last summer at this school and he said it wasn't a good experience for him. I hope this will help you.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Zhejiang University is a monster institution created through merging several tertiary institutions. I reckon it is all about money and not about education. The latter can, of course, be bought from schools, but there is little quality control.

Anyway, my suspicion is that they are affiliated to Chinatefl.com Say "ni hao" to Alin Buur and his consorts!

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Okay, I've posted here time and again about this organization, but since so many newbies don't like to do searches (and really, neither do I), I'm happy to repeat part of what I've said before. If you want more intimate details, feel free to PM me.

What was called "Helen ChinaTEFL" is now called "Global ChinaTEFL". Perhaps the first title has been badmouthed so much they felt they needed the name change to draw new suckers in.

Basically, this organization is VASTLY unorganized. So many people are/were very unhappy last summer (including me) due to abrupt cancellation of the program and the company not fulfilling their agreements (at least to me). Many teachers were milling about the office after their camps were canceled wondering what to do about rebooking air flights at the last minute or having to pay for their own hotel rooms for another week (now that the program was over, no more freebies) along with food, transportation and other expenses.

Again, I don't want to go into so much detail here because I'll bore all the long-timers here at Dave's (they've read my rants about this place time and again). Yes, of course there were some people that were satisfied with their little tour and I'm glad they were - - but there were a lot of angry, confused people there last summer. I advise you to run as fast and as far away from this company as you can.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Here are some links to people that have recently inquired about or commented on Zhejiang Helen ChinaTEFL and/or Global ChinaTEFL (one and the same, folks):

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=18633

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=12893

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=19216

There must surely be more, but that is all I had to time to paste.

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

Kev wrote: