Job Discussion Forums

[Larry Paradine]

For several years I've been working in Rusia and thinking about switching to China, but until now I've clung to Russia partly because my wife's Russian and partly because I feel comfortable in Russia. However I've now started looking seriously at vacancies in China, but I'm drowning in a tidal wave of offers and rose-tinted information: for every one vacancy in Russia advertised in eslcafe there are probably 500 jobs in China. Could someone out there answer three questions:

1) What can a greybeard (61) who has only a first degree (LL.B.) and no formal TEFL qualifications and who doesn't want to teach kids, hope to find in the field of adult education (mainly TEFL and ESP, also Principles of English law, British life and society, history)?

2) Salaries are usually given in RMB; I can get a computer conversion, but how many RMB add up to a reasonable, but not extravagant, lifestyle with the opportunity to save at least 25%?

3) Is the "beautiful city of Dalian" actually a hellhole? What about other Chinese cities that are claimed to be almost Paradisal? Money is very important, but so is my environment. At the end of the day, I'd rather live in a small town that had a backdrop of mountains or a great river (the Volga has spoiled me over the last seven or eight years) or forests, even though provincial towns pay provincial salaries, than in the urban stews of Beijing or Shanghai.

Any serious replies/recommendations would be much appreciated.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

I'd say university gigs are your best bet, since you don't want to teach kids. However, having never worked at a university in China, I can't give you a whole lot of insight.

Any job that pays 4-5,000/month is reasonable.

If you want a good environment, I'd suggest Hangzhou or Suzhou. Don't know about Dalian. Harbin may also be a possibility, if you don't mind the cold (being in Russia, I gather you don't).

[7969]

how did you hear dalian was a hellhole? i've never heard it described in that way. dalian looked like a nice place but i only spent a weekend there. if money is very important to you then you ought to not look at public institutions, their salaries seem to be lower. or you could take a universtiy job and take a part time job at kids castle or something and make some decent money that way. RMB4000-5000 seems to be average and you get a rent free apartment as well.

7969

[Roger]

Apart from Dalian, formerly Dalry (when it was occupied by Russia) and a.k.a. Port Arthur, there are Harbin and a few towns nearer the Amur that might be attractive for you (because you probably want to continue experiencing the Russian feel of things). Dalian certainly isn't a hellhole but it isn't as Russian as you might expect: it is a modern city now with conevniences similar to those in any Western country.

Your biggest problem as a FT in China will be to adapt to Chinse students; if you want to narrow the scope of employability down to adults you will have to settle for "adults" that you will tend to judge as being teenagers mentally!

The sheer number of vacancies should not be overrated; some cities have a readily employable FT population. Some of those jobs are advertised by agents and we do not know what their actual numbers of available jobs are since some tend to inflate them to boost their image.
I guess there is far less job stability here than there is in Russia! Chinese are fickle, and the English teaching market is unhealthy; the subject is a mere academic one that earns students credxits and advantages on the job market where no one can competently assess their communications skills. Disappointingly few Chinese become reasonably fluent English speakers!

[Babala]

You may want to try adult training centers. The money is good and the classes usually tend to be small. You also get to teach people who usually want to learn as opposed to being forced to learn. The only problem is that training centers require many more hours than teaching at a uni.

[Roger]

[vikdk]

yes im stupid and childish - and i'm polluting this post - and rog if it was someone eles's quote I'd do the same - but this is a classic - im sorry

[Babala]

There are no sure bets here in China. To lump all training centers into one bad lot is not fair. There are some good and some bad. The OP stated that he was interested in teaching adults. University students certainly don't behave like adults. I have been at a training center for the past 2 years and I will sign on again for a third.

To the OP,
PM me if you want an e-mail address.

[shenyanggerry]

Try for a university job. The students are fun and your workload is light. I teach 16 fifty minute periods a week. I get 3700 Kwai, a raise from last year. I have a nonworking live in girlfriend. I eat out, take taxis, go to bars and travel. I don't save here but could easily get lucrative part time work.

I also get six or seven weeks off between semesters when I can travel, work short contracts, etc. My contract is for eleven months. I get paid during the time between semesters. I calculate that including the airfare, value of my apartment, etc, I'm paid over 150 per hour for every hour (50 min) actually worked. That's more than I could make at language schools in Canada.

[vikdk]

wow be careful - someone will accuse you of being greedy

[erinyes]

[woza17]

I work for a training centre, have done for the last 3 years and they are very decent, more than I can say for some of the rubbish FTs that have passed through here, left without notice, costing the company money in fines, for no apparent reason other than they were sick of teaching and wanted to go for a holiday.
I have noticed on this board a sort of demarcation line between the so called language mills and the unis. I have worked in both and I don't see a lot of difference, in fact I see more accountability in the language training centre that I work for.

[millie]

[Roger]

[Jizzo T. Clown]