Job Discussion Forums

[Rooster_2006]

I've been teaching young learners in Taiwan for a while, but I'm getting kind of sick of it, particularly the classroom management and the behavior problems. I'd like to teach older learners instead.

Here are my qualifications:
- Bachelor of Science degree (irrelevant program of studies, uni that nobody's ever heard of, but at least my GPA was high)
- CELTA
- Approximately 1.5 years of experience teaching young learners in Taiwan, as well as occasional/short-term experience tutoring adults and subbing for adult classes
- Chinese level: basic (1,000+ characters and basic spoken Chinese, took a couple of courses in college, but I'm not advanced, nor even intermediate)

Do I stand a chance teaching at a college/uni in China?

I'm not too picky about what kind of college/uni I work at, nor am I picky about location. Is a college/uni job realistic for me?

Would bringing my Chinese level up to intermediate help me? Because that's a fairly quick and cheap fix relative to getting another degree.

[Trifaro]

Piece of cake. Knowledge of Chinese is not required for the typical university job. Apply.

Good Luck.

[wangdaning]

You could get a job easily with those qualifications. No Chinese needed. I do, however, want to warn you that a Chinese uni class does not get you out of behavioral and classroom management problems. Many uni students here, especially first year, act like they are still children. As much as one may try to convince them that they are adults, everyone else in their life is treating them like children still.

[Rooster_2006]

[roadwalker]

For Spring Term (Late Feb to early March start) apply now. Nothing gets done over Spring Festival so you have to get the process started soon. For a September start, apply in April, May. Same problem with summer holidays, but the FAO may be working if they didn't get the foreign teachers squared away before summer. Good luck.

[Rooster_2006]

[creztor]

Rooster, even though I am not in China, and since we are currently in the same city I know you know that, just check some of the adverts for uni positions and you are definitely in without a problem. You have all the qualifications and I really can't see why anyone would turn you down. As someone mentioned above, I think it is fair to say that teaching uni in China will still make you pull your hair out. My wife is currently in a linguistic program here in KHH, and the majority of students in her class have a complete lack of interest in learning and attending class (they are English majors, in theory at least). I assume that you'll find about the same in China. However, I do fully understand why you want to move there and the same thoughts crossed my mind. I believe teaching uni there will be a much better environment for someone like yourself, and you will definitely find it more satisfying and rewarding than the current "throw the sticky ball" regime you are in now. Best of luck with your move.

[Rooster_2006]

[louis.p]

@Rooster 2006:

I feel your pain. I taught children in a Taiwanese buxiban four a year. Worst working experience of my life by far. After that, I got extremely lucky finding a job in a public school. I worked there for two years. I'm now in a graduate program in Taipei. As for China,...

If you can accept 4,000 - 5,000 RMB a month, teaching at a teacher's college in western China should be a good experience. My mom spent a year in a suburb of Ch�ngq�ng (重慶) doing just that eleven years ago. I was with her. We had an amazing time. I can PM you the school's name if you're interested.

Have you ever though about getting into the import/export business?

[Rooster_2006]

[sainthood]

Hey Rooster.

I'm currently 'working' in a uni in mainland China, 'teaching' oral English to (currently) freshmen. Last year, I had a couple of sophomore classes (that's second years, if you're an Aussie, like me ).

So, the answers to your questions are definitely Yes - provided you find the right place. Also, as per here, depending on what you want out of your teaching experience... (I intend to do a write-up of here, for future reference to others considering this place - Jiujiang University, in Jiangxi - about an hour's flight west from Shanghai.

Basically, we weiguo ren are merely an ad for the university - "Come to JJU - we have real foreigners teaching English!!". They don't care what we 'teach' (other than not being too overtly offensive), don't look in on us, don't care about our attitude, etc.. Consequently, they don't have a set curriculum nor any particular grading or marking system.

Similarly, even if they don't show up for class for the mandatory 5 classes, students are still given a pass....

So, it boils down to what you want!

If you wanted, I could probably have a word with someone here, and get you a spot (Like mine for next year ).

Pay, you ask???

5000RMB, which doesn't change for quals or experience. 4 room unit (like most of Chinese stuff, older and could do with some repair work, but basically functional - I've lived in worse in Australia.... I think :p). 5000 isn't a lot, but for 16 actual hours in a classroom, it's the equivalent (or better) than a full-time job for a local... most meals are about 20-25RMB - some easily cheaper (4RMB for fried rice). Personally, before I went back home last year for the holiday, I had over 15000 saved up, and I wasn't being cheap!


This uni will take pretty much anybody.... no experience? Check. No qualifications? Check. No TEFL/TESOL training? Check.... So, since you've already had the experience, etc, no problemo!!!


As for hair-pulling.... nah! Most of the kids are fine - only a couple that are any vague sort of problem... and even then you might get a surprise. Of course, many don't really care, but if you're a foreigner, they'll be more interested... esp if you do games and other interesting things.


All of what I said means - teaching ENGLISH - not science..... (but, they do have medicine here, so maybe you could get a spot doing basic sciences or anatomy or something to them... foreign students too - India, Pakistan, Sudan, etc... though they usually have doctors doing those subjects).

Does this help???

[Rooster_2006]

Thanks for the input, sainthood. That is interesting information.

However, perhaps I should be a bit more specific about my question. Here is the scenario that I'm picturing:
1. I land a college/uni job with ease in April.
2. I'm happy and hopeful and am just gearing up to fly to China and take the job in late August, when all of a sudden:
"We're sorry, but the school has decided to un-hire you, because they decided to hire another applicant."
3. Then I'm stuck in September with no job and no prospects for finding another (decent) job since all the unis have already done all their hiring. At that point, I'm forced to either take a revolving door screaming kids buxiban job just like the one I left, or fly back to the US (not cheap).

How can I not only land a job, but guarantee that it'll still be there when I touch down in China?

Every single time I've "landed a job" in China, the recruiters/schools have gone back on their word a few days later.

How do you guys get around that?

[therock]

Actually April is a bit early to be looking for a job. Schools with a competent FAO who knows what they are doing, will start looking for teachers around May / June. While the schools who have inept FAO's will start looking the week before or the first week of school starting. Then there are the teachers who don't bother showing up, schools need to scramble to find replacements. There always seem to be a large number of ads during the week before and after semester starting.

So even if you are un-hired, you should be able to find something.

[bradley]

You can find a job at a university in China easily. There are alot of universities in cities like Guangzhou and the turnover rate is quite high. Research them online. E-mail them. And just show up. I found my job while I was teaching in Japan, but I've had friends here who just turned up on the right day and got a job.

[bradley]

You can find a job at a university in China easily. There are alot of universities in cities like Guangzhou and the turnover rate is quite high. Research them online. E-mail them. And just show up. I found my job while I was teaching in Japan, but I've had friends here who just turned up on the right day and got a job.