Job Discussion Forums

[Brian Caulfield]

I am very sick and can't work . I an't talk . I went to my FAQ and asked if I could get a two day advance on my salary because I needed some money to see a doctor . I also told him that the job was too difficult for me at Qingdoa University of Science and Technology . I am replacing a bolter . Thinking I would be just teaching English Conversation I found myself teaching Writing . Europeon history and English History . The classes were of 200 students . I taught twenty hours a week. Usually this consists of talking for 6 hours at a stretch . No one left anything for me . I was even given the wrong books to study during the break . I colapsed two days ago . My FAQ a Mr Mathiew Jia told me I could signe a contract for another month and then he would pay me the money. He is keeping the money that is due me this month so that he can insure that I don't leave . He doesn't even care that I am really sick . I haven't slept in a week. The other teachers are mormons with BYU and they pretty much are concerned with recruiting the kids . They have half the load and concentrate on the English conversation courses
Anyway China has been a disaster for me . Each job they don't pay what was agreed to on the contract . I came here with about 8,000 us and it is gone . I buy computers and printers for my work and they fly away . Three bicycles have flown away. . The last stay at a hospital in Jiangsu cost me 3000.
Like Roger says don't come to China unless you have deep pockets .

[tw]

Well, I am so happy that I am not teaching there after all! The university responded after I e-mailed them asking them about employment opportunity for this term. Matthew Jia e-mailed me after his boss had told me that they were "very interested" in having me teaching there because I was willing to teach up to 30 hours. Well guess what? M.J. also asked me if I was of Chinese heritage because of my middle name and after I told him that my parents are both of Chinese heritage, he never wrote me again.

[Midlothian Mapleheart]

Edited to remove offensive content.

Middy

[Roger]

Hello Brian,

I feel sorry for you, Brian as I believe you are a good guy judging by the majority of your posts.
On one hand you will have to agree that your FAO has learnt from his or her own mistakes of being too friendly with FTs in the past; somehow he deserves sympathy too.

Back to you: he no doubt thinks you are a hypochondriac. It always has been difficult to prove how seriously ill one was; isn't part of your trouble psychological? Is your illness, maybe, of the mental order? Stressed out because you don't quite feel at home at Qingdao University?

In one respect I envy you: I would love to teach the subjects assigned to you rather than Listening and Speaking or Oral English! Why not make the best out of it and enjoy what you are doing? You wouldn't be loving your job any better if you had to teach conversation English to 200 students a class, would you?

I wish you a speedy recovery and more fun on your job! For the many newbies, your story might be valuable as a lesson.

[Keath]

If you truly feel that you cannot make it work with your present employer then -

Sign the contract.. Take the money.. Then write them a goodbye letter illustrating all the ways they broke the contract, and that your health and wellbeing is threatened if you continue employement with them.. If possible demonstrate each point where the contract was breached.. And if possible, write your own contract.. Post it here so others can help you with it..

I generally do not advocate anyone breaking contracts, but when extortion and threat of non-payment exists, it justifies radical means.. Get your shi- packed, and if you want alternative employement either call or send me your resume, salary and location requirements .. [email protected] and I'll see what I can do to help you out.

There's got to be a reason why the last person bolted..

Kind regards,

Keith Curran
www.JourneyEast.org
TEACH ENGLISH IN CHINA
(773) 532-9988 Free Pre-Trip Consulting

[latefordinner]

Roger, I feel the same way about the subjects to be taught. I would much rather teach hard subjects than the soft (as it's currently taught) oral English. The thought however comes to mind: should the OP die of bronchial asthma, pneumonia, emphysema or whatever, unable to obtain medical services while waiting for payment not forthcoming for services already performed; who would you feel sorrier for, the awkward deceased and his inconvenient family, or the poor FAO who has to find another foreign teacher to take classes at short notice? Let's hope your children never lose a father in China, that your nieces and nephews never lose a loved uncle to an enigmatic shrug and obscure bill for the month(s) lodging while teaching classes he was never paid for.

[Brian Caulfield]

I agree with you Roger . People respond to you at new jobs according to how the last teacher treated them . The students here are great and I think there is a lot of jealousy from the Chinese English staff who have no idea about how to teach pronunciation or just basic civil communication .
The students are the best I have ever taught in 15 years over seas
they have told me about the previous teacher who had bolted . I also found that they liked him and the other teachers who went through the revolving door .The stress has come from the Chinese English department . They bait us into behaving badly . The Japanese teacher always brings a student with him when talking to the administration . He told me , he says things 100 times and then writes it down and gives them a copy .
So I have cut back on lecturing and have the students read the text and then I teach them how to pronounce difficult words. I enjoy my classes . Everynow and then I put in some anecdotes relating to the topic but I am not killing my self with some sort of meaningful lecture . Chinese students of English are the easiest to teach .
TW Thanks for the letter . I know your path is much more difficult than the rest of us . The students expect you to speak Chinese with them and the administration always expectsyou to discipline your students more strictly . But for me you are the most valuable because you show the students that race has no factor in learning English.
I got some antibotics and should recover in a few days . I must just stay away from the administration and my FAQ. The money is so small that I will not go crazy over it . I will get some more from home and just ignore the FAQ. Mathiew Jia spends his days sleeping on his couch . Leave sleeping dogs sleep .
The mormons here have been very supporting and asked if they could do something . BYU has trained them well and they too have been abused and insulted by Qingdao University of Science and Techology .
Thanks again one and all