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jdUSF21
Joined: 14 Jan 2011
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 1:59 pm Post subject: Guangdong Industry Technical College and Guotai |
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Hello, all.
I was hoping someone could help me make heads or tails of either of these two schools: Guangdong Industry Technical College (Nanhai campus) and Hangzhou Guotai Foreign Language and Art School.
I was able to find a bit of info on GITC on the messageboards (including that it was in the Green List schools section), but most of that was from a few years ago. I am seriously considering their offer but not without a little more research.
Guotai, on the other hand, I have found nothing about here, and only limited info from the web other than their website (which, if you can find the English section, makes the school sound great, but hey, who can you trust really?)
Does anyone have any current information, experience with, or thoughts about these two schools?
Note: The only thing so far that's giving me pause about GITC so far is that neither the salary I was quoted by whomever is recruiting me for that job, nor the contract hours match what is on the FAQ's section of GITC's employment website. I have been quoted 8,000 a month and 22 hours versus 5,000 and 16 respectively on the website. Both the 8,000 and 22 hours figure seem high for a university job. Maybe the website is simply out of date.
Also, if it matters, I have three years experience teaching ESL overseas (Spain, Korea, Hungary), a crummy 40-hour TEFL certificate, and a master's degree.
Hopefully someone can help me understand a bit more about these two schools as they are my primary bugaboos and mysteries in my current job search. Thanks! |
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doogsville
Joined: 17 Nov 2011
Posts: 924
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:09 pm Post subject: Re: Guangdong Industry Technical College and Guotai |
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| jdUSF21 wrote: |
Does anyone have any current information, experience with, or thoughts about these two schools?
Note: The only thing so far that's giving me pause about GITC so far is that neither the salary I was quoted by whomever is recruiting me for that job, nor the contract hours match what is on the FAQ's section of GITC's employment website. I have been quoted 8,000 a month and 22 hours versus 5,000 and 16 respectively on the website. Both the 8,000 and 22 hours figure seem high for a university job. Maybe the website is simply out of date.
Also, if it matters, I have three years experience teaching ESL overseas (Spain, Korea, Hungary), a crummy 40-hour TEFL certificate, and a master's degree.
Thanks! |
snipped to save space.
The only thing that matters is what is in the contract you put your signature on. Have they sent you a copy? If not, have them email it to you. It may be the website is out of date. That being said, remember the contract is printed on the paper equivalent of quicksand, so it may change over time, this is, after all, China. From what I've read on these boards, 8k doesn't seem too bad for 22 hours. I earn that for 16 hours though, and 22 hours of contact time sounds like a lot for any money. It might be okay for a foot in the door though, if nothing better turns up in the meantime.
Neither your experience as a teacher not your masters degree matter much here. You won't be paid any extra in recognition of either. Your TEFL certificate is necessary to get you an FEC though.
Come with an open mind. The Chinese educations system and the culture of learning here is very different from what you may have experienced before. You may find you have to learn a whole new way to teach. Treat it as a learning experience and you'll have an easier time of it. |
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choudoufu
Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 3325
Location: Mao-berry, PRC
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| Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:33 pm Post subject: Re: Guangdong Industry Technical College and Guotai |
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| doogsville wrote: |
| ...Neither your experience as a teacher not your masters degree matter much here. You won't be paid any extra in recognition of either. Your TEFL certificate is necessary to get you an FEC though... |
two years teaching experience may be required if the provincial experts
bureau is strict in their interpretation of the guidelines. other provinces
require two years of any experience. still others.....no experience needed.
your school may give you a bump of 100-500 rmb/month for a masters.
or not.
tefl certification is absolutely not required by any province. it may be
requested by some schools as "tefl cert preferred," but rarely required.
if required, a 40-hour online cert should suffice. real international schools
will require real qualifications. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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The Tech College looks like a pretty standard 3-year associate degree vocational. I've found these good places to work.
Hard to comment on the hours v pay issue as you don't mention other parts of the package. Travel refund would be a biggie here.
Sorry haven't time to read the sample contract on the college website.
