Job Discussion Forums

[arioch36]

[tom selleck]

350,000,000 native English speakers in the world and some training centers have to relent to Russians, Nigerians or Philippinos just to get bums in the chairs?

It all depends - we have a non-native English speaking teacher and he's arguably the best teacher in the school. However, let me go on the record. Schools that have a high level of non-native English speakers often have difficulty attracting teachers from the big 7 native English speaking nations for a reason.

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Having no individual responsible for housing, visas, health checks, ironically, may work out better in the short run. "Mildred" was that incompetent.

It's just management's save a penny here, it's not in the budget familiar refrain that's getting long in the tooth. These people - the class scheduler, the Chinese tutors have to attend to all of this on their free time. They have to look for an apartment on their day off or go to the PSB when their off shift. The only consideration when making any sort of a decision seems to be: "Well can we do the same; but cheaper? Let's not spend any money!" I really hate seeing people being taken advantage of.

One month ago, one of the big shooters from Shanghai (non English speaking, of course) and gave us the usual konghua. (Empty words)

"Wo hen gaoxing...Wo hen ganxie..." Is there anything you need for teaching materials?

"Yeah, computer speakers. They'll only cost about Y180 for a good pair that'll blow the AV room to kingdom come. I'll bring my own laptop to school, so don't worry, that won't cost you a jiao."

"Why?"

"Because I'll teach music in an English corner about once a month."

That was about a month ago. Big shooter carefully wrote dian nao yin xiang in her notebook. At the time, I knew what was going to happen.
If your going to go to great lengths to appear a certain way and then simply revert back to penny flinching, why not just say it? No, we're not gonna get office chairs. Use the same old ones until these ones break like the old ones. No! We're not gonna get computer speakers for a music English corner. What a dumb idea!

But they can spend Y10,000 on a flashy ornamental fish tank - the 2nd!
I shudder to think what they spent on their teasured banquet for the 3rd anniversary celibration held at a ritzy hotel for about 1500 people, replete with some famous pop star to get up and do her performance.

But they can't see the forest for the trees...

[englishgibson]

[tom selleck]

and when you leave they might consider some of those improvements

That's the thing, though. They make necessary changes at a foreign teacher's behest AFTER the said whiner has gone to greener pastures.

Can't take the suggestions of a waijiao, even if it makes sense; even if it's free. That would be a tremendous loss of face.

[englishgibson]

i know it's not easy to travel to work and work in bitterly cold weather
cheers and beers to keepin' faces then

[tom selleck]

As the world turns: This morinng 2 teachers suddenly are going to be deported. No connection to the previous gripes. They were partying hardy and playing music loudly, allegedly late at night.

One of the teachers' neighbours complained, apparently for the (repeat time, we really don't know for sure)

These guys now have 3 days to leave the country, bringing the headcount down quite a bit. Interesting. I've never heard of people getting deported because the stereo was too loud. I thought maybe a heavy fine or 3 days in the klink.

A reminder that the jackboots are more fierce and kneejerk in this part of China than others. Intense fear of terrorism has shaped every law enforcement official's psyche.

[KidfromBrooklyn]

This mill sounds like a place to avoid and say that with a capitol "A" In my houseing complex the Chinese residents play their muzac till all hours of the night and morning and sing to the tune in shaky off key voices that would put the munchkins to shame.

Punishment fines, no housing, mysterious deportations. Time to go and go as far away from the spider web as you can. This is a time bomb waiting to go off. No one anywhere askes for trouble. Good luck and God speed.

[tom selleck]

The deportation was really just a strange timing thing - that is, related to current events at the school. No connection really. But it bears mentioning that the local authorities are twitchy beyond belief. Cops/the PSB in Xinjiang are the most paranoid of a paranoid nation. I wrote earlier (2005) about the time I was fined and quasi detained for not registering. I also wrote about being inspected at my residence by the authorities 4 times in 6 months. The last time, I was in the shower.


But people have just got to try out Xinjiang. Turns out little Vinnie wasn't such a liar after all. The 3 teachers I was positive were the object of the noodle's imagination are flesh and blood real. Just before Spring Festival, 3 new teachers were given the tour of the school. There is no shortage of foreign teachers willing to come to Urumqi.

