Job Discussion Forums

[W.V. Orman]

I'm looking for recent info on Yang En University in Quanzhou, Fujian Province. I just saw an ad for jobs starting in Sept. I know this place has gotten a lot of bad press in the past, but most of it is now old. I'm wondering if there have been any improvements there. Are there any current or recent teachers from Yang En reading this forum? If so, can you post anything about current conditions. Or PM me if you don't want to publicly post.

Thx.

[jeffinflorida]

I recently had a chat with a fellow who has been working at Yang En with his wife.

He now works at Quanzhou Normal.

He said Yang En is an OK place to work and noted no problems with the place.

The largest drawback he mentioned was the remoteness of the uni in relationship to the city center.

[Gorak]

The air is fresh, the restaurants on their "student street" are good (better than the few school canteens I have eaten in) and the country-side is interesting.

In my opinion, the biggest downside is the group of FTs that you might be stuck with in the same apartment block. You might be lucky and hit a good year of FTs. In my year there, at least 1/2 of the FTs were really vicious, backstabbing and violent humans. A few FTs were normal, intelligent, interesting people whose company made my experience at Yang-En a worthwhile one.

[Geoff & Sandy]

We are a husband and wife who have each spent 30 years teaching in Canada. We taught at Yang-En University in 2004/05 school year and again in 2006/07. We are distressed by some of the comments that we have read on-line because we feel that teaching at Yang- En was in many ways the most rewarding two years that we have spent in our 30 years of teaching. It certainly was the most enlightening experience of our career.

Yang-En is located about forty-five minutes from a major shopping area in the city of Quanzhou � not much further than what we travel to a shopping area in Canada. The university is nestled among low mountains and on a lake. The terrain is somewhat similar to areas in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The air is clear, there are miles of biking trails, hiking trails, and it is lush with greenery. Yes, it is away from the hustle and bustle of the city but we loved the area. The campus itself has two Student Streets where you will find at least a hundred restaurants, as well as hair dressers, grocery stores, bakeries, clothing stores, book stores, electronic stores, fruit, vegetable and meat markets and spas etc. The food is inexpensive and delicious � we ate out every night and rarely spent more than $1 a person. It also contains a pizza shop and a chicken franchise that is similar to KFC. Once a week the University provides transportation to a major shopping area in Quanzhou � a 45-minute bus ride. Furthermore, Student Street hosts taxis and public transportation buses that leave for the city four or five times an hour during the day and evening. We made a trip into Quanzhou weekly and always found interesting things to do � it is a middle-sized city with a rich history that stems back to the Silk Road in Marco Polo times. It contains all the modern conveniences including enough western restaurants to satisfy most hungers. It also has an airport, Jinjiang, that provides flights to the major cities in China as well as a flight to Hong Kong daily. (We took this half-full flight in June, 2005)

About 90 minutes away from Yang-En is Xiamen City --what we consider one of the most well run, beautiful cities in China. There are many sites to see in Xiamen and hotels are much cheaper than in the more common major cities in China. Xiamen acts a hub for many of the Chinese and Asian airlines, so an easy jumping-off point for many Asian countries.

The students at Yang-En are a delight to teach. Many have studied English for many years prior to university so their language skills are excellent. What they lack are oral English skills and that is the focus for all foreign English classes at the university. We found the large majority of them to be motivated, hard working, curious and extremely interested in the programs we taught. Classes in 2006/07 ranged from 40 to 45 in number � this was a reasonable size and it allowed for good participation in class and it also made it easier to get to know students quite quickly. Discipline is not an issue � students are attentive, cooperative and work until they are dismissed.

One of us taught western accounting to financial management juniors and seniors -- the other taught Extensive Reading to freshmen and Teaching Methodology to teacher trainees. The facilities are excellent with all classrooms having access to computers, TV monitors and specialized equipment needed to teach the oral English program. Most studies are textbook-driven so new teachers find it quite easy to prepare their classes. Over the past few years we have seen the university become involved in educational reform and very involved in providing professional in-service training for teachers as new initiatives are undertaken. As a member of the Yang-En staff, professional responsibilities include the preparation of a syllabus at the beginning of each term, weekly lesson plans, the preparation of common examinations and attendance at English Corner one evening a week. Other minor responsibilities can be read on the website. There is no end to voluntary extra curricular activities. You can enrich your teaching assignment by tutoring IELTS, BEC or content related material, or by getting involved with one or more of the many clubs �tennis, soccer, newspaper, dance, English Language Learning Society, tai chi, cycling, etc. You can be as busy as you choose to be � boredom was not an issue during our stay at Yang-En.

