Job Discussion Forums

[Baroque]

Hi there,

I have applied for a few jobs in Hong Kong and am fully aware the waiting process for appointment is a long drawn out wait. I am a fully qualified TESOL Teacher having graduated from a respectable University in Australia ; which means I have real teaching qualifications hence a high probability of working in Hong Kong.

However, I am also considering my options to work in Guangzhou simply because I would rather be living in a temperate climate as opposed to Northern China where it can be rather cold. Besides , I would rather live near the coast and not landlocked in a parochial village.

I know the wages are not very high in China but am a proven educator with a strong interest in Asian culture.I do not want to work for a fly by night Academy as I like to work in a professional environment.

I would like to hear from anyone who is working for a professional organisation who can give me a hint who to work for in Guangzhou or possibly inform me of a vacancy in their school.

I am looking for a long term contract in a professional school that values real educators.I have up to date knowledege of current pedagogic methods and syllabus design related to the communicative approach.

I would appreciate constructive feedback.Thank you.

From Terra Australis

[7969]

[Baroque]

I have a Graduate Diploma in TESOL that allows me to work in any ESL related context both in Australia or abroad.Why have I eliminated any possibility of finding a job when I am professionally trained to teach? If I were to find a school that simply wanted a foreign face then I might as well go to Korea, which is not a favourable option.

I really enjoy the job of delivering a lesson plan and helping students work on tasks;and I also enjoy working within a structured syllabus because it gives one a sense of purpose of working with a curriculum.

By the way, I would like to know how comfortable foreign teachers find themselves in Guanghzou or the province itself. Is it foreigner freindly?

[malu]

[vikuk]

[Shan-Shan]

[Baroque]

It would be informative to know how Foreign Teachers are finding their experience of living in Guangzhou. I was in Hong Kong for two weeks and loved the place. As I said in my initial posting I am awaiting the possibility of appointment to instruct in Hong Kong; I have applied for more than a few jobs, The NET scheme, The ESF and some regional University positions. If that falls through I am considering Guangzhou. Positive and negative critical observations of Guangzhou and the province are most welcome.

BTW Thanks for the replies.

[eslstudies]

If you want to be taken seriously, teaching ESL in an Australian public or private school is a far better option.
Hong Kong students are no better than mainlanders. With the benefit of 150 years of enlightened British rule, they have picked up remarkably little.
So, go to China and enjoy yourself, or be a serious TESOLer. You can't have both, sorry. Krashen himself couldn't inspire 50 sleepy post-lunch students in a sweltering classroom full of bolted desks, with the smell of effluent pungent in the humid air.

Oh, am I way too cynical, or is this another of Tony's Kowloon Kreations?

[malu]

GZ is the most polluted city I've ever spent much time in, beating even Jakarta for omnipresent smog. I'm told there are other Chinese cities that are much more polluted, but I've not been to any myself.

The most redeeing feature of the city for me is the former foreigners' ghetto of Shamian which still has a relaxed vibe about it in places. The metro system is modern and efficient but darn crowded at peak times, so getting around GZ isn't difficult.

I'm sure there are some scenic and wonderful places in Guangdong province, somewhere, but generally the Pearl River Delta area is wall-to-wall factories and concrete. The NT and outlying islands of HK are a good deal less polluted and prettier than anywhere I've seen this side of the river.

That's my take on it. Sorry it's not more positive.

[jwbhomer]

Guangzhou stinks -- literally and figuratively.