Job Discussion Forums

[Shan-Shan]

The degree vs. wage debate often seems to ignore a very important factor: the job itself and the supply of people willing to do the job.

The golden days of TESL are over; there are thousands of people every year boarding airplanes to help spread their intimate knowledge of English all around the globe. Schools and institutes are aware of this, and thus have no need to tempt university graduates abroad with embarrassingly high financial rewards as incentive to lure English speakers away from their homelands.

Schools and institutes also quite often have little awareness of what teaching English "well" entails. A native speaker yapping away with students -- while sometimes "making them speak" -- is the usual expectation. Unless the FT is lacking a tongue, this is not a difficult requirement to satisfy.

Now, with all of these available native English speakers floating around, why would a university suddenly offer twice or three times the usual 4000RMB a month wage for someone whose tongue not only flaps, but whose brain is also wired for actual teaching? The financial loss would not make up for the unnecessary expertise in the classroom.

The job itself is rarely regarded by schools and institutes as something difficult which requires advanced training and education. It would be like paying a newspaper delivery person three times the normal rate because they have a wonderful sense of direction and have never had a motor vehicle accident in their life. The position -- teaching English -- is not some obscure science. With that in mind, how can one expect lavish salaries and benefits? A waiter is a waiter even if they can balance twenty-two plates on each hand. An ESL/EFL teacher is an ESL/EFL teacher.

Again, look at what Chinese English teachers more often than not do in the classroom: recite word lists, translate sentences, and tell students what to remember for the exam. The range of wishes expressed for the FT is none too different: speak and have the students speak. With such a limited view of teaching held by schools in China, why would they ever be so absurd as to dole out impressive financial rewards for someone with a few extra acronyms behind their name?

It is unfortunate how advanced degrees in teaching English are viewed as only a minor benefit. If learning English becomes even more necessary, these attitudes might very well change. However, at least in China, I don't imagine that such a transformation will take place; that is, unless one is teaching moderately wealthy people hoping to immigrate to an English speaking country. University students are unlikely to be members of this category.

It's just a job, five days a week, TESL, man.

[Anda]

Well it's kind of funny really this degree thing! We talk about the degree as if it was the start and end of the game. What in fact do they really want?

Actually they do like you to have a real degree but even more they want a stayer who doesn't rock the boat. Someone who fits in with the Chinese staff. Someone who takes what is offered in the way of accommodation. Someone who can eat etc, what everyone else eats when taken out. Someone who can sort out everyday things with their Chinese co-workers and not be running to management over silly little issues. Someone who gets along with students and can manage / control their classes without someone to hold their hand. Someone who can prepare / source their own teaching material. Someone who can get their student's marks up in exams. These are the real types of things that they are after.

The wage thing well if you start demanding more and more than the senior Chinese teachers where you work along with all the perks like free accommodation, airfares etc, then you are going to be seen as a self centered foreign monkey. If you set yourself up a self centered greedy egotistical foreigner then one shouldn't wonder why after a time that you get avoided by the Chinese staff where you work.

As Shan-Shan says this game isn't rocket science! If you are really good at something like teaching small kids and your employer is racking in the money then sure you can expect to be earning better than average money provided you are in short supply!

Funny how Western business thinks below, very similar to what Chinese business seems to think huh?
...................................................................

Lurking behind the recruiting drive is another reality: McDonald's could ease its labor crunch by raising wages. But that's a last resort for the franchisees. Increased payroll costs come directly out of their pockets.

Steve Russell, McDonald's U.S. senior vice-president of human resources and chief people officer, says the company doesn't feel pressure to raise wages, which vary by restaurant but average about $7.35 an hour, 26% over the current federal minimum wage of $5.85.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-b...07-23&id=25734

[SnoopBot]

[naturegirl321]

[SnoopBot]

[naturegirl321]

[Shan-Shan]

[China.Pete]

"Got an advanced degree in Linguistics? Does that mean you can still speak English? Great! You're hired!" - Shan Shan

These are indeed boom times for FTs in China. The relatively modest salaries on offer for such jobs are, it seems to me, an artifact of the traditional pay scales at public schools and universities. Even after their for-profit ventures began charging the moon for private education and international degree programs, most of the schools continued to pay little better than their more impoverished parent institutions. In future, competition could encourage more schools to offer better pay for advanced degrees - but only, I suspect, for those with the requisite experience and qualifications.

[SnoopBot]

[SnoopBot]

[zignut]

[SnoopBot]

[quote="zignut"]