Job Discussion Forums

[Martin Williams]

This May I am graduating from college and my friend and I want to spend June-August teaching in China. We realize summer break starts at the end of June so we wanted to teach for a month during June and then teach at a summer school for the months of July and August. I have ran into some people that say that they basically "recruited themselves" and got in touch with schools and set up what time period they would be teaching for, etc, etc.. Since I have also heard that if you get placed in the wrong school your trip can become a nightmare, I am looking for contact info to GOOD and REPUTABLE schools and also summer schools. If anyone out there could e-mail me (or reply to me) the contact info for any schools/summer schools in China, please do. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

PS: If anybody has "recruited themselves" before, any advice you could give would also be great.

Thanks,
Martin Williams ([email protected]) [/i]

[tofuman]

Martin,

Do you really want to teach in China? Would you rather not have a holiday at someone else's expense?

What you have to offer is decidedly unattractive from the perspective of someone who is truly concerned about giving paying student's their money's worth. Do you have experience or training in a relevant field? Are you looking for a laboratory in which to try some of your recently acquired knowledge in linguistics? If so, I see your goals as worthy.
Otherwise, this is not really a place to party and debauch yourself.

I would guess that the only type of job you might secure would be as shady as you yourself sound. The chances of being swindled are high. Have you ever thought about actually working and earning money to save toward a vacation? Then you could do as you please.

Will you be required to more or less perjure yourself to get the type of situation to which you aspire?

Think about it.

[millie]

Tofuman wrote:

[Martin Williams]

Tofu, how you can even assume to know anything about me seems to escape me. Please, do not respond to any of my future posts, and I, in return, will not respond to any of yours. Thanks.

Millie,

Thanks for the good word and thanks for the link. My stay in China could very easily extend beyond the intended 3 months but for now I am very eager to volunteer and help re-construction in India due to the tsunami disaster. The longer I stay in China, the shorter my visa will be for India (visas from India lasting 6 months from issue date). Who knows though, maybe China will grab hold of me and not let go... anyways thanks again for the encouragement, I realize this is quite an ambitious goal I have set for myself.

take care,

Martin Williams

[Roger]

You have to do what every self-respecting job hunter has got to do, young boy, and that is: apply for jobs, apply for jobs, and then, apply for jobs some more!
You can post your CV and see what happens.


Most likely you will not have employment throughout the stated span of time; then again, what makes you assume you will last it at all?
Besides, such short periods are not normally available. Your best bet is to work for a language mill. They have vacancies throughout the year, and will need you during summer holidays. Why not EF?

[tofuman]

Millie, Do I sound hostile? I don't mean to be. Did you mean "Turn it down?"

Quite frankly, I am amazed at the unbelievable and ridiculous positions that many posters get themselve into in China. I really don't know how someone without some serious training in education, linguistics, or a related field could hope to accomplish anything here in a few weeks. It takes that long to get the proper documents, not to mention to even begin to understand how to communicate with students and function in a classroom.

Considering how many people are being swindled here on a continual basis, it sounds as if the op is a prime candidate to be taken advantage of.

I simply meant that he should give some serious thought to what he is planning. Apparently few people take seriously visa laws, legal documents and perjury. Generally,when you tell an entity that you are planning a holiday but you are really planning to work, that is fraud of sorts. You may be quite comfortable misrepresenting yourself to a sovereign nation. I prefer to be honest in my intentions.

If there were not so many pleasure seekers prostituting themselves as FTs, perhaps there would be a lot less whining on this board and legitimate "Z" visa holders would be treated more respectfully by our hosts.

I have ten years of experience plus a professional license in the field for which I was recruited to teach. My FT colleagues also have their own contributions to make to our school

None of us had to lie cheat or steal to obtain our positions, but we are still taken advantage of at times.

Many of the charlatan's running English schools see white faces as potential victims. They hate us anyway, so why not rip us off?

From my vantage point, the situation being described is a dicey one at best.

[millie]

[tofuman]

Millie,

Naturally, the way of a man is right in his own eyes.

Before coming to China, I corresponded with an FAO for two months. When I finally arrived, I was met at the airport and escorted to a hotel. We then embarked via train to our destination. After arriving at our place, I was kept under virtual house arrest for nearly a month until my documents were secured.

When I read about these people just winging it, flying by the seat of their pants, I'm not surprised at the difficulties in which some find themselves. My hosts have been anything but pleasant in many significant ways. My FAO used our "relationship" to set me up to be swindled by the school for which I work.


When I read the OP, I see a guy who has no clue what he is in for, as if this place is a tropical paradise upon the beach of which we spend our days sunning ourselves.

This is not to even raise the issue of being part of a larger swindle. Many English schools have little interest in teaching English. They have a great interest in taking parent's money and a white face helps them do that.

So forgive me if I sounded "judgmental." But I find this environment rather toxic.

[Larry Parnell]

[tofuman]

Larry, I unloaded my "Bad karma" long ago, but it's true, I do deserve a lot. I give about as good as I get, so I'm not worried about it.

I've got some good things in the pipeline.

Remember, "Patience is the leading virtue of all great saints."

[lagerlout2006]

The OP sounds vague in his plans anyway. (Or maybe it's me - I have been drinking. ) He wants to help tsunami victims in India but not before teaching English in China for the summer. But maybe not if China is OK in which case the tsunami people will have to wait. Is this it?

OP I will will give you some legit advice here (I am in a magnanimous mood.) Contact FAO's of Colleges and Unis. Ask if they run summer programs and hire JUST for the summer. I have heard of some plush summer deals that do not get adverts. I would avoid the tefl one in Hangzhou especially after some recent threads here. Keep in mind it's still way too early---in fact March 1st is too early for most places to know what they are doing right now. But I don't follow you about "work for June." You may find a summer job though it will be long long hours.


Tofuperson - I like what you say but quibble with one thing, this idea of "misrepresenting ourselves to sovereign nations." We all do this-it's part of the game. I had a verbal agreement with a legal College here who asked me to arrive in China and change my visa..Of course I could not say this at the airport. Was this wrong? Technically maybe---but PRC the rules are pretty bizarre and flexible anyway.

BASH THE NEWBIE ,

[yaco]

Why are so many people cynical on this forum ?

I have said this many times !!!!!

This forum would be better if we try to help people rather than criticising people.

We always advise people to search for positions thoroughly and yet we criticise them for using this forum.