Job Discussion Forums

[Chrmynster]

Hey all,

I've got a bunch of questions for you regarding university English teacher jobs in China. Since there's more than a few

questions, I thought that I'd split them up and number them.

A - Couple/partner questions:

1. My girlfriend and I would like to go to China to teach, preferably at the same university, for at least a year starting

from Aug/Sep 2013. How would you judge Chinese universities to feel about this, generally speaking? No kids, no screwing

students, only one apartment and so on, but it naturally depends on them needing two teachers. Do you think it is a good idea

to apply together, i.e. sending two applications from one e-mail?

2. I am not married to my partner. How big of an issue would this be (in various regions)? Forging a marriage certificate

seems too risky, especially considering the fact that the Chinese consulate needs to see such a document. Would potential

universities still want us despite us not being married?

3. I am white. My girlfriend is Chinese American (born in China, moved to US while young; has US citizenship). Would this

make any difference in terms of cultural expectations, discrimination etc.?

B - Nationality, ethnicity and qualifications issues:

4. I am a Danish citizen, very Scandinavian in appearance, and I have a strong grasp on the English language, to the extent

where native speakers proclaim me a better speaker of English than them (mainly due to having a rich vocabulary, and a

penchant for formal and/or exotic phrasal and syntactic patterns). However, I don't have a fully native pronunciation,

perhaps most markedly with regards to clausal intonation. My educational background is a BA in English language, literature,

and history from the University of Copenhagen, with one year of studying linguistics at a top public US university. Am I a

reasonable candidate for any sort of English teaching position (oral, writing, literature, perhaps even grammar) at a Chinese

university?

5. My girlfriend is, as mentioned above, an American citizen born in China. She moved here at age 10, and is a native English

speaker. She is due to finish her undergraduate degree this semester in an Engineering discipline from a very prestigious

public US university. She looks like a Chinese person. Is there any chance of a Chinese university employing her? (Obviously

not Peking and Tsinghua.) The issue of Chinese race-based discriminatory practices seem to be pretty well-attested on these

and other forums. How bad is it at universities? Should she mention that she speaks Mandarin fairly well?

C - Application materials and procedures

6. Because we realize that we are not the ideal applicants, we are willing to cast our net wide, and as such we have to rely

on somewhat generic applications. What should our first contact email to universities contain? A statement of interest in

teaching English and a resume. Or, the above plus passport scans, full CVs, photos, references, diplomas and so forth? Since

we have the option, should we attach Chinese translations of everything we send?

7. Both of us are graduating this semester, her in mid May, me in late June. This means that some time might pass before we

can have our respective diplomas in hand. How much does this hurt us in relation to our desirability for universities? How

much does it complicate the whole letter of invitation/Z-visa application process? Is it still feasible? Will grade

transcripts do in the meantime?

Thanks a bunch in advance!

[dean_a_jones]

Am sure you will be able to find something if you keep looking, and applying as a couple is not a bad idea if you want to be at the same place. Some schools might see this as a bit cheaper (1 apartment vs. 2) and a bit more stable in terms of the people they are getting (easier adjustment due to companion, less worry about teacher dating students). I don't think it makes a big difference, though. The fact that you are not married does not really matter much either, so I would not worry about that.

You do have a few things working against you. Your nationality and your partner's ethnicity both make things a little bit tougher. It may mean certain schools are not interested, or that they cannot secure the right working paperwork for you. You didn't mention your ages, but the fact that you are both about to graduate suggests you are on the younger side. This might also work against you, as many schools/provinces seem to want/require people with a few years of experience--often just meaning people who are age 25/26+ with some full-time work experience.

I would start applying now, sending off a short, clear email expressing your intent and with the key documents attached--CV, passport scans etc. You mentioned sending diplomas, but you should only send your uni diploma, not high school, so if you are still waiting for those just make a note of it. I have no idea if sending transcripts will help or be useful, perhaps others do. You also said you will not graduate until late June--I don't know if the gap between applying now and getting your diploma then will be a problem for you if you get some early interest but cannot provide all the key paperwork.

You do not need to translate anything, nor mention she can speak Chinese (some schools might view it as useful for your adjustment/everyday life, but others might see it as a evidence she is not a 'true' native English speaker). This is the right time of year to be applying, so just get this stuff out there to as many places as possible. It might be easier for you to apply to a range of cities/provinces rather than focusing on one, with a mix of tier 1 and 2 cities (rather than just the top tier) as less competitive locations might make it easier for you to secure work together.

[Non Sequitur]

None of the issues you mention actually preclude you but they do hamper to various degrees.
I have known Chinese (born in Singapore but US raised) get jobs. There are quite a few non-native speakers of English around and non-married couples teaching together abound.
As at the end of April, you should be applying for jobs that are advertised and I would recommend avoiding provincial capitals and nationally ranked schools.
Provincial vocationals (3-year associate degrees) are still substantial operations and their pay scales are pretty much the same as universities.
This latter in my view simply underlines the fact that FTs are a commodity.
Getting your stuff loaded on a free to teacher site like seriousteachers.com would be a first step.
From registration it is one click to apply for a job and there is a search facility, so you can look at various areas of interest.
Don't use your PP photo but something more lively.
Have separate registrations but indicate it is a joint application.
As you mention the fact that you will require just one on-campus apartment is a + factor.

[hilena_westb]

Bad sign when someone begins discussing considering to criminally create fraudulent documents.

[johntpartee]

[Non Sequitur]

[macroidtoe]

As far as the married/unmarried thing goes, I had a fairly weird situation when my Chinese-born, Canadian-raised girlfriend showed up out of nowhere at the gate of my school just a couple days into the semester. (She was supposed to be at medical school in Germany, but she had a friend in China who was dying from cancer and made a last minute decision to change her plans.)

They actually ended up letting her stay with me at the school for the entire semester, and I think kind of appreciated having her around as an unofficial assistant FAO. She'd also help out with English corners. She'd do medical translation work over the Internet on the side to help keep us from starving to death.

I was worried it was going to be a problem for some of the same reasons you mentioned, but they really were very welcoming and friendly towards both of us throughout our time there. I mean, sure, we got the occasional "So when are you going to get married" questions, but it was all just friendly conversation. The FAO was literally crying when we left. We keep meaning to go back and visit the school sometime, but just haven't had the chance yet. I'm sure the engagement photos we're going to send them this summer will raise quite a clamor.

I met a lot of other unmarried couples who were teaching together, and as far as I know, it was never a problem for any of them either.

[Non Sequitur]

As mentioned elsewhere, it isn't the unmarried couple issue so much as needing to know who is on campus from a student security viewpoint.
Getting married and having children is central to the Chinese ethos.

[johntpartee]

[Non Sequitur]