Job Discussion Forums

[Tamil_Tiger]

Hello:

I am interested in teaching in China. My primary motivations are to learn Chinese, immerse myself in the country after having read a great deal of Chinese literature and history, as well as picking up a few useful skills. I realize that ESL isn't a lucrative line of work, however I'd like to know how much extra work there is for someone who wants to make extra money. Many of the jobs advertised are for about 4000-6000 RMB but this is for about 18-22 contact hours. Here in the US between work and my business I put in about 80 hrs/week. I don't mind it so much as I feel at my best when I am productively doing something. I am wondering if many schools offer overtime if a teacher is interested in teaching more hours. I am also interested in knowing where and how easy it is to find some private tuition work? I'd really like to save some money during my stay in China. I'm not talking fat cash but ... oh I don't know..... $10-12 K USD in savings per year sounds okay to me. Is this doable? Are there extra hours for those who want it? I have heard that a teacher living on the cheap can save about 75% of their RMB wage. So is it possible with a lot of overtime hours to pick up 9000-11000 RMB per month? How many hours does 22 contact hours really work out to? I'm sure there's some hidden hours in there. It seems that other people on these forums were saying 22 is really like 40 when you get right down to it. I know the vets have the contacts and therefore get more lucrative work and extra jobs but i'm also wondering if there are any newbies in China that have managed to pick up extra work or hours? Please let me know

[Gordon]

You should post this on the China Forum, you will get more responses.

[Ludwig]

'Tamil_Tiger', thanks for a nice post; it gave me a smile or two. I find it interesting that, although you claim that your "primary motivations are to learn Chinese, immerse myself in the country after having read a great deal of Chinese literature and history, as well as picking up a few useful skills", the rest of the post is dedicated sorely to overtime payments and their availability.

You write that you "realize that ESL isn't a lucrative line of work". It is not clear what you mean by 'realise' here, nor is it at all clear what you could mean by 'lucrative'. I earn in excess of $30,000 HK a month (and I am actually only part-time); is that 'lucrative' enough for you? Is that 'doable' enough for you. Would it interest you at all to know my responsibilities, or is this an issue secondary to the important factor, viz., the cash?

I also particularly like your (accurate, as it happens) suspicion that "there's some hidden hours" in "22 contact hours". Personally, I believe you to be quite incredibly keen, yet equally as na�ve.

It is hard to know what to say, apart from, do not fear, I am sure with your desire for extra hours you will get along very well indeed in Mainland China!

It has been a long time since I worked on the Mainland but my experiences taught me that if there are 'opportunities' for 'overtime' then your employer will ultimately find a way of working them into your normal (than it, non-overtime) timetable. Even if 'overtime' is 'offered', it is rare for this to be paid at double or triple rate; indeed, it may the same old standard non-overtime rate (or, worse, simply unpaid). Mainland China is, after all, the state that has such concepts as an (unpaid) 'holiday', with any work that is missed as a result of this 'holiday' having to be 'made up' on 'days off' upon your return; a really quite strange concept indeed.

In any other country on the face of the planet, this would be referred to, in contractual terms at least, as 'an enforced and unpaid suspension of duties' or 'timetable rescheduling'. As noted above, however, in China it is termed a 'holiday'. This is but one example of the effects of semantic gymnastics on Chinese 'contracts'.

Besides, you may underestimate just how tiring 22 contact hours with 40+ Chinese four-year olds per class can be. When the 18 or so office hours are added, which will be full of clandestine lessons (typically referred to as 'English corners', 'discussion groups', 'placement interviews' and/or 'promotional events') I doubt if you would really wish to take on any more classes. Besides, lessons tend to occur at the same times at all various institutions. At these times, however, you will be at the place of your employment. Unless you know of a way whereby students can be taught at, say, 2am, it is difficult to see how you could possibly give more lessons than those you give for your (visa-tied) employer.