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vb5611
Joined: 22 Jan 2011
Posts: 6
Location: US
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 Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:45 am Post subject: OrientNOW - Anyone heard of them/worked with them?Real/Fake? |
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Hello all...I am new here and am in touch with OrientNOW about a potential position. I have never taught abroad and am not certified in any way to teach English.
The owner of company has told me that they provide EFL courses on site, but I am weary.
Anyone worked with/for them in the past?
Should I just get the CELTA first? I can afford it, but if i can work without and and get training I would rather avoid spending $2500 on a course if i dont have to. Although if its worth it, and I can easily get many more offers after doing so I will gladly take the course for the CELTA.
Any experiences with OrientNOW? Any tips in general?
Thanks in advance!! |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:50 am Post subject: |
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If you're just going to China for a 1 or 2 year fling and have no desire to teach for a living, don't get any certification. You won't make enough money back in China for a CELTA to pay itself off.
Recruiters are recruiters. Research them for any reviews and trust their word like you would a used car salesman. They can be usable because going through them is more time-efficient than cold e-mailing universities. |
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vb5611
Joined: 22 Jan 2011
Posts: 6
Location: US
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:58 am Post subject: Thanks a lot |
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Thanks Dos Equis.
The money isnt the issue, its my skill!
Ive never taught English before! I am a native speaker and consider myself a good one at that but I have never taught before!
Do you think I could go to Shanghai and teach in my current state? |
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vb5611
Joined: 22 Jan 2011
Posts: 6
Location: US
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:01 am Post subject: |
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What I mean is I dont know the first thing about putting together a lesson plan etc.
I guess I should do more research on this company, but for the respect of myself and my potential peers in the EFL teaching industry, shouldnt we be trained and qualified?
Or is on site training a common occurrence in the China's burgeoning EFL market? |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:07 am Post subject: |
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What age group and type of English are you expected to teach?
Oral English to children for example.
Sounds like you are going to be marketed around, but with no disrespect, it is your Caucasian appearance that is probably the drawcard. |
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7969
Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:21 am Post subject: Re: OrientNOW - Anyone heard of them/worked with them?Real/F |
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| vb5611 wrote: |
Hello all...I am new here and am in touch with OrientNOW about a potential position. I have never taught abroad and am not certified in any way to teach English.
The owner of company has told me that they provide EFL courses on site, but I am weary. |
ask for some details of what they provide then proceed further.
you wont get more offers based whether or not you have a tefl qualification. |
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DosEquisX
Joined: 09 Dec 2010
Posts: 361
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 7:22 am Post subject: Re: Thanks a lot |
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| vb5611 wrote: |
Thanks Dos Equis.
The money isnt the issue, its my skill!
Ive never taught English before! I am a native speaker and consider myself a good one at that but I have never taught before!
Do you think I could go to Shanghai and teach in my current state? |
Unless you are considering teaching for a career, do not worry about any certification. The standards for foreign teaching quality are low as most places are just looking for a white face to market their business.
It's tough to get a good paying job in Shanghai or Beijing due to the cost of living and your lack of experience.
EDIT: Just saw that OrientNOW is a training school and not a recruiter. Read the contract very carefully. They're normally horribly written and contain very critical omissions. You have the right to get a decent contract for your job. Ask away. See this website for more information. You are expected to negotiate a contract. It's part of the culture. |
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kev7161
Joined: 06 Feb 2004
Posts: 5880
Location: Suzhou, China
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 10:58 am Post subject: |
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Is this another troll thing happening?
| Quote: |
| I have never taught abroad and am not certified in any way to teach English. |
But, hey, that's okay - - it's only China, right?
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The owner of company has told me that they provide EFL courses on site, but I am weary. |
Uh, leery?
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The money isnt the issue, its my skill!
Ive never taught English before! I am a native speaker and consider myself a good one at that but I have never taught before! |
Yes, so you've said.
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Do you think I could go to Shanghai and teach in my current state? |
At the same time? The commute's going to kill you!
