Job Discussion Forums

[viovio]

Hi,
I got a job offering :
"3600RMB/month. if you working for one year we can pay you the traveling fee ,it`s about 8000RMB.we can offer you room big enough for your family."
Do you think that the salary is too low? I make 3 times that amout at my current job (here in Chile) and I only teach 20 hours a week.
I hold a B Ed. (Here in Chile you study 5-7 years to get a Bachelor)
And what do you think about the accomodation? Are Chinese rooms really big enough? Do you think I could live with that, raise my 2 year-old boy, and save? Is the cost of living in China really that low?

[Areut]

[viovio]

Well the area is Xiangtan which is in Hunan -
I'm assuming that Spanish is not as well paid as English so...
Regarding my fiance, I was about to ask for a job for him as well,
He hasn't finished his B Ed. yet. From what I've read, you can't get a working visa without a degree, right?
I think I'm going to ask for a private apartment with at least two bedrooms. I don't think I would like to live in a room. I need to sleep and work in different rooms.

[no_exit]

If you're a Chilean, you won't get the kind of job offer an American, British, Canadian, etc. teacher would get. I don't know what the going rates are for Spanish teachers, but I do know that schools here offer Thai, Vietnamese, and Korean lessons, and those teachers make closer to what Chinese teachers make, rather than foreign teachers.

That salary, however, is probably good enough to live on for a smaller city in Hunan.

Good luck.

[no_exit]

Gregor

I was under the impression the OP wanted to teach Spanish, not English.

OP, can you give us a bit more information about what kind of job you're looking for?

[viovio]

First of all, thank you all for your responses.

I'm a Chilean national, native speaker of Spanish.

I started studying English when I was 6 in a bilingual school. I fisnished high school there. Then I decided I wanted to be an English teacher so I entered the university (where I now teach) and got my teaching degree.
(Do you say teaching degree? or teaching certificate?).
Well, anyway I got a B Ed. also. While still studying, I started working as a student tutor and then as a teacher for language schools.

As soon as I got my degree the university hired me to work in another campus as Head of the Translation Program (and also EFL teacher). I worked there for 2 years and moved back to my hometown where I'm now teaching English as a Foreign Language to undergraduate students.

So, to summarize, I have 5 years of teaching experience, 3 with proper degree.

I'm looking for a Spanish teaching position since you MUST be a native speaker of English in order to be hired as English teacher. (All posts ask for native speakers)

The main reason why I want to teach abroad is because I want to know other countries and practice my English or learn new languages if possible.
I chose China mainly because I want my son to learn Chinese which would be a BIG asset for his future.

I want a job that provides a decent accomodation for me and my family, health insurance and daycare plus a salary that would allow me to save some money.

Regarding studies I have successfully completed my first year (out of 2)of a MATEFL (online) from Funiber and Universidad de Leon in Spain.



If you're still curious here is my resume: hehehehe



Violeta Caut�n Epifani
[email protected]

Career Objective

To continue to seek out and absorb the experiences, knowledge, and talent necessary for a career in Language Development. To live within an atmosphere of continuous inter-cultural exchange and to explore the world through work, study, and travel.

Education

2003
Profesor de Estado en Ingl�s con menci�n en Traducci�n e Interpretariado consecutivo (Espa�ol-Ingl�s-Espa�ol), Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique, Chile.

Licenciado en Educaci�n, Universidad Arturo Prat, Iquique, Chile. (B. Ed)

Experience

August 2003~Present
Coordinator and Teacher, �Bilingual Program� and �English � Spanish Translation Program�, Arturo Prat University, Calama, CHILE.
Responsibilities include implementation of EFL Program for undergraduate students and teaching at least 20 hrs. of English a week.
Also acts as coordinator of the Translation Program at the campus in Calama.
Subjects taught 2004 -2006 :
�Technical Translation I - II�
�Technical Lexicography I - II�
�English Writing I � II�
�Conversational English I, II, III, IV, V�

January 2003~July 2003
Academic Director and Teacher, �European Institute of Language�, Iquique, CHILE.
Responsibilities included planning and implementation of new EFL Program; resolving student problems; maintaining staff motivation; designing, implementing, maintaining and reviewing internal procedures.
Also acted as instructor of English as a Foreign Language and Spanish as a Second Language to students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Immigrants, post-grad students, and business trainees made up the majority of our students, making for a dynamic and challenging cultural exchange. All proficiency levels and ages were taught.

July 2001~ December 2002
Teacher, �Instituto Chileno-Norteamericano�, Bi-National Center, Iquique, CHILE.
Duties involved teaching all facets of EFL (business, travel, kids classes, and standard conversation) to specifically Chilean students. Levels ranged from beginner to fluent and ages from 3 to retirement.

March 2000~ December 2001
Student Tutor �Universidad Arturo Prat�, Iquique, CHILE.
Duties involved tutoring groups of 20-25 students for different subjects; assist the professors with creating and implementing lesson plans.

August 2001 � December 2001
Subjects tutored:
-�English Structure II�, �English Structure IV�, Professor: Ms. Gladys Lamas, M Ed.
Tutored Chilean Students learning English Grammar.
-�English Phonetics II�, �English Phonetics IV�, Professor: Mr. Eduardo Trillo.
Tutored Chilean students learning English Phonetics.

March 2001 � July 2001
Subjects tutored:
-�English Structure I�, �English Structure III�, Professor: Ms. Gladys Lamas, M Ed.
Tutored Chilean students learning English Grammar.
-�English Phonetics I�, �English Phonetics III�, Professor: Mr. Eduardo Trillo.
Tutored Chilean students learning English Phonetics.

