Job Discussion Forums

[naturegirl321]

Why don't you write a Master / Ultimate List? Kent F. Kruhoeffer wrote one on the Thailand board, and I tried to model the Ultimate Peru List after that. I think if there were more stickies with info on forums, maybe there would be less newbies asking the same questions.

[jwbhomer]

Your idea is interesting, but I wonder if there are any of us who really know enough to write a master list about a country as large as, say, China. Until recently there was a certain poster on the China forums who had something to say about every school, every city, and every situation relating to China. His words of wisdom -- casting pearls before the swine -- were not appreciated (to put it mildly) by many of the others, and the flame wars he started resulted in several threads being locked.

Perhaps it's better for those who have genuine knowledge to put up with hearing the same questions again and again. There will always be someone who will say "Have a look at thread so-and-so".

PS - Not "less newbies" but "FEWER newbies". Less sugar, fewer people.

[naturegirl321]

[eslstudies]

[fat_chris]

[naturegirl321]

[denise]

I agree with jwbhomer. I don't mind answering the same questions, because there may be different details buried in the questions, and anyway, a personal touch is, well, more personal.

Is marriage a basic topic for new teachers?!? I usually look into the dating scene when going to a new country, but for me marriage is several steps past that!

d

[naturegirl321]

[denise]

OK, fair enough, but I don't think that means that half of all of the people out there looking to teach are planning from the outset on getting married. You're sort of an expert in that regard and you've offered your knowledge and help here, so those people who do need advice will naturally turn to you. I'd still bet they're a minority in terms of all of the potential EFL teachers out there, though.

d

[spiral78]

Ok, take the Czech Rep as an example. It's relatively small, and I do know, well, a lot about general conditions here for working. BUT there are other regular posters on the Czech forum who very often have more specific knowledge about aspects of living/working here than I do, or more up to date knowledge about some aspect -
It seems to me that to do this right, there'd need to be a team, even for a country as relatively manageable as the Czech Rep.

No one person could really claim ability to write the definitive description for working in any one country, I think.

And I'm not touching the marraige issue! I think, like denise, that few people have this among their goals when they go abroad. And if you do end up getting married, you definitely need to have enough knowledge and connections within that country to find out what you need to know. Maybe it's a bit of a test to see whether you really know what you're getting into, in terms of marrying someone from a 'foreign' system and society.

[naturegirl321]

Ok agreed. Peru is different, there are very few people on the forum who post actively and are here. But maybe you could get together and do a colloborative job.