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aprose1977
Joined: 13 May 2014
Posts: 8
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 Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:01 am Post subject: Asked to pay for Chinese Govt TEFL Certification Course |
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Hello
I have an offer from a University in Beijing that is conditional on completing a TEFL Certification Course (TEFL in China) in Lieu of the 2 year experience requirement.
They are asking for 4800 RMB to complete a 7 day online course and I will also have to do a further 7 day training course when I get to China.
Has anyone else done this? What kind of time-commitment does the online course involve? Any other experience or thoughts welcome. |
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toteach
Joined: 29 Dec 2008
Posts: 273
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 10:16 am Post subject: |
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| Can you negotiate with them to take a portion out of the first six months pay? |
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doogsville
Joined: 17 Nov 2011
Posts: 924
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 10:53 am Post subject: |
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| I would be interested to know what the courses are like and who created and marks them. Will it be TEFL or TCFL (Teaching Chinglish as a Foreign Language). |
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mw182006
Joined: 10 Dec 2012
Posts: 310
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:24 am Post subject: |
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| Contact one of the current teachers at the school? I've never read about anything like this on Dave's before. I don't have much experience with online courses, but I would presume duration is dependent on how it's structured; my cert had classroom hours plus an online component, the latter being slated for 40 hours. All you had to do to pass the online part was score high enough on the multiple choice test at the end, so you could skip the content and finish in an hour if you wanted to. 4800RMB isn't a ton of cash, but if they want it all up front and you can't find anyone who's gone on to gainful employment with them I'd be a bit suspicious. |
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aprose1977
Joined: 13 May 2014
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:26 am Post subject: |
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The people I am dealing with are from Beijing Languages and Cultures University International Culture Exchange Center (or at least that's what their email signature says).
They have told me that it can be done in one or two days - so probably not the most thorough thing in the world.
I've just not come across it before so was wondering if anyone knows anything about it. |
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Alien abductee
Joined: 08 Jun 2014
Posts: 527
Location: Kuala Lumpur
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:36 am Post subject: |
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| 4800 is a lot for a short online course. If that price also includes the 7 days training after you arrive in China then it sounds ok. If not, I'd be looking for a better deal. |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:48 am Post subject: |
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It is due to the visa regulation changes last September. I didn't read about it at the time of the implementation. My *assumption* is as follows.
Beijing's new visa and residency requirements are numerous and they are serious about enforcing them. They are having a very hard time retaining and recruiting teachers due to them. So they probably looked at areas where they could lighten up. They decided the two year work experience requirement could be waived if one completed the Chinese TEFL course. (makes me laugh just thinking about it) Why not just any TEFL? Probably because the Chinese TEFL will allow certain parties to profit, and let's face it, in Chinese thinking they know how to teach English better to Chinese than we do. Heck, before the Beijing Olympics that government VIP told the media that China now has more English speakers than America. I would love to hear about it. Please get back to us if you play the game and share some pointers.
In seriousness, it is another hurdle and cost which the Chinese have heaped upon the ESL teacher. It will exacerbate the growing shortage and do nothing to improve the level of competency. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:17 pm Post subject: |
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| I've heard of such things. I worked with a young guy who was required to take a two-week course of some sort in Nanjing. 4800rmb sounds about right. It's steep, but that's about what he paid. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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| jimpellow wrote: |
In seriousness, it is another hurdle and cost which the Chinese have heaped upon the ESL teacher. |
I disagree. A two-week course in lieu of two years teaching experience? I don't think that it's unfair at all.
I do agree with you, however, that it will do nothing to increase the competency among FTs, especially if the new graduate was at the bottom of his class. |
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wonderingjoesmith
Joined: 19 Aug 2012
Posts: 910
Location: Guangzhou
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Why not just any TEFL? Probably because the Chinese TEFL will allow certain parties to profit, and let's face it, in Chinese thinking they know how to teach English better to Chinese than we do. |
So, is this "TEFL" run by Chinese experts? I wonder whether international schools will have to follow up on this certificate program. It does seem there's too much interference in the Chinese educational sector.
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| before the Beijing Olympics that government VIP told the media that China now has more English speakers than America. |
I wonder what America the person was refering to. I've found more English speakers in Panama and Colombia than in China. Perhaps, I should improve my social skills (in the Chinese way) and then more English speakers will speak to me here in Guangzhou. |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Bud Powell wrote: |
| jimpellow wrote: |
In seriousness, it is another hurdle and cost which the Chinese have heaped upon the ESL teacher. |
I disagree. A two-week course in lieu of two years teaching experience? I don't think that it's unfair at all.
