Job Discussion Forums

[steves619]

Hello,

I'm currently teaching in Mexico City and have rapidly become disillusioned with the prevailing circumstances of teaching here - most classes are given in the offices of companies, instead of in-house in classrooms in the offices of your language institute. So you end up wasting a lot of time traversing the city in the public transportation system, and since schedules are usually split, your "free" time is very fragmented and basically useless. When you take these factors into account, even the better paying jobs only end up paying a few dollars an hour when you consider how much time you waste in transit or is effectively useless because it's so fragmented. I don't need a lot of money, but when you also don't have any time and come home everyday exhausted and lacking motivation to study the local language, socialize, etc, it pretty much defeats the purpose of living in a foreign country.

Unfortunately, I'm a big city addict, and I had considered teaching in China, perhaps in Beijing or Shanghai, after Mexico. So I'm wondering what circumstances I'm likely to encounter if I decide to go to China - is the situation in big cities in China similar to Mexico? Is it worth pursuing, or should I go home, try to pick up my previous career again (IT/Telecom), and find a worthwhile foreign posting in my field to realize my dreams of living in a foreign culture?

Thanks,

-sjs

[Roger]

I am afraid to tell you it's much the same - training centres loaning you out to companies. Many of these clients want you to teach in the off-hours after 5 p.m. Tansport seldom is the problem as it is usually provided free of charge, but the commutes can be long, and in cities like Shanghai and Peking, they tend to get longer by the day due to crazy discipline of the hundres of thousands of car newbies.

Another downside (in my opinion) is that Chinese learners do not have the same English training as your Mexian students; they ae among the world's least active. Besides, their English normally is next to hopeless in spite of around ten years of formal English study. SInce the company usually pays, they won't make a super-human effort at dragging themselves out of their intellectual marasm. To the contrary, - you will be judged against their experiences under Chinese teachers, so lessons can become rather disappointing and frustrating!

[Minhang Oz]

I've done four company gigs in two years. One is timeless, has been running for a year, and is great fun. The other three were from 4 to 6 hours a week over one or two sessions. Door to door transport was provided, as well as any meals, and excellent teaching conditions: airconditioned boardroom, 3D OHP, etc. None of these were arranged through training centres, but through local unis. the companies had approached. If you can get your foot in the door, and do a good job, you'll get other offers through word of mouth. Of course, fitting these around a regular job is the problem, so I've turned them down.
All have been either at the workplace, or in the workplace "school". The bigger companies have their own training centres. Roger's comments are true. Where staff have been told to attend after hours English classes, the enthusiasm is what you'd expect. In one company, they were given a paid afternoon off to attend class, but then had to give up their Saturday a.m. to attend the second 3 hour session. That seemed to work very well.
So two of the four have been a pleasure to attend, one was OK, one a real drag.
Travelling time in Shanghai is a killer; unless you have your own car, get off the wrong expressway exit, and end up in Hangzhou.