Job Discussion Forums

[tradinup]

Kevin, I have to ask to you something.

I would like your consent to use this as a "find the errors" exercise:

[Mr.Kevin]

Eat your heart out. I don't think I need to advance any skills when i'm out here teaching pronunciation. Leave the grammer to the Chinese who sometimes know it better than anyone would like to admit.

Good one Team papa, If you ever come to Changsha and see a forigner be sure to hit your chest with your thumb and wrist, while saying "are you Mr.Kevin" in a low retarded monotone voice. I'll signal you back if its me.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Folks, time to get educated.

If you want to work legally in China you have to be university educated.

Otherwise, your boss is paying off someone somewhere to get your visa.

Simple as that.

Do your homework.

The reason I make more than 11,000 a month is because I did mine.

And yes, I did Taiwan, Korea, and Japan in the past.

[tradinup]

You have such a bad attitude Kevin.

Leave the grammar to the Chinese? That's about the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I have my degree and I'm still reading more to better my skills and am considering more education.

The very basis of spoken English is still grammar. Do you want your students to make sentences like John Kerry or George Bush? I'll leave it to you my fellow instructor.

[justcolleen]

[TEAM_PAPUA]

[TEAM_PAPUA]

BTW I have a Degree, so I am the Greatest teacher in the world!!!

I have met many teachers with & without Degrees, and in both categories there have been very good/ bad teachers. Teaching is about knowledge, skill & personality - and these are needed in various combinations for various classes.

As you can imagine, my knowledge knows no bounds, my skills are legendary & my personality is fabulous! Anyway, enough of me...I don't believe that good teachers should be penalised for not having Degrees, certainly those who have lots of 'life experience' to bring to the classroom. However, I do think a good education is important for the younger bucks just entering the profession - and this is reflected in the policies of many countries now who insist on Degrees for Visas in order to discourage the likes of the OP & his bag licking fetish.

(pls don't grammar check the above)

T_P

[beck's]

Teaching is an art. Like in any of the arts there are people who have natural abilities. I am convinced there are natural teachers just as their are people who are born with musical talent. The talent of these people will shine through, degree or no degree. Having said this, I also believe that art is the mastery of form and most people, with average intellegence and the desire, can master the techniques of teaching just as most people can learn to play some tunes on the guitar. A natural teacher, however, can become a great teacher given the right education.

I think that Mr. Kevin is a troll. He claims to have a high school education. I have been a teacher of English in various high schools in North America for many years and I can say people with Mr. Kevin's lack of skill do not generally graduate. Sure, standards have slipped but not to the extent that Mr. Kevin demonstrates.

[china_sk8er]

I came to China right after I turned 21. After graduating high school I took a TESOL course. Saved up some money and then left for China. I don't have a degree and most of the people I've met don't have them either. A degree doesn't signify a good teacher from a bad teacher. Lets just get around that. I started out here working illegally and made trips to Hong Kong whenever I needed a new visa. I was making 5500 a month teaching 20 hours a week in a kindergarten. Now I'm making 7000 a month teaching 8 hours a week in a high school. I am working legally. My company got me a Z visa, expert's certificate and everything else for me to be legal. I am working legally, but the way they went to get me to work legally was illegal. So on paper it's legal unless someone looks into it. Highly doubtful. They had to make up a degree for me. I never gave them a fake degree and I told them I don't have one. It's called connections. Everyone here has them and if you don't you're screwed.

Having a degree doesn't mean you'll make more money. You could have a degree and not know what the f*ck you're doing. A guy I knew here had a Bachelor's and a Master's degree, but he couldn't teach worth sh*t. A friend of mine in Shenzhen makes around 20,000 a month and he doesn't have a degree. The students and the schools like him and above all else he's an excellent teacher.

People here look at my age and my qualifications. They tell me I'm too young or under qualified, which is bullsh*t. I hate agism, especially when it is some Chinese teacher telling me I don't have enough experience because of my age. I have as much--if not more--experience than most of the people I have met. Then I do a demo class for the school and they see that I'm a good teacher and the students love me. I love making people look like @ssholes after telling me I'm not capable of doing something.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. HAHA.

