Job Discussion Forums

[RexDunk]

I am a local in Guangzhou,China. i wanna run a school for kids' english. I have some English literacy but am ignorant about teaching kids. is there anyone who can speak any words on this? thanks in advance!

[Steppenwolf]

Age(s)?

Who pays for their tuition (probably parents)?

What are your teaching objectives (i.e. are you just another operator of a bootcamp-for-young-minds? Or do you intend offering them some serious immersion and acquisition of the language? (The former usually take one of those abominable China-published Cambridge Young Learner's books but in my view, you can do textbook-less teaching much more efficiently; trouble is that parents here are so dumbed down they cannot imagine their kid would learn anything from a human person.

Finally, you must be aware of the fierce competition in this market segment; many businesses actually are not training centres but agents that farm teachers to public schools where an unscrupulous principal cashes in on the naivete of the parents and advertises an extracurricular class for which an FT is taken on loan from the agent.

[erinyes]

WTF are you doing opening a school if you know little about teaching kids. FFS!!!!! It is pathetic that people here think they can start businesses with no idea about what to do! My advice, hire a DOS who knows what they are doing!

[Bayden]

A lot of them just see it as a way to make easy money.

[RexDunk]

Thanks for all the replies, especially Steppenwolf~~ I know the market of kids� English is pretty competitive. In fact I am thinking of socialization and competence training for children, roughly from 7-13 years old. But seems that they are still kind of new for parents and English learning sounds easier to buy. Combining these things into a whole, if effectively, might be able to work out something interesting.

I know many �schools� are actually agents. For most small startups of inception, it�s unrealistic to have all teachers of their own. I am thinking of having one or two partners who specialized in teaching. I�d focus on operation and marketing.

Still very rough idea. Please don�t spare your words. Thank you all.

[NathanRahl]

Hmm, well Rex dunk, I won't spare words, not in regards to this little post

You wish to open a school teach, yet you have no experience with kids, and admit that you are just barely literate, but by no means an expert no teaching language, especially english. Uh huh.

Do you hve any teaching experience at all? That can make a big difference, however, if your barely literate, what the heck are you doing thinking about opening an english school?

First off, where are you from, what country. I will not automatically assume you are a particular nationality, so please, tell me from your own mouth, where are you from, what are your qualifications?

It sounds to me like your someone who simply wants to make some quick and easy money.

Get a few partners? Yes, why hire actual teachers, you might actually have to pay them.

[englishgibson]

"Uh huh" resourceful and friendly Nathan doesn't disappoint

Peace to ya
and
cheers and beers to our forums

[Steppenwolf]

I taught in a public kindergarten south of Guangzhouat one time, and saw a P.L.A.-owned one as well as a privately-run one in Tianhe. Those were independent ones; the rest I saw were public kindergartens that hired FTs through agencies because, I surmise, they were not in a position to hire legally on their own.

I would also refer you to the Schiller Musik Schule, and yes, that is a German school (actually kindergarten that doubles as a music school). They are based on Ersha Island and well-equipped. I mention them because theyare operating outside of the state-controlled education area. It's possible you can learn a few tricks from them on how to remain independent of the authorities and offer quality schooling.

These days, kindies probably attract paying parents through their mention of foreign teaching philosophies such as Montessori, Rudolph Steiner; I once was involved in peddling an Israeli English teaching programme and the Israelis actually sold franchises in Asia successfully. With that came a curriculum defined by the franchisor, materials published and produced by them and a brand name no one else was allowed to display. Investment in that franchise amounted around U.S. D 8000