Job Discussion Forums

[helvetus]

Hello everyone!
I have opportunities to teach French in Wuhan (University of science and technology) and Hangzhou (Zhejiang University). The salaries/benefits are almost the same (4000 Yuans for Wuhan, 3500 Yuans for Hangzhou).
Could someone who knows both cities tell me what would be the best choice in relation to the living conditions and the cost of living?
Your advices would be greatly appreciated.

[CJF]

Hangzhou is a nice city as Chinese cities go. Lots of new high rise and 5 star hotels etc.etc. I was there last week-end and had a nice time going around the West Lake and other touristy spots, all very scenic. Hangzhou is a wealthy city, it even has a car dealership selling Bently cars, I saw one driving around in town !!.

The salary you have quoted is very low even for China and won't go far in Hangzhou. Everything seemed twice as expensive as where I am in a nearby city.

Unless you are on a very light schedule, say 10-12 hours a week, 5000RMB all found should be the minimum paid to foreign teachers. There are jobs paying that sort of money all over Eastern China.

Alors, mon ami, bon chance.

[helvetus]

CJF, many thanks for your answer.
The best offer I saw so far for a French teacher in a Chinese university was 4500 Yuans per month. Most of them are around 3000-3500 Yuans. As far as I know English teachers are much better paid.
I would be very grateful if you could give me some hints to find French teaching positions with such salaries you mentioned!!

[randyj]

Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan is my school. The OP may be referring to Wuhan University of Science and Technology, a different school. Currently our school does not boast any native French speakers as teachers. Of course, Zhejiang University has a great reputation.
Having never visited Hangzhou, I cannot offer comparisons. Wuhan is a huge city in area, but almost all the universities lie in Wuchang. Some people find Wuhan a little dirty and crude, but I like it. A teacher can probably stretch their money farther in Wuhan than Hangzhou. By the way, there are a lot of French speakers here (in Hanyang) by virtue of the joint venture with Citro�n.

[therock]

Hangzhou is a nice modern city, but as one of the previous posters said the cost of living is generally higher than other cities in China. However Zhejiang University is one of the best universities in China. The salary is way too low for Hangzhou, unless you are only teaching 10 classes a week then you can supplement with part time work.

The city is not too big and it's generally easy to get around, but can be VERY crowded come weekends or holidays. The weather is hot, muggy and sticky during the summer and at times unbearable. Winter can be cold, but compared to other areas in China I would say it's more mild.

I have a feeling 4000RMB would get you a lot further in Wuhan than 3500RMB in Hangzhou.

[caius celestius]

C'est une question qui nous revient tout le temps: ou est-ce que je pourrai enseigner le francais...l'italien...etc.

En general, les grandes cites de la chine ont des institutions ou des langues etrangeres autres que l'anglais sont enseignees len tant que deuxieme langue etrangere.
Or tu nous a pose la question a savoir ou, a HANGZHOU ou a WUHAN, puis j'enseigner le francais, vrai ou non?

Ma preference personnelle serait HANGZHOU,

for a variety of reasons. First of all, it's a far more attractive city in terms of quality of living, tourist destination and cosmopolitanism. It's also considerably smaller than Wuhan is.

But Wuhan isn't a bad place at all. Some consider its climate a drawback - torrid summer months and very cold winters (but almost always above zero degrees).

As for WHICH schools have French language programmes, your best bet is a university that has been partnered with a French institution such as the Alliance Francaise or a French university. Unfortunately, I happen only to know universities in OTHER provinces than Zhejiang and Hubei that have such links; teachers employed by them enjoy massively improved pay scales (a French national I knew was making double the salary offered to English teachers at her university). I can't say more because this teacher is now an historic footnote in the annals of that university and their hiring policy may have changed since (you know there are frequent falling-outs between partners from different nations, witness the Danone-Wahaha saga!).

Anyway, I think my answer has addressed your concerns and I hope you will get a decent deal and enjoy an interesting time in China.
s

[CJF]

Saw this on the Jobs Board if it's of any interest:

http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/China/index.pl?read=49843

[helvetus]

Big thank for the link CJF! Indeed this offer is much better than the offer I got from Wuhan.
But I already signed the contract and they sent me the working permit�
Do you think it is still possible to apply for this job in Jinan anyway? What could happen if I finally take another job after signing the contract?

[7969]

[HunanForeignGuy]