Job Discussion Forums

[prag]

Hello,
My girlfriend and I are all new to this and are finding it all very confusing, as there are so many options and ways to go about teaching English in China or Taiwan. I am writing this in order to plea for anyone with some good advice to enlighten us.

First I will pass on a few details we will be ready to leave New Zealand anytime after the end of May. My Girlfriend is Chinese but was born here in NZ and has a Bachelors degree in Art History. I am an Indian but was also born in NZ and I have an Honours degree is Psychology. I realise that as we are not of European decent it may be harder for us to get a job.

We will be seeking employment for the full year and would prefer to be close to a main city. As yet we are unsure about whether to go to Taiwan or China. We will also be seeking employment in the same school or at least in the same area. We would also want to be living together.

We would be grateful for any advice about a good trustworthy agency to go through or any useful websites with jobs or tips. Is it advisable as this is all new to us to go through an agency? I have read that it is much better to go through an agency who doesn�t ask for a fee, any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you
P.Chauhan

[tedkarma]

If you were both born in NZ and have NZ passports - get off the "I am Indian and she is Chinese" thing. It will only cause you trouble. If you are both from NZ with NZ passports - as far as any employer is concerned you are both NATIVE SPEAKERS from NZ.

Get off it! You are BOTH New Zealanders (is that the right way to say that?). The rest of the world doesn't know and doesn't want to know about your hyphenated citizenship. It will only confuse them.

Apply for jobs as native speaking New Zealanders. That's what you are, isn't it? All the political correctness of the Western world will only hurt you in this case.

The EFL world is slowly getting used to the idea that there are many native speakers who are not blue-eyed and blond-haired. When I was working in Korea last year many teachers were Chinese-Canadian, Hispanic-American and so on.

Get with it - apply for jobs - and STOP apologizing for who you are.

To go somewhere together try applying with the big chain schools. In Korea try Pagoda, in Taiwan try Hess.

[JDYoung]

I generally agree with tedkarma about the ethnic background versus nationality issue. The only thing in China would be that a lot of Chinese will try to speak Chinese to your girlfriend and be totally shocked that she can't reply (unless she does speak Chines?). This was the frustration of a Malaysian teacher at our school.

Degrees are good but I would also recommend some sort of TEFL program with a minimum of 120 hours including supervised practice with real ESL/EFL students. Walking into a classroom full of smiling or, worse, blank faces can be daunting without some sort of preparation.

From what I've heard, and the minimal experience I've had with recruiters tells me to avoid them. You have to do as much research determining how reliable the recruiter is as you do to determine how reliable an employer is. Just skip the middleman and do your own research from the beginning.

Mainland China may be picky about unmarried couples living together but if you both get jobs at the same school you could end up with two apartments for no extra charge and double the space. Who's to know where you spend your time if they're in the same building. Check it out with the school when you're getting close to a deal. I think most schools in China would be thrilled to have a couple, both with degrees, willing to sign 1 year contracts.

As far as I'm concerned, this is a good website for tips and advice. It's my first stop.

[PAULH]

[Chris_Crossley]

Until recently, one of my full-time colleagues was a Mauritian of Indian ethnicity whose first language is French and who is a permanent resident of Australia (to where he has returned). A part-time colleague of mine is Chinese American, born and bred in Houston, Texas, but has been living in China for seven years now (and has only got married to a native Chinese).

Simply put, they got jobs because of their ability to teach, not because of where they came from or what their ethnicity is.

I would definitely suggest not even revealing your ethnicity if and when you apply for any jobs in China, even it is obvious to anyone that your family names do not even sound remotely English!

Having been in China for more than four years myself, I have encountered people from many races teaching English as a second or foreign language, not just the desirable, marketable white-face-with-a-pulse, which many for-profit schools look for (and of which I am one).

Don't get hung up on the race thing. Remember, China is not the West and the West is not China, either geopolitically, culturally, linguistically or in terms of "political correctness". China is still hungry for native speakers to teach English to the natives. If you fit the bill, you're in, it's as simple as that, so don't hold yourself or your partner back.

I have only ever met one married couple who taught together, yet they were originally from South Africa and their first language is ... Afrikaans, not English, so they speak with the accent normally associated with Afrikaaners. It did not stop them getting a job, so your ethnic and linguistic backgrounds should not stop you! Just go for it!