Job Discussion Forums

[intoaction]

like we can actually paint an accurate picture of "what it's like to live in CHINA" on an internet forum...lmao will be different for every person gang, I have had a great time!

[SpedEd]

I've been to Korea as late as June '07 and since I began working in China, I've been screaming inside to get back to Korea. The money in China is utterly terrible in comparison and the lifestyle here stinks compared to Korea, especially for a teacher who formerly worked and lived in Seoul...the memories.

MOD EDIT: INSULTS TOWARDS OTHER FTS

The money factor gets to me in a big way and I know that it will be the factor that motivates me to leave China long before a contract is completed. I'm here because of the heinous acts of a certain man, let's call him Chris O'Neil, and the Korean government's overreaction to it.
The schools in China can be really bad, worse than the worst hagwons in my opinion. To my surprise the management of Chinese schools often act in a quasi-mean or outright mean way towards the foreign staffers. I never really got this in Korea but for one school.
All in all, I recommend China for retired folks, sight-seers, and people on virtual skid row. Otherwise, wait about 30 years for the place to develop and for the Chinese to become somewhat civilized.

[Anda]

I'm not a big city person and I have lived in South Korea for eight and a half years and now one and a half years in China. Both places can be fun to work plus both places have there problems.

Sending money overseas is terrible here in China compared to Korea.

Money, well here you can live better for food from markets than Korea. Medical is cheap here also but I find the small clinics to be a lot more honest than the hospitals in general.

If you earn around 5,000 RMB along with airfares and free accommodation etc here in China then you can forget about big ticket things like a car or paying bills back home. From about 8,000 RMB onwards provided you have free accommodation then buying most things shouldn't be much of a problem here except a car but once again you are not going to able to save like Korea.

I loved the Korean mountains but where I live in China it's flat. Pollution and lack of city pride is very evident where I live here. The bigger Chinese cities seem to have it under control but.

If you are up for a job change then I think China is worth the experience and if you don't enjoy it then you can always move on.

[Noelle]

Both countries have a lot to offer but Korea wins hands down... in my opinion.

I love China but I probably won't work there again having lived and worked in Korea.

[malu]

About a quarter of my students are Koreans studying here as international students. This is the first time I have taught Koreans and I've never lived in Korea.

I have to say that *on average* my Korean students perform better academically than the locals but their behaviour is a lot rowdier. They tend to be more individualistic and this helps in class because they will try to think a problem through rather than just waiting passively for the teacher to dispense wisdom from on high. They are also much, much more likely to be hauled up in front of the principal for the usual adolescent misdeeds.

My 5-6 Koreans per class make life more interesting as a teacher and they help to set the pace for the others. I'm not sure I'd like a whole class full of Korean high school students, however. I get a sense that en masse they could be a bit of a hand-full.

An earlier post said something about Chinese students being hard-working and well behaved. I disagree. Most of mine are compliant and obedient, but there is a distinct absence of creativity and self-motivation.

[Noelle]

Malu

What kind of school are you teaching for just out of curiousity?
How interesting to have Korean and Chinese students in the same class.

I really love Korean high schoolers but yes, they are a major handful. They are a lot of fun though.

My experience with Chinese high school students has been limited but what little time I did have with them in China was really good. They actually seemed better than the Koreans I have here at the moment but perhaps I just really lucked out.

[mgafunnell]

in my own personal experience, i find the chinese are much better. mind you, i have previoudly taught in one of korea's poorest cities.

[malu]