Job Discussion Forums

[phantomquill]

Hello,

I just got offered an ESL teaching position in Tangshan. I found this post helpful on aspects pertaining to what life might be outside my work environment.

Thanks,

PQ

[mrzman]

I just recently left this company, and my advice is DO NOT WORK FOR THEM! First, a teacher left a month after I got there. I had heard from my roommate that another American teacher left in the middle of the night before he got there. I left after 4 months, and the other teachers, made up of Americans and South Africans, are planning on leaving within the next 3 months.
There is poor communication, they are very unscrupulous, corrupt, and poor managers. they do not treat foreign teachers well at all. They made me sign a new contract 3 weeks prior to coming, stipulating 2500 rmb taken out 2 months in a row, all because of the guy that left in the middle of the night, but they will deny that to be the reason. I received little to no training, and if they do train you before you teach, you will not get paid for training. The Chinese assistants are not as helpful as they could or should be, and only a couple speak good enough English to be of any real help anyways. Nobody in the school really speaks great English, except a couple.
When they finally knew I was going, I had given them my passport late October, and was without it until the end of December. I was told by many other teachers, schools, recruiters, that the process to cancel a Visa should take no more than a week or so at the most. I repeatedly asked for my passport back, finally having to get my US Embassy involved, and still they would not get it back for me until the day before I left, and never told me where it was or why it was taking so long.
The owner supposedly has a brother in the local police, so there's your corruption.
Even the computers at the school do not always work, and you will have to teach at public schools every day, in addition to private classes and VIP students at TT itself.

The manager Dan, from Wales, is an absolute jerk. You will create power points weekly, and continuously be berated for how bad they are. He will also expect many lesson plans in addition.

Tangshan is cold and a pit. There isn't much to do. Avoid this school at all costs.