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Newbie Interested in Teaching in China

 
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wannabexpat



Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 5:39 am    Post subject: Newbie Interested in Teaching in China Reply with quote

I have some general questions about teaching english in China.

What schools are reputable and do they recruit from abroad? Also, is knowledge of the Chinese language a pre-requisite for employment, etc?

Is CELTA certification required (or is there training involved in house)? I have a bachelor's degree and master's (not ESL related though).

Finally, are there other opportunities to legally earn extra income whilst employed in a language school?

Please include any information you feel I have left out, I'm new to the TEFL market and it seems like a great experience.

I'm trying to decide on applying to schools in Japan or China and am having trouble making up my mind.

Thanks for your time in reading this post,

Luke

[email protected]
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Natives from country with a sizeable Chinese immigrant population often get jobs without any TEFL background, so you need no worry unless you are a South African, Singaporean or some other unlucky candidate.
For a newcomer, it is best to get hired by a public school, preferably at college level or higher. Your pay will not be very high but fairly good.
With a little experience, you can later try a language institute.

Although you will hear otherwise, you are not by law allowed to earn extra. Many operators of private schools see to it that you don't spend your energy on other work, and I don't really think that this is unfair.
One novel way for the authorities to ensure you don't moonlight is by requiring expats to pay taxes on salaries that top 4000 RMB a month!
But with a little luck (the relevant legal provisions conveniently being ignored or forgotten) you can sometimes work on your own.

You won't need to know any CHinese although it would be wise to know what people around you are discussing (it will be amusing or off-putting for you sometimes!).

Don't get snared by any agent!
And go the legal way!
Don't believe in promises! Have all new instructions written down and confirmed!
BeforeIf you sign a contract, make sure they are going to sponsor you!
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wannabexpat



Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 7:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roger, thanks for the information.

I guess I'm confused on where to look for employment, the application process, etc. You mention college level or higher, is that a government agency or private? Are there agents that hire from abroad or can one contact the schools directly?

I notice most of the job offers on this site are through agents and the details are a bit vague.

Also, what's the competition like? I am a caucasian American (green eyes light brown hair) from the west coast so I don't think race (if it is a factor) will come into play.

Hopefully i dont sound too muddled, I appreciate your advice.

Luke
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M3tt



Joined: 12 Jan 2003
Posts: 47
Location: Heisenberg was an optimist.

PostPosted: Sun Feb 23, 2003 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We have employed a few South Africans in the last year with great results so this might be changing. When I first came to China the students would only accept white Americans, today there are teachers from almost every country although the Americans and Canadians still dominate the market.

Not being allowed to teach elsewhere is the norm with most private schools but it's always good to ask. Many of them (like us (shameless plug)) will let you work outside as long as it doesn't interfere in any way with your schedule.


"One novel way for the authorities to ensure you don't moonlight is by requiring expats to pay taxes on salaries that top 4000 RMB a month!"
A note here on taxes, check to see if the school pays or you do. Many private schools will pay this or add salary compensation.


"Don't get snared by any agent!"

AMEN!!! NEVER pay an agent for a job. Contact schools directly and do a lot of research with past employees. There is a reason that agents are often vague on details. A legitimate recruiter will respond to a straightforward question with a straightforward answer.
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 1:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wannabee,

I have nothing to add to my previous post. The last poster actually said it well. Therte must have been a misunderstanding - I DO NOT CONDONE GETTING HIRED BY ANY AGENT!

What I meant by 'college' or 'higher up' was PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR UNIVERSITIES, NOT AGENTS!

BUt it is true that ever more agents advertise, not always giving away their true vocation! Even I happened to be snared by one of them - he was the principal of a middle-school!

The fact is that this area is not covered by the law, so people, all manner of people, especially unscrupulous ones, will act as go-betweens and in the process take cash from your employer, if not even from you!
BUt ONLY YOUR EMPLOYER CAN HIRE YOU LEGALLY, AND THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LEGAL SIDE OF YOUR EMPLOYMENT!!!

I hope this clarifies matters,
Roger
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arioch36



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 3589

PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2003 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think you will find plenty of posts aout the wisdom of staying away from recruiters, and the horor stories of those who did use them.
So how do you contact schools directly? There are several sites that do this. But first, before I reveal those precious secrets, you must think and say what you want. K schools? High schools? Colleges? Big cities/night life western food? Small town. North South East West? How much have you searched the internet?
I think once you decide more where and what you want to teach, you will find many legal (and illegal ) schools to contact direct.

Chris, in Zhengzhou Hena, loving it, but occasionally dreaming of Shanghai!
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wannabexpat



Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 11

PostPosted: Tue Feb 25, 2003 1:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Arioch thanks for offering up advice.

I'd like to teach people more around my age group (23) but would be satisfied teaching any age group that wanted to learn.

I would like to teach in a larger city that preferably speaks Mandarin (as I am very interested in learning the language) along the Coastline.

Most of my internet research has been on this site with regards to China. I've mainly been looking into Japan as the jobs seem most plentiful as well as "honest" there.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge on the subject, please email me directly if that is what you would prefer.

[email protected]
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