Job Discussion Forums

Mark-O · Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2003 10:20 am Post subject: SHANGHAI QUERY

Hello to all,

I am interested in starting my ESL career in Shanghai and I've tried reading as many posts on the city as I can here. Having been there, I love the place. But my queries are of a more pragmatic nature:

Ok, so cost of living is higher there - I've seen people mentioning 1-2 bed apts for 3000-6000 rmb depending on location. So salaries are higher than elsewhere in China too right? I've seen 150 rmb mentioned. Are these accurate?

Are good middle schools jobs easy to come by as a UK native english speaker with degree and TEFL/CELTA/TESOL but no previous teaching experience etc - even in somewhere as teacher-popular as Shanghai?

Usually, what type of qualifications/experience are required for further education (i.e. College, University) posts in Shanghai?

Sorry for any ignorance shown here - I am trying to catch up on this subject, but any replies comments from those more experienced posters would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in anticipation.

Mark

Millerlong · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Shanghai, China

Heh,
I live in Shanghai and I pay 1700 RMB per month for my apartment. It is on the 23rd floor, newly renovated, TV, fridge, washing machine, microwave, etc.......

150 RMB and even 200 RMB jobs are available but the hours are limited so you should look more realistically at a minimum of 100 RMB per hour.

As for qualifications don't worry. You just need to look like a foreigner and that is it. When I was teaching my boss hired Russians, Germans, Romanians with no experience, no degrees, no qualifications at all. He said that he only cares about apperance. However, later the way you educate is important to your continued employment. Once my employer refused to hire a German girl (spoke perfect English) because she had an asian face (half Chinese half something else). Hope this info helps.

stevey · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 142

Millerlong · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Shanghai, China

Stevey it is sad but it is the truth. If you are an overseas born Chinese then applying to teach English in China may be a waste of time. When you apply to a school they will always ask for a photo so that they no you are a REAL foreigner (ie. blond hair blue eyes --- ideal). If you send a photo and you are asian looking then they will usually not even reply to you. If you happen to get lucky and get a job then you will most likely be fired within a couple of weeks. This is because the students will complain that you look like them and not a foreigner. Their parents will also demand a teacher change. Some say the Chinese are racist but I think that when they sign up for an English class instructed by a foreigner then they want to be mentally stimulated by some big eyed, big nosed, funny looking foreigner, not somebody that looks identical to them. From my experiences in China it seems that a lot of the population have an idealistic image of what a foreigner should look like. But do many people fit this image?

Gray000 · Joined: 14 Apr 2003 Posts: 183 Location: A better place

Generally, it will be harder for a chinese looking foreigner to be hired, but I htink the case was a lil overstated here. I work with one here in Suzhou.

G.

Millerlong · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 147 Location: Shanghai, China

Yes I have worked with Asian looking English teachers too but some of the students complained and they were later dismissed. However, there are jobs out there that will hire asian looking teachers. Some students see the real value of a foreign teacher in the way they teach and not how they look, but you have to admit that most Chinese students prefer a "real" foreigner.

Millerlong

struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

[quote="stevey"][quote="Millerlong"]

beerdang · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 112

I think it depends on the student body that you will be teaching. I will be surprised the college kids are so crazy about the faces.
Yes, a lot of chinese are racists because they are ignorant.
When I told some chinese I married an american, they will ask things like, "You mean a real american?"

Don't be discouraged. If you give up and accept it, you will be like a real chinese. Smile

Minhang Oz · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 610 Location: Shanghai,ex Guilin

The advantage of a job in a government school, and a few of the privates, is that your accommodation is provided, and you don't have to travel to school. Not everyone wants that though. I know people who've worked in middle schools here, but the hours are a killer - you're expected to be in the office when not teaching, and the pay is ordinary. Shared accommodation is probably the cheapest, and lots of language centres are advertising now. Summer is busy for them as students try to boost their English level. Look in the www.thatsshanghai.com classifieds for leads on the above. I don't see middle schools advertising much, though I think a few are on www.chinatefl.com Pinghe School is one I recall. Millerlong's pay scales are about right.