However, generally, money expands with hours worked and office or English Corner commitment also an issue.
As a newbie I'd go with the 16-hour option. 20+ hours is a bit of an ask - more so if you have multiple lesson plans to do each week.
If you're doing 16 hours of fresher Oral English it will be a doddle.
PM me if there are any issues you want clarified off forum. |
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jdUSF21
Joined: 14 Jan 2011
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you all for your input. I have actually had a Skype chat with someone at Guotai, and they seem really stand-up and excellent, if the only caveat being that I was really aiming for a university (I'd be doing mostly secondary school there). I hope to get the confusion with GITC straightened out soon.
Other questions I have about GITC are mostly regarding the location. It's in Nanhai. Posts on here some time ago said there was *nothing* around the GITC campus in Nanhai. Maybe this has changed? Does anyone have any more recent information about the region or school itself?
All your help is greatly appreciated. I am considering leaving a good job and location to teach in China, so I'm trying to be very picky. Thanks in advance. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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My advice is NOT to pre load your job search with too much stuff on ambiance.
What is your main aim?
The 'I'm giving up a well paid job in the US to go to China' line is not a particularly mature approach.
Look for:
Max 18 contact hours pw.
Single occupancy, secure self contained on campus accom.
Paid utilities.
Access to subsidised dining halls.
5-6000RMB pm after tax.
Round trip airfare refund or allowance of 10000RMB whether the trip taken or not.
Paid winter break and at least one month of summer break if you sign for another year.
The FULL Z visa process which is started BEFORE you leave home. No 'come on a tourist visa as we'll convert it later' bollocks.
Access to current or former FTs whom you can ask about the reality.
On the ground, you can look for a better placement for Y2 and beyond. |
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jdUSF21
Joined: 14 Jan 2011
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 9:40 am Post subject: |
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| Non Sequitur wrote: |
My advice is NOT to pre load your job search with too much stuff on ambiance.
What is your main aim?
The 'I'm giving up a well paid job in the US to go to China' line is not a particularly mature approach.
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I'm not in the US. I have no interest in living in America again. I'm teaching overseas now, like I have been for the past three years. And the last thing I am is well-paid. The pay I receive now is garbage. But I like where I live and my job, so hence why I said it's a good place and good work. The pay isn't the most important thing to me. It's a factor, but one of many.
May aim is simply to keep doing what I have been doing the past few years, albeit in China: teaching English learners, having some free time to study, read and travel, make some new friends (hopefully some locals, not just other foreigners), and experience a different culture's people, language, history, etc. China is attractive for all the afore-mentioned reasons and because I would like to do university teaching, but I have not yet been able to get a foot in the door.
I asked the questions about ambiance because, frankly, after a lot of searching on both places, that was essentially the missing parts of what were otherwise pretty attractive options. I appreciate your input and suggestions, but I'm not a newbie, and the last thing I am is immature. I have a pretty good idea of what I want and expect for myself, my career, and my classroom. I was just hoping some of the people on ESL Cafe could help fill the gaps of what was missing in my job search data as I narrow down my choices.
I don't mean to be sarcastic. I do appreciate the specs you mentioned. Those are essentially beat-for-beat exactly what I'm looking for/requiring at this point. We are in total agreement there. It's the other unknowns that may be deciding factors of where I go. |
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Zhejiang_Man
Joined: 23 Aug 2012
Posts: 123
Location: Zhejiang
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| Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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GITC used to give each of their FT�s TWO apartments; one within their Guangzhou campus (very close to Sun Yat Sen University) and one within their Nanhai campus. Teachers were given 4 day class schedules and most had 3 day weekends (one or two would have a mid-week free day).
The GITC bus makes 3 return trips between the campuses each day; morning, midday and early evening. Travel time ranges from 1hr 15min in the mornings to 2 hrs in the evening.
GITC�s standard contract used to be 16 teaching periods per week for RMB6,000 + living allowance of RMB1,000 (base salary was paid during winter and summer holidays but not the living allowance). Airfare allowance was RMB8,000.
