Job Discussion Forums

natureboy92135 · Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 1 Location: san diego

Hey everybody, I had some questions about locations for ESL. I've been working with a recruiter for AES and was trying to get a job at one of their schools in the Liaoning province (Dalian, Shenyang, or Dandong), but after working with the guy for several weeks he finally got back to me with an offer for a school in Xuzhou. The school seems fine and the housing is very good from what I can gather, but almost nobody has anything good to say about this city. Dirty, boring, no foreigners, bad climate are the most common descriptions people have for it, but most also concede it is not the worst place either.
So...my options:
Take the guaranteed yearlong job with ok hours, accommodations, pay, etc... but in a city that looks far from ideal.
OR
Fly into Dalian and see what I can find on location. (Also if anyone knows of a good way to find as many ESL schools in Dalian as possible or has any other advice feel free to post that info)
So that's my deal. I welcome anybody's input.
P.S. I'm a recent grad from a pretty good school, I have good recommendations from former employers, and once I sell my car I'll have enough money to subsist in China for at least a few months. However, I have no TEFL degree or teaching experience and I speak no Chinese.

tedkarma · Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 6:05 am Post subject:

Where you live should probably be balanced with where you work. If either part of the equation is out of whack. You will, most likely, not be happy.

In fact, to some degree - where you live is a bit more important.

Just my opinion.

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Dalian is very nice. A bit boring, but it is nice. I lived there for a year and liked it, for the most part.
But I have another suggestion, since you mentioned this city anyway. Shenyang is a VERY nice place to live. No beach, but it's super friendly, there's stuff to do, and it would be like falling off a log to find work there.
There's work in Dalian, too, but it may be a bit thinner on the ground.

If you went to Dalian, you'd probably be fine. If you went to Shenyang, you'd be fine, 100% guaranteed. Turn down the school in Xuzhou if you had your heart set on Liaoning. I can't say enough good about that province. Mind you, I know a bunch of people who would rave about other provinces as well. But you said Liaoning yourself. So go there.