Job Discussion Forums

[maxh1985]

Hi everyone,

I am in the process of looking for my first TEFL job in china. Im trying to gather as much advice and info as possible from all you guys who all seem to know alot from actual experiece. Pretty much going to be armed with only my degree and online TEFL cert. Ive already found many jobs i think i could certainly go for. However one thing im definately looking for in a job and location is to be amongst at least a few other foreign teachers my own age.

It goes without saying that the school and my teaching are always going to come first when i do start working out there. And of course i will be totally focusing all my energy on that. However im sure you can also understand that im still a young guy and would be pretty miserable if i was just stuck working in a place on my own out in the middle of nowhere, or with a bunch of couples or older people.

I guess what im saying is my ideal job would be at a good school where i can dive in and start getting my experience down and finding my feet with teaching etc, but also having a pretty active scoial life aswel. Even if its just sharing accomodation with a few people my own age and going out for a few beers a couple of times a week, getting to know some locals/students my age aswell would be awesome. Im not saying im gonna be out patrying every night, like i said the reason im coming out is for the teaching experience, but aswell as this, still being pretty young and up for a laugh, id be pretty depressed if i ended up somewhere where i couldnt do this.

So is there anyone here who knows what im talking about or is in the same boat? Has any recommendations for particular schools/locations they are working in now or have done in the past? Would be very much appreciated.

Thanks very much for reading and i look forward to hearing from you.

[Zero]

Most any third-, second- or first-tier city will probably give you the access to partying and, I suspect, young women that you seem to want. It's probably more a matter of avoiding specific situations/locations that are likely to be duds. For example, for some reason I've heard that Xuzhou, in Jiangsu province, is particularly dull. Also, beware of jobs that claim to be in or "near" large cities but are actually on sprawling campuses about an hour from the city, and not always with great bus access.

[nickpellatt]

I will make a recommendation to you ... www.omeida.org in Yangshuo.

Despite the negative thread recently posted about Yangshuo (which I will reply to later) I still had a great time there, and would think its a great place for newbie teachers for these reasons ...

Easy living. China can be difficult if you have limited or no language skills. Yangshuo is well set up for English speakers with bars and restaurants offering familiar dishes as well as Chinese dishes. All or certainly most, menus have been translated. Being a small town its also easy to get around, which is a big positive for me.

Students. Most of the language schools teach adults in small classes. For a new teacher, 6-8 adults is a far easier starting point than middle schools or classes of 50+ kids. This means that you can use some of the CELTA etc training in the classroom, and whilst I know first hand it isnt easy...you can use the time here as a chance to learn more as a teacher and experiment a little.

Social scene. Lots of other FT's in Yangshuo...lots of other people travelling through if thats you scene. If it isnt, then having adult students as I had means its easy to have a social scene involving them. Class dinners, nights at the bars/KTV, and school trips were a frequent part of my social life out there. Big city advantages with small town lifestyle, less noise and pollution etc.

Things to do. Other than a cinema, Yangshuo is a pretty fun place to be IMO. There is a choice of bars, coffee shops, discos and KTV rooms. If you dont want to do any of that, the countryside is very accessible, and the touristy trips and attractions are numerous and affordable.

Hours. I never worked weekends....never worked evenings. No hidden office hours etc. The only additional commitment was attending a social night once a week, which wasnt really a bind anyway with free beer and snacks on offer for the 90 mins I was there.

Although the wages arent great....I had no hidden surprises or shocks from my employer, was always paid on time, enjoyed a good lifestyle, and even managed to save a small amount too.

I really believe it is a good start for any teacher in China. Happy to answer any PMs or other queries about this place!

[maxh1985]

[nickpellatt]

Private language colleges dont really have a hiring season per se. Teachers come and go all the time, so anytime might be OK. Contact them if you have any interest and advise them when you might be going to China.

As I left and returned to the UK last week, I may not be 100% correct, but I believe there are 9 Foreign Teachers employed there now...Some may renew contract, but I know there are 4 teachers whose contracts will expire in the last quarter of the year...maybe more if any of the new teachers take shorter contracts.

Ill reply in detail later on the other Yangshuo thread

[maxh1985]

Ok great, ill get in touch with them right away and see what what they say, sure there'd be no harm in asking now. Thats good news they are pretty much hiring all the time. I will look out for your post on the Yangshuo thread, cheers

[MisterButtkins]

I'd say you need to be in a larger city. A small city won't have much nightlife, just a few (really bad) Chinese clubs, KTV, and no foreigner bar. Also, in a small city there will be very few people who can speak English, including very few girls.