GITC�s Nanhai campus (Xinxi Middle Avenue, Nanhai, Foshan) is very isolated. It can be found on Google maps (at least, via Google�s Hong Kong website), if you search for Guangdong Light Industry Technical College.
The Nanhai campus is a 35 minute public bus ride to the town of Sanshui. You can get another bus at Sanshui for a 40 minute ride to one of the outer lines of Guangzhou�s subway system. A 20 minute train ride will take you to downtown Guangzhou (Tiyu Xilu). Adding in waiting & walking times, it�s basically a 2 hour journey. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| jdUSF21 wrote: |
| Non Sequitur wrote: |
My advice is NOT to pre load your job search with too much stuff on ambiance.
What is your main aim?
The 'I'm giving up a well paid job in the US to go to China' line is not a particularly mature approach.
|
I'm not in the US. I have no interest in living in America again. I'm teaching overseas now, like I have been for the past three years. And the last thing I am is well-paid. The pay I receive now is garbage. But I like where I live and my job, so hence why I said it's a good place and good work. The pay isn't the most important thing to me. It's a factor, but one of many.
May aim is simply to keep doing what I have been doing the past few years, albeit in China: teaching English learners, having some free time to study, read and travel, make some new friends (hopefully some locals, not just other foreigners), and experience a different culture's people, language, history, etc. China is attractive for all the afore-mentioned reasons and because I would like to do university teaching, but I have not yet been able to get a foot in the door.
I asked the questions about ambiance because, frankly, after a lot of searching on both places, that was essentially the missing parts of what were otherwise pretty attractive options. I appreciate your input and suggestions, but I'm not a newbie, and the last thing I am is immature. I have a pretty good idea of what I want and expect for myself, my career, and my classroom. I was just hoping some of the people on ESL Cafe could help fill the gaps of what was missing in my job search data as I narrow down my choices.
I don't mean to be sarcastic. I do appreciate the specs you mentioned. Those are essentially beat-for-beat exactly what I'm looking for/requiring at this point. We are in total agreement there. It's the other unknowns that may be deciding factors of where I go. |
 Sorry OP - had you confused with another poster.
I really should get out more.
Best |
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jdUSF21
Joined: 14 Jan 2011
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 3:03 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info, everyone. Sorry for the delayed response. My internet quit on me for a few days because Eastern Hungary is still stuck in the 1980's. I appreciate the info, and it is helpful as I continue this pretty exhaustive job search.
My top choice so far is Chenggong College (speaking of which, anyone have anything to add about that? I found a lot already, but it couldn't hurt to ask for more), but the other two are still pretty good options. Thanks again. |
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davos1111
Joined: 23 May 2013
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Sun May 26, 2013 11:24 am Post subject: |
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| Hi, I too have been offered a job at this college in Nanhai! I'm wondering, did you take the job? If so, any info would be great, I'm currently thinking that the location looks a little bit terrible... |
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ajmci
Joined: 24 Nov 2006
Posts: 27
Location: Edinburgh
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 2:48 pm Post subject: Guangdong Industry Technical College |
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Greetings from sunny Scotland,
I've got a skype interview for a position at Guangdong Industry Technical College tomorrow.
Did anyone end up going there?? |
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piglet44
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 9:15 am Post subject: |
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| Also got offered GITC but through something called AHEN(Australian Higher Education Network anyone know what this is? |
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ajmci
Joined: 24 Nov 2006
Posts: 27
Location: Edinburgh
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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| piglet44 wrote: |
| Also got offered GITC but through something called AHEN(Australian Higher Education Network anyone know what this is? |
From their blurb "AHEN runs and manages more than 10 Sino-Australia programs in different cities in China , and all the programs are cooperating with Chinese public universities and colleges.The students will go to Australia for further education after two years' study in China ."
So I guess I kind of feeder polytechnic... |
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piglet44
Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Posts: 157
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| Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 1:20 pm Post subject: |
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| so far they have not given me the actual salary only the peripheral details.They claim it is 40 minutes from Guangzhou centre?? doesn't look like it on Google Maps |
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