Perhaps a word of warning is applicable here. This is a university and with only 12 to 16 hours of classes that you are required to teach each week, your preparation time can be substantially more than your student contact time. Teachers that we have found to have difficulties in their classes in past years usually are not well enough prepared for the two-hour classes. Chinese students are serious about their education and expect to learn something for the money that their parents are paying for their four years at Yang-En.

The school administration was very open to requests and ideas put forth by foreign teachers. Our school principal and the vice president of the university was Mr. Mei. He spoke English very well and his door was always open to foreign teachers. In addition to Mr. Mei, there is a Foreign Affairs Office (currently with a staff of five ) that addressed day-to-day teaching concerns, requirements, policies and procedures. We were treated very well --our pay was deposited to our bank accounts the last day of every month like clockwork, translators were provided when necessary and we enjoyed social occasions with the administration and other Chinese teachers. We were recognized for our achievements and expertise in and out of the classroom. In our opinion the administration was excellent. They let us do our day-to-day teaching with little interference but were there when we needed them.

Lastly, accommodation � we were housed in one of four twenty story apartment buildings in a gated area designated as staff quarters. Our two bedroom apartment was comfortable and spacious, the building was well maintained and clean, and the furnishings certainly adequate � sparse perhaps in kitchen items and linens but they were easily acquired at a very low cost.

In conclusion, Yang-En provided us with a unique teaching experience. There were challenges for sure but each day brought wonderful surprises that enriched our lives immensely. If family considerations allow us, we will return to Yang-En for another term with pleasure.

Geoff and Sandy

[Worldly]

Geoff and Sandy,

Your summary is very much appreciated. Thank you!

I have a few questions:

1. Do you feel you were treated better, overall, given you are a married couple, and possibly perceived as more stable and/or reliable than unmarried FTs?

2. Of the FTs that were significantly disgruntled, and may have departed hastily, what were their major complaints?

3. You mentioned the focus for all English classes is oral skills. Yet, one of you taught Accounting. I'm curious how you integrated an "oral improvement" goal into an Accounting class. Did you focus on accounting vocabulary? Were "hot topics" such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and ethics (in light of recent Western scandals) taught? Did you use a Western textbook to teach Accounting?

Thanks!

[jeffinflorida]

[SnoopBot]

[Geoff & Sandy]

Sorry for the delay. I am having a few problems responding to questions on Dave�s website. I have sent similar messages to answer your questions but do not know if they are getting through. Please advise if this is a repeat for you.

1. Do you feel you were treated better, overall, given you are a married couple, and possibly perceived as more stable and/or reliable than unmarried FTs?

We have found that if you treat people well, they will reciprocate...and that is not unique to China. As a couple we adapted quite easily to our new environment, probably easier than many singles because we had each other for support. Perhaps our age makes us a little less antsy than we used to be. It is not easy moving to a new culture where few people speak your language. However, we jumped in with as much vigor as we could muster and we had fun adapting to our new life.

2. Of the FTs that were significantly disgruntled, and may have departed hastily, what were their major complaints?

I think that many disgruntled teachers who left could not bear their loneliness or could not adapt to their new setting. When you are unhappy, generally, little things can build up and become significant in your mind. If you have no one to help you put these things in perspective, it is easy to see your position as unbearable.
The university is full of extra-curricular things to do including clubs ranging from learning Spanish, playing tennis, mountain bike riding. Of the fifty foreign teachers on staff, many of them started their own clubs based on their own interests and they are open to both students and staff. The 50 FTs at Yang-En came from eight countries during the 2006-07 school year. Many of them had unique skills and talents (for example, two taught Shakespeare culminating with a live play held in the auditorium) and they were encouraged by the Yang-En administration to present these skills. The point is that you can be as busy as you like if you choose to be.



3. You mentioned the focus for all English classes is oral skills. Yet, one of you taught Accounting. I'm curious how you integrated an "oral improvement" goal into an Accounting class. Did you focus on accounting vocabulary? Were "hot topics" such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and ethics (in light of recent Western scandals) taught? Did you use a Western textbook to teach Accounting?

