Job Discussion Forums

[Shan-Shan]

[Anda]

Ah, Borderline I think you will fit in with EF here in China! You come across as a used car salesman, so it sounds like you have found the right top end company.

You never know your luck EF might send you too a city like the one near me with a population of eight million where the only English teachers that they can get are just out of college and the Chinese teachers have to show them what to do in class.
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Welcome to English School Watch Organization EF China Criminals [CHINA] I am on the run from an EF franchise. I was physically threatened by the foreign DOS and by the paart owner of the school. ...
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[Steppenwolf]

[vikuk]

[Anda]

Ah we should go a bit easy on Borderline He'll be coming to China in a few weeks in the managerial role of DoS with the industry leaders, EF.

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Google Answers: Jobs in China for non-Mandarin English speakers?First of all, I live and work in China. Secondly, I would recommend doing some research before signing a contract with English First, as it does not have a ...
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Hello, it sounds to me like you want a sure thing before coming to
China. I found the information the researcher gave you to be a little
off-base. First of all, I live and work in China. Secondly, I would
recommend doing some research before signing a contract with English
First, as it does not have a solid reputation among foreign teachers
in China.
If you want to work in China try working at a major public university.
The pay is oftentimes lower, but job security is higher and the
hospitality is usually better than at a private school like English
First.
It is possible, through email correspondence to secure a position
prior to coming to China. This is an option. The most famous website
for English teachers is eslcafe.com. They have many more job listings
than any other English teaching site. More importantly they have a job
forum, where you can read the opinions and comments of many people who
work in China. Just do a search on English First, and you will see a
little about what I was talking about previously.
However, you can generally get a better idea about the school and its
particular positive or negative attributes by coming in person to the
school. I know this is brief but i hope it's helpful

[kev7161]

If a school insists on making applicants perform a demo lesson, then I think the school should have all the materials the teacher needs at the ready. I mean, most language schools use a series of texts already, yes? Why not have an outline, a textbook, maybe some handouts, a tape player, etc. for the applicant to use? Give him an hour to prepare or give him a day. Let him talk to the other teachers that currently work there so he can get a feel of the place: "Are there really only a maximum of 25 students in a class . . . really?" What's good for the goose, etc.

I worked briefly for a language school in Hangzhou and it was a great experience. The staff were nice and my class of adults was wonderful. However, I did have to do a dreaded demo, so I chose greetings ("Hello, good-bye", etc.). The problem was that there was one Chinese lady there who had just fine English (worked for the company) and one foreigner there who ALSO had fine English. Once I was given the job, I wasn't even assigned beginners! I knew the textbook I taught from, but was unsure what, exactly, they wanted to get out of me in the 10 minutes of doing the demo. In reality, I don't think I even did that good of job with it! In addition, I didn't demo to "real" students at all - - for my experience and my educational background, it seemed a little pointless. However, I will concede that a demo might be something someone with little or no classroom experience should be asked to do, if that's the school's policy.

[james s]

...

[Anda]

Borderline if a teacher is really good at the demo then you can bet he will soon find a better paying position here in China!

I think it is funny when I read that English First has more staff working on sales than they do teachers. Must be lacking in reputation to need such a large sales staff I'd say.

Seeing that they require so many foreign teachers due to there size I can't see them being too picky in who they employ. Also if they need so much support staff to keep their branches going then they can hardly afford to pay big money to attract good teachers. I don't call 5.000 to 6.000 RMB for around 26 hours good, I call it poor. They also expect English teachers to be at work for a total of 40 hours a week at some of their branches but they only pay for teaching hours.

http://www.buxiban.com/Legislationview.asp?cde=2&subcde=15&itmcde=391

[lychee]

Hullo,
don't want to state the obvious here but the pig is taking the piss. Love the humor.
As the OP, I did mention that the demo was usually for training centres.
These are not academic courses.

[tw]

[latefordinner]

TW, you and I may agree or disagree on some points, but if certain posters call you pointless names, then good on you my friend. Some of us prove ourselves time and again by rising above, and the blacker the crap the redder the rose. Keep your head up.

[Mister Al]

The pig's (Borderline) post was firmly tongue in fat cheek. I can't believe some of you actually felt the need to respond.
Wakey wakey, hands off snakey

[Mydnight]

[mjlpsu]

I'm doing the training center thing now. I was asked for a demo when I first signed on to work part time. I wasn't paid, it was half an hour, and only staff sat in on the lesson (a few Chinese English teachers and one foreigner).

I have been asked to do two other since. One offered pay that was sub-par for such a long distance trip--I turned down the job before even attempting to teach there. The other was with staff and volunteer students who were soon leaving the school and needed to fill out evaluation forms.

In the cases of the demos I taught, I was given material to teach before making the attempt.

If I was told to teach a demo to current students or to potential students, I would certainly insist on payment.

[Henry_Cowell]