Job Discussion Forums

[therock]

Just come across this. Looks like all those wanting to teach in Guangzhou will need to jump a few more hoops.

http://middlekingdomlife.com/wp/latest_news/guangzhou-to-require-standardized-teaching-certificate/

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

they have something similar in place in thailand, a course prospective esl teachers need to take and pass before employment. been like that for a couple of years there already.

[Shan-Shan]

The link to the "hoops" was posted some time ago, and engendered a brief discussion here.

After any teacher/prospective teacher registers and answers the questions, it will become quite apparent that the "test" is but the mutant child of some work unit squished between the 78th. and 79th. floor of the building housing The Ministry of Eddification.

The half-hearted effort to enforce standardization, via this slap-dash of an exam, is unlikely to blossom. A large number of questions are absolutely irrelevent to teaching, and monitoring whose answers match which respondent (given the relative anonymity one can adopt when actually taking the test) makes the results dubious.

Requiring foreign teachers to pass this exam will also add another box to the ticking sheet for universities to complete when hiring/rehiring English teachers. The love of traversing loopholes here will likely mean that the Foreign Affairs office representative, and not the foreign teacher, will complete the correct ABCD pattern, thus saving both time and preventing the complications of failure from arising.

Consider the "test" as just another potential regulation, much like every other regulation regulating those here in the barely regulated English teaching field.

[nobleignoramus]

Ah well. It's probably just another semi-legitimate way of generating badly-needed revenue for the relevant authorities (Education Bureau?). So long as someone ELSE pays, what's there to be concerned about?

Yes - my time is going up the chimney even if I pass that bloody test. But who knows? The EB might celebrate the successful passing by several teachers with a big party at taxpayers' expense.

[englishgibson]

one of my questions it that why we wouldn't be "certified" with our BAs, MBAs and the TESOLs, CELTAs etc

yet another question bothers me and that is why the ones with their credentials in the field of education from their homelands would have to take this chinglish test

is it that chinese officials are trying to slap our western education in the face or is it that they are just making sure we are "fit" to teach peoples people

can you imagine that after you arive on mainland with all those fine credentials, you fail to qualify for the honorable chinese english language expert status

now, i'd love to see these fine questions in the test as well as the people who have made them up. also, i'd love to see these fine peoples' credentials and reasoning what they've based their questions on (or where they've got their test questions).

my observation is that there are more and more locals with some interesting "qualifications from abroad". my current head office ch-staff as well as the center's management ch-staff that "drive me" (i'm the back seat driver) are with some MBAs from abroad, although i am almost certain that their knowledge does not go too far pass the fine although closin' mainland borders..and they set their standards and even tests too

i hope that our general knowledge as well as the knowledge we've got throughout our education will only help us pass these fine exams for the honorable status of experts on mainland. otherwise, we'll have to ..

cheers and beers to re-learning how to teach english or in english wherever we are

[chinatwin88]

Has anyone actually taken this test

[englishgibson]

there's apparently, or was, a website to down such a test and it has been discussed on some other "foreign expert" thread before. someone on that thread which i cannot find now as my search's provided no results, has alleged that he took the test before. he commented on that some of the test's questions were ridiculous and, as my memory serves me, some of the english language wasn't quite clear and/or correct. others on that thread commented as well, so if we could find it, it'd be helpful here.

cheers and beers to chinese qualified fts

[chinatwin88]

Before I got my underoos in a bunch I would want a little more in the way of several posts than a rumor fueled website.

[englishgibson]

well, one of those posts on that thread was from my former coworker that'd actually taken the test. but i've either never verified his claims or taken that great test myself. so, you might be right although i'd give a benefit of doubt to my old pal who worked with me for about a year and a half.

cheers and beers to rumors and facts

[chinatwin88]

Why give him the benefit of the doubt when you can drop him a line or give a ring to clear this whole thing up.

[peruisay]

[chinatwin88]

Do u have a link to that test. The Photos are quite small but it looks like a HR department website address.

[peruisay]

[Afroste]

Peru, is it a university you teach for that asked you to take it? Private place? More info on your whereabouts would be interesting to know in regards to having to take this test....

[peruisay]