Job Discussion Forums

[BrazilianGuy]

Hello everyone, I posted this topic in here because I am very interested in going to China for 6 months, perhaps a year, to teach English, and I am not sure how to go about it. I have done some research on it, and I am very aware of the many websites out there where I can apply for a teaching position abroad (including in China). But my questions are: Is this the best way to go about it? Should I just apply for a position and wait and see if I hear anything back? I am assuming since this is a job abroad, the hiring process will have to be somewhat different. In other words, do you deal with the school directly? Do they provide the papers to apply for the Z visa? The things is that I contacted this agency about it, and they will process everything for me (for $1090), find me a school and such. I will still be responsible for the visas fees and airfare (although there is a good chance, they said, the school will reimburse me or pay for half of it). The housing will be provided and the agent I spoke with said I should expect to be paid $500 per month. Is this too little or can I expect to make more? In any event, I am sorry if I sound too naive about this whole thing (I am 24 after all ). Most of the people in here seems to understand better about the system. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Last but not least, having a CELTA: does it make any difference? I am looking to get the certificate! Let me know...thank you very much!

[Chris_Crossley]

[quote=�BrazilianGuy�]Should I just apply for a position and wait and see if I hear anything back?[/quote]

Hi, BrazilianGuy. This is usually the way that most TEFLers apply for jobs, though some do prefer to deal with agencies. I have never dealt with agencies if only because they are a business and usually receive a cut of whatever salary you are supposed to get in order to stay in business and pay their staff. Personally, I would avoid them, so you can get 100 percent of whatever the school you work for eventually is supposed to be paying you.

[quote=�BrazilianGuy�]I am assuming since this is a job abroad, the hiring process will have to be somewhat different. In other words, do you deal with the school directly? Do they provide the papers to apply for the Z visa? The things is that I contacted this agency about it, and they will process everything for me (for $1090), find me a school and such.[/quote]

Don�t even think about using an agency which will charge you such a lot of money. All you will be doing is contributing to their profits � unless you don�t mind, because you have money to burn. I certainly did not have when I first started out in the TEFL game four years ago.

[quote=�BrazilianGuy�]I will still be responsible for the visas fees and airfare (although there is a good chance, they said, the school will reimburse me or pay for half of it).[/quote]

Equally, there is a good chance of the school not paying you any airfare reimbursement. Such a clause, though, is contained in the contract that you should eventually sign with the school. Don�t take an agency�s word for it. In the end, the agency does not employ you � the school does.

[quote=�BrazilianGuy�]The housing will be provided and the agent I spoke with said I should expect to be paid $500 per month. Is this too little or can I expect to make more?[/quote]

Housing is usually provided, but, all too often, TEFLers complain of being shoved into a dormitory with up to eight other people if they are teaching at a university. If in doubt, enquire as to what type of accommodation you can expect if you teach at any particular kind of school. Private language schools may ask you to share accommodation with at least one other teacher, so be prepared not to have an apartment of your own. 500 USD per month sounds a little too low for my liking, but I guess that it is not uncommon for people starting out to be paid that kind of money, even at public universities.

[quote=�BrazilianGuy�]Last but not least, having a CELTA: does it make any difference? I am looking to get the certificate! Let me know...thank you very much![/quote]

A CELTA should be regarded as an investment if you intend to teach ESOL in the medium or long term. I myself have the equivalent of the CELTA, the Trinity Certificate in TESOL, and I believe that, not only does it give would-be TEFLers a thorough grounding in what skills people will need to teach in the classroom, but it may � just may � make the difference between what certificate holders and non-certificate holders can get, especially in their first jobs. I have worked with people who fit into both categories, plus those who have done �quickie� certificate courses which did not involved any observed teaching practice. Having said that, there are schools out there who, whether or not you hold a CELTA, want you to teach in their way, and theirs only. Chinese private language schools may be run by management which is interested only in making money and pleasing both students and, in the case of young learners, their parents. They may not have any teaching qualifications or experience at all, yet they are ultimately your bosses.

Also, I notice that, although you state your present location as Chicago, your username is �BrazilianGuy�. Are you yourself Brazilian with only a Brazilian passport, or do you also hold a U.S. passport? If you hold a U.S. passport, that is all well and good, and you should have no trouble in securing employment on that score. However, be aware that, although many Brazilians are dark-skinned, there are a lot of Chinese managers who only want white faces in their classrooms, because, as far as they are concerned, white faces sell. This is discrimination in western terms, I know, but Chinese have a completely different mentality to us, and the Chinese therefore do not see their preferences for Caucasians as discriminatory. However, do not be discouraged, as I have worked with both blacks and Chinese-Americans during my (nearly) four years in China.

Good luck to you and let us know how it goes! 

[Roger]

I guess the currency "$" is the Meibi, aka "American buck"; let me opine that if you allow someone to take RMB 9000 from you to match you with an employer you are mollycoddling a thief! Your employer may have to foot the bill, never you! If he is smart he will find a way to advertise on Dave's or/and other websites and publications; if he is daft he relies on those crooked go-betweens.

As for your general enquiry, I suggested to you in that other thread started by you in the CHINA OFF forum to FAMILIARISE YOURSELF MORE THOROUGHLY with the teaching scene in China - visit the archives and you will get ANY answer to your questions - usually in contradicting pairs so that you alone must decide which is "true" for your taste.

I am not trying to fob you off; your questions are so run-of-the-mill that you can help yourself to the answers, though!

[Roger]

I guess the currency "$" is the Meibi, aka "American buck"; let me opine that if you allow someone to take RMB 9000 from you to match you with an employer you are mollycoddling a thief! Your employer may have to foot the bill, never you! If he is smart he will find a way to advertise on Dave's or/and other websites and publications; if he is daft he relies on those crooked go-betweens.

As for your general enquiry, I suggested to you in that other thread started by you in the CHINA OFF forum to FAMILIARISE YOURSELF MORE THOROUGHLY with the teaching scene in China - visit the archives and you will get ANY answer to your questions - usually in contradicting pairs so that you alone must decide which is "true" for your taste.
Do a search for "agent(s)" or "recruiters", also "visas", "work permit", "residence permit", (not sure what this yields since I have never done such searches myself), and don't neglect the STICKIES in both fora!

I am not trying to fob you off; your questions are so run-of-the-mill that you can help yourself to the answers, though!

[Mideatoo]