August 2000 � December 2000
Subjects tutored:
-�English Structure II�, �English Structure IV�, Professor: Ms. Gladys Lamas, M Ed.
Tutored Chilean Students learning English Grammar.
-�Practicadel Idioma Espa�ol�, Professor: Ms. Luc�a Ramos, M Ed.
Tutored Chinese students learning Spanish at Universidad Arturo Prat.
-�English Phonetics II�, �English Phonetics IV�, Professor: Mr. Eduardo Trillo.
Tutored Chilean students learning English Phonetics.

March 2000 - July 2000
Subjects tutored:
-�English Structure I�, �English Structure III�, Professor: Ms. Gladys Lamas, M Ed.
Tutored Chilean students learning English Grammar.
-�Gram�tica Espa�ola�, Professor: Ms. Georgina Miranda.
Tutored Chilean students learning Spanish Grammar.


Volunteer

January to March, 1998, 1999, 2001.

Coordinator and Instructor, �Misioneras de Verano�, Santiago, Casablanca, Villa Alemana, Copiap�, Diego de Almagro, Temuco, Talca, Linares, Chill�n, CHILE.

Responsible for the implementation and operation of a summer program designed to meet the needs of children aged 4-16. Responsible for the safety and proper instruction of all children involved.
This program lasted only one or two weeks in each city, thus having the opportunity to travel to different cities in Chile and giving me the experience of teaching under difficult and/or precarious conditions.
Strong communication and organizational skills were essential and were used successfully. The ability to be flexible and adaptive on a daily basis was perfected during this time as children and other staff members were diverse and changed every week.

Travel
Chile, Peru.

Other
July � August 2005
Course in Academic Writing, �University of Washington�, Seattle, USA. (online)

January 2004
TOEIC Test: 960 pts. Iquique, Chile

June 2003
Michigan Test: Nivel 8 (98 %) Instituto Chileno Norteamericano, Antofagasta, Chile

*References available upon request.

[prof]

Try it.

There are lots of opportunities in the inner provinces.

[vikdk]

What a waste if that viovio went to work for EF - qualifications like hers should be used to keep yourself away from operations like that

[Steppenwolf]

I just want to talk about the OFFER you mentioned at the beginning:

To me it sounds somewhat amateurish and my suspicion is they are unlikely to hire you legally. I advise you to make sure you get a legal job, and if you succeed at that, your job comes with the following perks:
- airfare (either a lump sum for 6 months, 12 months, or
reimbursement of your actual outlay; half a year normally gets you a one-way ticket, one year a roundtrip ticket).

- Make sure you get a residencce permit (perhaps following a one-month work visa issued in Chile upon presenting a formal invitation letter to the Chinese embassy there).

- You also stand to get free housing (furnished, possibly with a computer, a washing-machine, a water dispenser, a TV, a fridge).

- Travel allowance (for holiday trips in China).

- Medical examination (if needed to get your reisence permit).

Xiangtan is not exactly a popular place but I have friends that spent a year there and were totally pleased. IT's not far from where Mao Z. was born. That's in Hunan province, yes, a relatively poor inland province. I wouldn't want to live there for fear of the heat (greater than in coastal Guangdong farther south).

Don't be afraid of accepting an English-teaching job; Spanish is not widely taught. Just don't get your expectations too high. Teaching English here isn't what you probably imagine it to be...

I recommend a recruiter such as Buckland or Omeida in Yangshuo.

[viovio]

Muchas gracias por sus posts.
I'm much clearer now. I'll keep looking until I find something better.
I have only one question: what is a language mill?
At first I imagined something like a place to grind rice and make rice flour, but I imagine it's a kind of school?

[vikdk]

[Gregor]

English mills (yes, such as EF) are places where you can find many legal English-teaching jobs like what Steppenwolf described.
As for vikdk's charges, it's obviously one-sided. Beyond that, it's not even worth replying to. If you want to PM me, I'd be happy to write to you about the good and the bad that you can expect to deal with in language mills (EF in particular).

I've worked for EF for quite a while, and that's because I like it, and it's relatively stress-free, and it pays well and is legal.
There are exceptions. But I've turned down offers from universities because the language mill pays better.
Yes, you're somewhat over-qualified in some regards, but you're also right that they prefer native speakers. But they will hire native-like teachers as well. Give it a go. Be honest about yourself when you contact them. They have TONS of jobs available at all times. If you're not picky about where in China you go, I can almost guarantee they'll have a job for you.

[vikdk]

[viovio]

Well, I'm not exaclty white... Ummm, no not white at all. I kind of look like Jennifer Lopez hehehehehe (without surgeries)
Well my mother's father was Italian, but he married a direct descendant of Atahualpa Yupanqui, my grandmother, the product was my mother who does look white.
Well she married my father, whose parents are aymaras, and the product was me... a real melting pot, but latina and proud of it.
Here you'll see my passport picture http://babyrodri.blogspot.com/
and here you can see pictures of me when I was pregnant http://babyrodri.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_babyrodri_archive.html (you'll have to scroll down)

[vikdk]

Viovio - people of colour and non-native speakers of English can find work here as English teachers - positions which are much easier to find than that of teaching Spanish. The excellence of your written English and your knowledge of teaching seem to indicate you won't have that much of a problem finding work in China.
However on the questions of mills - these are private schools who employ teachers to do a lot of evening and weekend work. If you have a 2 year old in tow, these kind of hours could pose practical problems.