Site Search:
 
Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

What are you teaching this year?
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> China (Job-related Posts Only)
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Zero



Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402

PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

eslstudies wrote:
You won't fund retirement doing what you are now.


Is that true? In theory if a person were making enough money couldn't one put, say, 5,000 yuan a month into their own diversified portfolio and come out all right given enough years?
Incidentally, curious as to how old you are, esltudies?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
eslstudies



Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden

PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Zero wrote:
eslstudies wrote:
You won't fund retirement doing what you are now.


Is that true? In theory if a person were making enough money couldn't one put, say, 5,000 yuan a month into their own diversified portfolio and come out all right given enough years?
Incidentally, curious as to how old you are, esltudies?


Given that many China FT's would struggle to earn 5000 a month, let alone save it, that's a purely academic point. Even if they could, it would only fund a third world retirement. I've saved into a fund for 30 years, with employer contributions as well, something that China will never catch on to.

And feel free to remain curious. I worked with FTs several years older than me who had nothing at home: no house or savings, and were living from month to month in China. Personally, I find that frightening, especially given they were rapidly approaching their EFL "use by" dates, which for most would be mid-sixties.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mandu



Joined: 29 Jul 2004
Posts: 794
Location: china

PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Iam teaching kindergarten children
Iam at the same kindergarten (been at the kindy for almost 3 years)
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Anda



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2199
Location: Jiangsu Province

PostPosted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:31 pm    Post subject: Um Reply with quote

Ah, but Eslstudies things can go wrong even for you!

"My father was a lawyer," says Walter Levy, an internationally known German-born oil consultant in New York, "and he had taken out an insurance policy in 1903, and every month he had made the payments faithfully. It was a 20-year policy, and when it came due, he cashed it in and bought a single loaf of bread."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
eslstudies



Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 1:13 am    Post subject: Re: Um Reply with quote

Anda wrote:
Ah, but Eslstudies things can go wrong even for you!

Not in this case Anda. An indexed government pension at 60% of my retirement salary, continuing to my wife should she outlive me, which is highly likely.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Anda



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2199
Location: Jiangsu Province

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 3:04 am    Post subject: Um Reply with quote

Yep. you can trust the government!

http://www.anklebitingpundits.com/content/index.php?p=1997



Pension - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaIn almost all developed countries this means that government and public sector pensions could collapse their economies unless pension systems are reformed ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension - 70k -
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
vikuk



Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 3:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Regardless of where your pension scheme is situated - what can be said for sure - is that in the normal, non-international school, China EFL job - that anything to do social security (retirement, unemployment etc - maybe you'll get a small amount of medical coverage) - is very much the FT's business (and what a difficult business this can be on an average "low-rate" China FT salary). This is one of the reasons why being a China FT has not really caught on as a popular career with qualified teachers!!!!

But then again - look on the bright side - you can always read "feel-good" threads like this. Nothing like start of term optimism as we look-forward to another school year of being the white cash-cow - and indeed for those who hold no real qualification for this job - playing at being a real-life teacher. I wonder how many will last to next summer Laughing Laughing Laughing
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Jamchuan



Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 171
Location: Kingston, Atlanta, Chengdu

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 6:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

First of all, I am still in the process of returing to China after a long vacation(almost 2 years!). Gave notice to my nice position at a very very nice world relief organization and now my 'international' school is telling me to be patient as they and some foreign bureau ready my documents.........work permit and invitation on the way.....

And the best part.....my job title is no longer ESL teacher. I am moving up?! Who knew?! Its 20 hours a week and I work with mostly with foreign kids. I hear they are brats but guess what? The money is decent and I get to move back to move Chinese hometown. Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Vo Rogue



Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 31

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've changed cities and changed from private language school to university. Apparently I'll be teaching writing to students whose English level is "low".
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
tw



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vo Rogue wrote:
Apparently I'll be teaching writing to students whose English level is "low".


May God have mercy on you.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Songbird



Joined: 09 Jan 2005
Posts: 630
Location: State of Chaos, Panic & Disorder...

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ditto what TW said.....I REALLY hope you only teach 2 writing classes a week, NO MORE. I've been lumped with writing all last year, and lucky me got it again. I requested no writing, but got 2 classes (instead of 4 for a change) and had the first lessons today- they don't seem as bad as last year's mob, thank heavens.

What do you plan to do? Will you have them all year or just the semester?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sonnibarger



Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 320
Location: Wuhan

PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

teaching kindergarden oh god what was i thinking? oh ya good money because no one wants to do it. I found out its for good reasons. Lucky i have 3 cute ta's in my class or this would look alot worse. oh well only 5 month contract so hopfuly i can save up some cash and take a nice trip maybe find a gig with adult students next round. gotta love the 3 hour nap each day tho, thats how i got time to write this.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
arioch36



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 3589

PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have adopted the Chinese-Western compromise when teaching many writing classes, famously invented by me of course. If I have four classes of the same writing class, I only grade two classes on one work, then the other two classes on the next work, and give back both works together so they don't know which they will get graded on. Imust make the assumption that they mistakes commonly made by one class are the same that the other class makes.
Have I sacrificed my principles or wisely adapted to a new environment to the mutual benefit of all?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Vo Rogue



Joined: 27 Jul 2007
Posts: 31

PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Songbird wrote:
Ditto what TW said.....I REALLY hope you only teach 2 writing classes a week, NO MORE. I've been lumped with writing all last year, and lucky me got it again. I requested no writing, but got 2 classes (instead of 4 for a change) and had the first lessons today- they don't seem as bad as last year's mob, thank heavens.

What do you plan to do? Will you have them all year or just the semester?

Are writing classes THAT bad - I didn't realise. What are the nightmare parts - marking assignments, getting students motivated?

I'm teaching for one semester only, but have got 4 classes. There's a textbook, but I've got several other activities and exercises that I plan to use throughout the term.

Any advice warmly welcomed!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
tw



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898

PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vo Rogue wrote:
Are writing classes THAT bad - I didn't realise.


Oh yes, they are THAT bad and even worse.

Quote:
What are the nightmare parts - marking assignments, getting students motivated?


Marking assignments is one thing, if they are worth marking. As arioch36 says, rotate your marking helps to reduce workload. Alternately, you can also pick out a selected group of papers to mark in every class.

The biggest problem is (1) students not listening and remembering what you tell them and (2) they have no creativity. You will find yourself reading paper after paper all looking similar, as many students copy from each other. Chinese students also don't understand the concept of thinking, which explains why you will have paper after paper with introductions that start with variations of "with the development of moden society".


Last edited by tw on Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:26 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> China (Job-related Posts Only) All times are GMT
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3  Next
Page 2 of 3

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

Teaching Jobs in China
Teaching Jobs in China