Job Discussion Forums

[The K Dog]

People,
I have become curious about the EFL scene on the tertiary level in China. I was wondering if anyone could steer a twenty-nine-year-old-American in the right direction; I have an M.Ed in Postsecondary TESOL and a BA in English Literature as well as two-and-a-half-years of teaching EFL in Paris, eight months in Korea and four months of ESL in New York City. Just wondering if anyone knew anything about unis in, say, Tianjin, Hainan, Guangzhou, Harbin, Kummin, etc. Your help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Johnathan]

I think Thailand is a great fun relaxed place (jobs only for younger types though) China in the middle and little money, Japan in the middle with more money and Korea the least comfortable place. But if you want money, the latter and Japan are best. The Chinese really appreciate you in general and comparatively speaking they usually givie you very little money. Maybe 500$ -1000 U.S/month. if you are lucky.

BEWARE OF WESTERN UNIVERSITIES (OR WESTERN SCHOOLS) which demand western standards from you but pay in the low Chinese salaries. And some of them provide little support to the teachers all the way from getting the cheapest airfare, proper computer service, pay on time and dealing with your expenses. It is one thing for an Asian institution to be somewaht authoritarian and administratively inept/rigid,.I is very sad when a western institution in a democratic country with a long history of freedom and wealth does so.

See EFL-Law-com for contracts on China and a particularly odious partnership one of a Canadian college which was sold to my friend by the recruiter as making him the same amount of money as he had made elsewhere. Just because a programme is headed or partnered by a Western university/ college does not guarantee that it won't have many of the management problems sometimes charaterized to northeast Asia.

EFL-LAW.com has provided remedial action by posting and criticizing unfair contracts. If you have one send it there. They will edit your comments about the various clauses consistent to their legal insights and add additional comments.

I am so disgusted in seeing the abusive work loads provided by some (not all) these largely western run shows for such small potatoe money, that I could pull the plug myself in my own situation.-a private Canadian managed school. However, one should never forget one's students and the impact of mid-night runs will have on them. So I argue that despite CHhna's pay being frustratingly low for some, try to finish off your contract and fight hard for your fair treatment. And report to your Member of Parlisment and the newspapers in Canada how you are receiving "slave labor" type condition relative to Canadian teachers if you problems are not properly remedied.

As Dave has shown in reference to a report from the Job journal ,there is increasing remedies through the courts for legal protection in China. The Chinese government is progressively putting into place appropriate legal systems but it can not happen over night. Good on em and good on you to stand up for your rights-provided you do a good job.

[Roger]

First of all, salary-wise you are gto be a pauper. Very few unis pay well. You can earn better at a kindergarten!

Another downside is the maturity, or lack thereof, of students. There are good unis, and there are motivated students, to be sure. But the majority will not compare favourably with those you may have met in Paris!
They don't know the notion of working on their own. No ambition. Many rely on translation even at this high level!