I do agree with you, however, that it will do nothing to increase the competency among FTs, especially if the new graduate was at the bottom of his class. |
I see your point Bud. But what if one already holds a TEFL, CELTA etc but lacks two years verifiable experience? The way I have read others report it on the Web, they were required to take the Chinese version too. How much of a put off would it have to be to get a CELTA, teach a year in Korea, then apply to a job in say Beijing and find out you will also be required to pay and do this? If the requirement were no two years nor recognized TELF, then I am in agreement with you. But that is not what it seems to be, at least in the locales I have heard mentioned implementing this. |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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"I wonder what America the person was refering to. I've found more English speakers in Panama and Colombia than in China. Perhaps, I should improve my social skills (in the Chinese way) and then more English speakers will speak to me here in Guangzhou."
Yeah, LOL! Think the delusion comes from their worship of testing scores. Little Emperor gets a high score on a Chinese state English exam and parents are convinced he can produce English. 75% of my prep students would leave class after opening bell and sit next door and memorize brain dumps for IELTS. One scored an 8.5 on listening but if I asked him what he ate for lunch a look of utter bewilderment overcame him. Parents would pay off the teachers and headmaster thinking this was the way. Doctor Dingbat who headed that program was too stupid and weak to back the foreign teachers to get them back in the classroom. The Chinese IELTS prep classes they attended were even funnier. But it was the Chinese way!
That is why I say I laugh about this new Chinese TEFL. Foreigners paying money to learn to teach language through rote. |
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jimpellow
Joined: 12 Oct 2007
Posts: 913
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Bud Powell wrote: |
| jimpellow wrote: |
In seriousness, it is another hurdle and cost which the Chinese have heaped upon the ESL teacher. |
I disagree. A two-week course in lieu of two years teaching experience? I don't think that it's unfair at all.
I do agree with you, however, that it will do nothing to increase the competency among FTs, especially if the new graduate was at the bottom of his class. |
I see your point Bud. But what if one already holds a TEFL, CELTA etc but lacks two years verifiable experience? The way I have read others report it on the Web, they were required to take the Chinese version too. How much of a put off would it have to be to get a CELTA, teach a year in Korea, then apply to a job in say Beijing and find out you will also be required to pay and do this? If the requirement were no two years nor recognized TELF, then I am in agreement with you. But that is not what it seems to be, at least in the locales I have heard mentioned implementing this. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2014 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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| jimpellow wrote: |
| Bud Powell wrote: |
| jimpellow wrote: |
In seriousness, it is another hurdle and cost which the Chinese have heaped upon the ESL teacher. |
I disagree. A two-week course in lieu of two years teaching experience? I don't think that it's unfair at all.
I do agree with you, however, that it will do nothing to increase the competency among FTs, especially if the new graduate was at the bottom of his class. |
I see your point Bud. But what if one already holds a TEFL, CELTA etc but lacks two years verifiable experience? The way I have read others report it on the Web, they were required to take the Chinese version too. How much of a put off would it have to be to get a CELTA, teach a year in Korea, then apply to a job in say Beijing and find out you will also be required to pay and do this? If the requirement were no two years nor recognized TELF, then I am in agreement with you. But that is not what it seems to be, at least in the locales I have heard mentioned implementing this. |
Guess what? Before I could teach in ANY post-secondary institution in the U.S., I was required to complete a BA, a masters degree program AND acquire two years experience teaching.
Guess how much sympathy I have for those who can't get a job in China because they fall short of their own home country's requirements.
Being allowed to teach is not a birthright. It is a privilege. |
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wonderingjoesmith
Joined: 19 Aug 2012
Posts: 910
Location: Guangzhou
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| Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2014 3:10 am Post subject: |
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| Bud Powell wrote: |
| jimpellow wrote: |
| Bud Powell wrote: |
| jimpellow wrote: |
In seriousness, it is another hurdle and cost which the Chinese have heaped upon the ESL teacher. |
I disagree. A two-week course in lieu of two years teaching experience? I don't think that it's unfair at all.
I do agree with you, however, that it will do nothing to increase the competency among FTs, especially if the new graduate was at the bottom of his class. |
I see your point Bud. But what if one already holds a TEFL, CELTA etc but lacks two years verifiable experience? The way I have read others report it on the Web, they were required to take the Chinese version too. How much of a put off would it have to be to get a CELTA, teach a year in Korea, then apply to a job in say Beijing and find out you will also be required to pay and do this? If the requirement were no two years nor recognized TELF, then I am in agreement with you. But that is not what it seems to be, at least in the locales I have heard mentioned implementing this. |
Guess what? Before I could teach in ANY post-secondary institution in the U.S., I was required to complete a BA, a masters degree program AND acquire two years experience teaching.
Guess how much sympathy I have for those who can't get a job in China because they fall short of their own home country's requirements.
Being allowed to teach is not a birthright. It is a privilege. |
Let's lead by example and show Chinese how to do it  |
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