They're also the type that doesn't bother to research, use the search function, or ask foreign teachers presently employed about the current state of comfort and affairs.

[mome888]

Can you suggest any good schools in Xinjiang to work at?

Are there any English teaching jobs in Shihezi?

I am thinking of going there.

Any help appreciated.

[tom selleck]

This week's meeting was most entertaining... I told myself ahead of time, "Just cool your jets, they can say anything...3 months and I'm out of here. So don't lose it!" But, there was lots worth blowing a gasket over if one is so inclined.

The first item of discussion was the fire escape. Our school occupies all of the 30th floor of a high rise. One of the doors to the fire escape is perma - locked. It was made known to Management that this has been brought up before and could something please be done about it? Use your magical guanxi to persuade the security staff (who roam about endlessly in their navy suits and kackle into their walkie talkies) or the land management company that runs that runs the place.

There have been two large scale fatal fires in Urumqi lately. In fact, another teacher and myself watched as flames leapt out of the windows of a department store about 1 km. away. That one didn't even make the news to my knowledge. The newspaper headlined another fire disaster that involved a swank hotel. So,you could say it's the issue du jour around these parts. And we all know how negligent the Chinese are with fire safety standards.

So in this atmosphere of above average awareness, we were kinda' hoping something could be done about it.

Another item on the agenda for the meeting was "baby talk". "What's baby talk?", I asked.

"We'll be teaching babies English", the tutor/translator proudly answered. "And how old are these babies?" someone was bold enough to ask.

"7 to 10 years old." So that explains it. That's why we went from 6 teachers to 14 in one week. This is possibly the only Web school I know of in China that is actively going after children. It's not an adults/teenagers only school anymore.

The tutor/translator typed the meeting's agenda afterwards. The last thing she typed was "not to worry about safety."

[tom selleck]

One teacher did lose it. Central to the argument was the fact that things have been brought up before, and you've never done anything, so why even ask? Being the only other long-timer, I understand the frustration.

Completely.

Why the school even asks, "Is there anything you need?" when they just promptly ignore and forget about everything we say is beyond my capacity for reasoning.

I didn't even bother looking up; just shook my head as mcmanager asked every teacher. Outside of sourcing markers and tropical fish for the fishtank, there's been little else management can procure.

Decible levels rose. Tempers got edgy. The newbys were treated to a feast.

At the end of the meeting, one of the new hires asked if the meetings were always so acrimonious. "1 month ago was worse", I told him.

When you're looking for a job, use the search function. I don't know how many times the old timers have to warn those beholden to initial kind words and promises.



[/b]For the love of Mike, or whomever USE the search function on Dave's esl cafe whenever you're looking for a job.[b]

I typed that twice, and I'm afraid I still didn't make myself loud and clear enough.

[Mpho]

Just my two cents from someone who works in Xinjiang, but not Urumqi.

Most of us in Xinjiang know that EF in Urumqi is the pits and many say Korla is not far behind. But many say that EF in karamay is much better.

You may try transferring out, if you really like EF. I understand they also pay better in Karamay.

Mpho

[tom selleck]

These individuals continue to provide comedic situations worth sharing. I went in yesterday on my day off to take my Chinese lesson. In passing another teacher informed me of this:

We've all been given pens. Not markers. Little 2 kuai pens. Only these pens do look kind of deluxe. So maybe they're 4 kuai pens. We're not talking Cross or Mont Blanc here, though. I'm not going to be writing home about the pen I was given.

Management produced a special form. Had all waijiao sign for these pens that were given to them. Upon leaving, they must be turned back in, just like your swipe card and key to the office.


I'm not making this up. It's like the old saying: In life, truth is often stranger than fiction.

[2 over lee]

amusing as this is, I can't figure out why you stick with Urumqi - given what you write about Web and EF

[tom selleck]

It was a good place to work for quite a while. They just started getting weird again a few months ago. I have a constitution that likens one to complete a contract to completion. I shouldn't really say "they". It's a tendency to say "they". The silliness is brought by one individual - Vince, or as the Chinese address him: Zhuli (assistant)

2 months and a little bit to go.

I keep trying to pop the string to the top under the naive belief that I'll save some under - researched newby the aggro.

The last time I worked for EF, nobody in the world had even heard of global warming yet. You can't be that much of an old timer yourself, can you?