Accounting is one of the 12 majors at Yang-En. All majors include at least three terms of English classes specializing in their major. All of them focus on the oral English skills so vocabulary is a good way to start. Traditional Chinese accounting is quite different than western accounting because they have not focused on profit and losses in the past. Under a state-owned accounting system, cash flow is not an issue either. With the new market-driven economy, huge changes are being foisted on the accounting profession, and they are slowly adjusting to them, but it will take some years to implement them all, in my opinion.
Ethics is confusing subject to most Chinese students. They have difficulty understanding how bribes given to public officials is bad, while the western habit of tipping a maitre d' for a table at the front is okay.

1. If the teacher employed has a MBA and Med (teaching degree) what is the typical pay level for those with +5 years experience.

For your first year of teaching at Yang-En you would follow the scale given on their website (it seems to be down at the present time so visit www.chinatefl.com to answer your salary questions) You would be at the top end of the scale, I believe. In past years, you get a raise for every concurrent year you sign up for.

2. Any Chinese Teacher and Western FT couples teaching together?

Yes, there are some couples...two that I can recall last year. I am sure that it makes it easier to assimilate when you have a Chinese spouse.

3. What are the typical hours for teaching.

12 hours for business, 16 hours for oral English and if you teach the freshies, classes start 3 weeks later than the business classes and end sooner in June.

4. Any possible overtime hours, if desired? how much per hour?

I was happy with 12 hours but many teachers did opt for overtime classes.
Overtime was encouraged in past years, primarily because of teachers who signed a contract but did not materialize in September.

5. As one of the previous posters posted, did you have problems with the other FT's as they claimed? What is the typical FT's background at the university.

With 50 FTs, you are bound to find some that you find disagreeable. However, we had no problem finding teachers who we became close friends with As we dined out almost every night, we would get together with them daily as a rule.
With close to 50 FTs on campus the background is varied. When we started in 2004, there were some teachers who little more than TESL and a high school diploma. Currently, most teachers have a degree of some sort. Many of the business teachers have an MBA. Several of the oral English teachers have a teaching background but many do not. I am told that there are 300 new Chinese teachers this year. All have degrees and many of them have a master�s degree or are working toward it.

6. Are textbooks offered (especially for accounting) if so, which ones are used.

All students buy an English accounting text. The textbooks are US-based. They are mainly published by Prentice Hall and have very good teacher resources attached to them including PowerPoint presentations for every class and answer keys for all of the assignments. They are chosen with imput from the FT's in their particular department during the previous year.

Hope this is useful!

[Worldly]

[SnoopBot]

Very useful indeed.

谢谢

[Areut]

Thank you Geoff & Sandy! Lots of great information! I might not be looking yet but I will add it to my list also.

Edit: How is the night life there? I no you are married but any good places to go out for a drink close to the school?

[Geoff & Sandy]

[gma]

I agree with Geoff & Sandy. I taught at Yang-En two years ago and had a wonderful time. Would return in a heartbeat. I spent most of my time playing tennis and with the "Yo-Yo Outdoor Club" biking around. We even enjoyed a summer biking around Hainan Island together. Still have many good student friends I keep in touch with and some graduated students/tennis players I visit every so often I return to China.

You can check out some pictures of Yang-En and of my biking adventure with students on my website http://www.garyma.com

[carken]

GMA - -

I read your comments and saw your pics - - I'm ready to sign up! Funny, because I had a job offer from Yang En before I went to China in 2000, but decided to take one in Hangzhou instead. Since then, I've counted myself fortunate because all I've ever heard about Yang En was negative. Yours, as well as Sandy's and Geoff's reports certainly tell another story.

Some people can't be happy anywhere, and I imagine these are the ones who usually do the "reporting", or venting. Anyway, it looks and sounds beautiful.

Carole

[gma]

Certainly true. Can't satisfy everyone. If you love the outdoors, you'll love Yang-En. If you NEED city life, then it might not be for you--but you never know. The clean air and being surrounded by mountains is a really nice change (I grew up in NYC). Also away from noisy urban life in China is a positive. The shop owners are very friendly and made good friends with some of them I frequented.

Cheers!