Just kidding.

I love this site.

Cheers

[Roger]

I think a degree is important in that it says you have some education of your own before you are let loose on unsuspecting locals in a foreign country. I also believe that knowing the mechanics of the language you teach - i.e. grammar and syntax - is of vital importance.
Unfortunately, the very concept of "native English teacher" reposes on the romantic and fixed idea that "native" speakers guide the foreign speakers of English smoothly to the oral use of their lingo; this, however, is a huge illusion. IT is especially an illusion in Chinese classrooms that are more crowded than any you have seen before leaving your home turf.
Also, the grammar instruction our students get from their Chinese teachers is woefully inadequate. This is bound to remain a critical problem because Chinese teachers themselves cannot be bothered to speak our language - lack of respect for it? - or simply limited comprehension in, and mastery of, their subject? This is why I feel the best part of my job is to give feedback on how my students can improve their communication skills - by looking more critically at their grammar and syntax!

So, a degree - whatever degree! - should perhaps mirror a holder's grasp of the English gammar before they start teaching their way around the world!

[tradinup]

China sk8er,

I believe you are a good teacher. One does not need a degree to acquire a high level of competency in grammar or teaching. You could certainly get a strong grasp of this by taking out books from libraries, reading from academic journals, etc. It's not how you got to becoming a good teacher, just that you got there. You have done what it takes to be a good teacher and I commend you for that.

Some of the people on here though don't care about being a good teacher, only that they are a teacher now. This isn't a new concept in the work world, people do bad jobs in every industry. Nowhere is it more damaging though than is the case with lousy teachers.

[Long ai gu]

Great Wall of Whiner, you don't need a degree to teach legally in China, you are simply wrong. Please, stop dropping your balls. Could any of you geniuses anal eyes my grammar for me-I'm one of those dummies without a degree. How the hell could my students and the school I work for think I'm such a great teacher--must be in China, they're so easy to fool. Many ask me about the University I went to. I love the way some of you brag about how much money you make. I tell people if I wanted to make money I wouldn't be in China. Come on folks, even 20,000RMB a month is a joke when you take it back home. I'm here because I love Chinese people and China and I'm here to influence them as much as I can....and of course I want to be the next Emperor.

[tom selleck]

Long: I think you're a little off base about Whiner's salary. He's from my home province in Canada and 20000RMB nets out to over C$3000/mo.
You can live comfortably on that on the Sunshine Coast. 'Course however high the salary is, it's never enough for Vancouver.

But you're right on base about those degreed up the ying-yang thinking they are some sort of superior teacher, if not biological life form. Said it on my previous post, and I'll say it again: Intellects just drive me bananas.

Besides Whiner bothers me for another reason. He won't explain who the mystery politician is who allegedly escaped his problems in Canada to become a frequent contributor to this forum.

Pay your pennance for your boasting, and let the cat out of the bag. Share the secret! Who, pray tell, is it?

[Roger]

[quote="Long ai gu"]Great Wall of Whiner, you don't need a degree to teach legally in China, you are simply wrong. Please, stop dropping your balls. Could any of you geniuses anal eyes my grammar for me-I'm one of those dummies without a degree. How the hell could my students and the school I work for think I'm such a great teacher--must be in China, they're so easy to fool.

Roger says: Come on, buddy...
We only have YOUR word for it - your claim that YOUR students BELIEVE that YOU are a GREAT teacher... May we interview your students individually?

And as a critical observation: if your students flatter you up as a "great teacher", do you necessarily have to take that at face value?
May they are enjoying it at your expense taking you for a ride. It's none too good an indication of how seriously you take your English lessons.
As one of my previous employers said:
"We don't always know who leads - either the cows lead the cowboy, or the cowboy leads the herd of cows..."

[ContemporaryDog]