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What I mean is I dont know the first thing about putting together a lesson plan etc.
but for the respect of myself and my potential peers in the EFL teaching industry, shouldnt we be trained and qualified? |
Nah, this is China! Who cares about qualifications?
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nickpellatt
Joined: 08 Dec 2006
Posts: 1522
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 2:37 pm Post subject: |
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Hmmm, there is a thread near the top of this page that questions why many Chinese employers do not take FTs seriously, and what information could be procured to help the recruitment process for FTs etc.
And then there are two threads, this being one, with unqualified and inexperienced posters enquiring about working in China, and being told come on down, forget getting real qualifications!
vb5611 - I commend you on recognising the value of some kind of EFL qualification prior to teaching, and yes, for the sake of your peers and your students such a qualification is definitely worthwhile. There is perhaps a grey area between what is legally required and what is morally required. I believe investing in a decent certificate program is a good idea, and wish more 'teachers' would do the same. Teaching standard would (arguably) rise, and the industry would be better for it IMO.
Have a look at a recognised program with CELTA/Trinty preferably. This initial one month certificate will definitely help prepare you for teaching, and even if you only do it for a year, it will probably make your year more enjoyable and more effective. This qualification is also recognised within Universities and can normally be transferred as credit towards another course if so desired.
Most or many chinese employers wont offer much in the way of training. It is highly likely that you will be pointed in the general direction of a classroom and told 'just go talk english to them'. hardly an idea beginning!
good luck! |
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7969
Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong
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| Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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| nickpellatt wrote: |
| Hmmm, there is a thread near the top of this page that questions why many Chinese employers do not take FTs seriously, and what information could be procured to help the recruitment process for FTs etc. |
and there could be an equal number of threads why FTs don't take some of these schools seriously. as evidenced by another part of your post:
| nickpellatt wrote: |
| Most or many chinese employers wont offer much in the way of training. It is highly likely that you will be pointed in the general direction of a classroom and told 'just go talk english to them'. hardly an idea beginning! |
if schools don't see fit to take these jobs and FTs seriously then who can blame the FT for following suit? after all, these FTs (through no fault of their own) were hired based on nationality and appearance. one might think that since its their own kids in some of these classrooms these school administrators would put more effort into some semblance of professionalism through the hiring process, but many of them would just rather save a buck than screen for better employees. I might add my current employer bucks the trend and does a decent job of hiring people they think are capable.
| nickpellatt wrote: |
| vb5611 - I commend you on recognising the value of some kind of EFL qualification prior to teaching, and yes, for the sake of your peers and your students such a qualification is definitely worthwhile. There is perhaps a grey area between what is legally required and what is morally required. |
as for the morality of qualifications or lack thereof, give me a break. if we were all walking away with bucket-loads of money while delivering absolutely nothing of value in the classroom i might agree with you. This isn't the case.
for the record, i did a celta in 2003 and i wasn't overly impressed with the instructor our group had and equally unimpressed with one or two others. they're knowledgable enough in most cases but at this centre they seemed oblivious to the realities of teaching english in asia, despite the fact this training centre was in asia. there was also an attitude of "our way is the only right way" to carry out a task (and this got old fast).
in case anyone cares, previously i came from a work environment that was global in scale, highly stressful and very deadline oriented. among other things you quickly learned how to prioritize, organize, communicate and manage several projects (and pers) simultaneously. those, and an ability to self-criticize, are the skills i've found most useful in my day to day work here in China but these aren't skills you learn from a training centre. They're either innate or you acquire them through experience. Incidentally, this organization i worked for has one of the best training systems in the country for their employees (also a magnet for trainees from other countries), which is probably the reason i'm not highly impressed with some tefl training centres.
IMO these tefl courses can be useful for some people but for others not. I wouldn't advise someone to spend $1500 on a course if they only planned on being in esl for 5-6 months. if they decide to stick with it longer, then I would recommend one. |
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