Job Discussion Forums

[Long ai gu]

Mr.Ed, the voice of reason, simple, isn't it. When I first started teaching English in China in 2002 I was flooded by offers. Now I get no offers at all when I post my resume, just recruiters telling me to go to some web-site. The English job market in China gets bigger every year and it's flooded with volunteers, stop taking jobs away from people who need them.

[fat_chris]

Long ai gu,

First of all, you don�t need to apologize. Nothing has been taken personally.

I do have a few questions for you: how long were you at Chongqing Teachers College? How well did you know the Peace Corps Volunteers at CTC? Did you work with any of them? If so, how closely did you work with them? Did you participate in any outside projects with them?

I am always amused when people come along and claim to know what is in China and, for example, Chongging Teachers College's best interests. Your initial statement of "I told them then that they were not needed here, that they are needed in poor rural areas" smacked of a bit of arrogance. What authority do you really have to say that a certain group is or is not needed somewhere? None. You�re an Oral English teacher, not an advisor to CTC or the Peace Corps. Nonetheless, if your advice is ever warranted, I�m sure the powers that be will give you a call for a chat.

[SnoopBot]

[Long ai gu]

Not much more needs to be discussed, Chris:

Stop working at schools who can afford to pay teachers, it's as simple as that. When you do this you put money into the pockets of schools who are already making plenty of money--it's called being taken advantage of. It doesn't matter how you spin your words you and your organization are being taken advantage of. Organizations who volunteer for these schools take away jobs from other foreign teachers, these are simple facts.

[fat_chris]

[gusto]

Has anyone heard of the 2010 Summer USA-China Cultural Festival? A local college promoted this program to our school district to volunteer and receive room and board with travel tours included. The festival is July 6th through the 24th. Students, parents, teachers, principals and coaches from both the USA and China are supposed to be participants at the festival. This college works with our district professionally. We are supposed to be given $500.00 towards flight tickets. The schedule has arrival with opening events in Beijing for 4 days of tours and activities. We are supposed to be placed in a 3.5 star hotel. The rest of the festival takes place in Shenzhen at the Oriental English College with classes and fun events scheduled. Teachers are to be housed in comfortable faculty dorms with private baths. After reading information on this forum, we have concerns about this trip. Teachers are required to teach for 4 hours daily, for 12 days. Much of the information given to us is vague. We have all paid application fees and were looking forward to vacationing in China this summer. The company letterhead for the applications and information is American International Students Foundation. If you have any information to share about this festival, we would appreciate your comments.

[fat_chris]

gusto,

No offense, but your post reads more like a promoting advertisement rather than a general inquiry.

[SnoopBot]

[TexasHighway]

Gusto, is this the program you were referring to?:
http://www.aistudent.org/Cultural_fes/app99.asp
According to this link, international airfare is not included and these are unpaid positions. Also, they require a $200 application fee. That explains why they are not recruiting teachers who are already in China. Teachers in China know better.

[SnoopBot]

[mat chen]

Fat Chris what you also don't realize is that volunteers are giving a false impression of teachers. Volunteers come here with loads of cash, expensive cameras and computers. Not many people can take a year off their lives to teach English. Every volunteer I have met was well heeled.
I have been ripped twice by schools who employed volunteers. They thought I was like the last five who bought things like multi million dolar medical machines for hospitals. They ate in expensive restaurants. Took holidays every weekend to places not too many of us get to go to. I don't think you speak too much Chinese because if you did you would here them talking about how much money you have. Anyone who
is a teacher can figure out how much money schools are pulling in. They
are participating in corruption and are also exploiting students with low level education.
Now how does the Peace Corps justify sending people to a country with the largest army in the world, that also increased military spending by 15% last year?

[gusto]

Yes! The link you posted is the link and program presented to my school district through an Email from the local college's Chinese professor. We trusted this event to be a nice summer experience, but we became concerned after reading some of the forums on this site. There were negative comments about teacher recruitment processes and the Oriental English College we are supposed to stay at. We wondered if others had insight about the festival operations. Our source is only one professor, and he admits he doesn't know all the details, because it's still in the works. He's also not attending the festival. Thanks to the helpful reply!

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

[Sugar & Spice]

I am not familiar with this program, but, do know that the Oriental English "College" in SZ has hosted new teachers for what was once known as the "Memphis/Shenzhen Program" (something like that).

This program was run by a Professor Bill O'Donnell (I think that's his name) from the University of Memphis. They recruited teachers to work at a summer camp at the Oriental School located in Ba'on, Shenzhen. When the summer camp was over the new "teachers" would then go to BJ for TEFL training and then work for the SZ public schools in September for 1 year. Based on what I read, that program is a rip off, but Gusto's seems ok for a college student or teacher in the US interested in seeing China during the summer and then returning home.

In my opinion, if someone is just interested in seeing what China is like and don't mind donating their time for a couple of weeks, it's not that bad for the $200 application fee, assuming the website is truthful about in China travel expenses being paid (hotel in BJ, tickets paid for to sights, flight to SZ etc...)

The reason I think that is that $200 = almost 1400 rmb. A plane ticket from BJ to SZ probably costs around 1000. If the hotel in BJ, tickets to the Great Wall etc.. and food are included, they definitely cost more than 400 rmb.

The negative part is living in the dorms and eating the cafeteria food at the Oriental College, most likely 2 per room. The Oriental College is located in the boonies of SZ and there is nothing around it within walking distance. You could take a small bus to the village to look and walk around some dirt roads. But, if they take you on the weekends into SZ to see Happy Valley etc.. and pay for the hotel and tickets, I think it is worth it.

Keep in mind, if you traveled to China to visit on your own - you would not only pay for the visa & plane ticket, but the hotels, attraction tickets, food etc...

In conclusion, based on the link provided - I think this is more of a cultural exchange with teachers and college students in the US donating some time with the paying students at the summer camp. Sure, the organizers of the camp are making money off of the students because they don't have to pay the teachers, but, the teachers/assistant teachers will get a chance to see China for a few weeks. I doubt this program is even thinking about "recruiting" people already in China.

Just think, you might even have fun "drilling/teaching" the kids! In fact, in my opinion, Gusto wouldn't even be "teaching", he/she would be a foreign face for the kids to look at and ask questions about life in the USA.

Have fun Gusto and enjoy your vacation in China!

[gusto]

Your comments helped, and we are excited to visit China.

Gusto