Job Discussion Forums

[tatterdemalion]

Hello there!

I'm a recent graduate, American (more's the pity, but hey), looking into a job at the aforementioned college.

Everything looks pretty good and upfront; I've been looking at blogs from teachers in the area and accounts of travel, and reading up what I can find on the school itself, but the information I can find about the school is fairly sparse and not very in-depth. I found out that they have (or have had) a teaching exchange program with students of a well-regarded university in Tacoma. I haven't found any direct personal accounts from foreign experts teaching oral English there. (I found one blog by someone who went through a TESL certificate program; it trails off right as the school year starts.)

Has anyone here been employed at this school? Caught drift of it in some fashion?

Opinions on Yangzhou in general are welcome also. (In particular, the public baths sound neat, but I happen to have female anatomy: are there any where I would be welcome?)

Thank you kindly--

--the Tatterdemalion

[tatterdemalion]

I've been here teaching actively for one schoolweek, plus a few days to get accustomed. I was apparently confusing it with another school -- apparently there is a Yangzhou Polytechnic Institute and a (ditto, ditto) College and they are not alike. I'm still not sure whether they're related. This place (Institute) is part of a giant combined campus, sort of a mini-city of several universities pasted together. It's not in the city center, but it's close (<3 miles) and it's walking distance from decent stores, and Yangzhou is a very nice small city -- low pollution comparatively, pretty well urbanized, decent climate; though almost no one here speaks English and it's pretty much squat toilets everywhere except in my apartment. (Which is a rocking good apartment.) Anything that didn't work when I arrived was resolved by the mgt. within a day. They've been following through on all contract promises so far, treating me very well on all counts, supplying me with all the needed equipment (photocopies, a room with a computer and speakers) to teach my classes. It's a very up-and-coming school; huge campus, half under construction, lots of business students, a bit behind in their English but quite teachable.

Anyway, just thought I'd give a report for all'yr benefit.

[AussieGuyInChina]

Sounds good!

[beautification]

I got a job offer from them and I'll give them one thing they know how to sell the school to foreign males;

[tatterdemalion]

Haha. I have no idea whether that was intentional or not on their part; my actual coordinator here has much better English than the people who communicated with me before I got here.

Today there was a big deali-do of a conference regarding their new exchange program with France, and they taped us with a giant movie camera! 'Twas fun. There are random glitches periodically in the accomodations, etc, but they always seem to get worked out right away. I'm one of three full-time FTs, including another English speaker and a Korean professor; there's a French teacher who lives and teaches here two days a week, and the rest of the week is in Shanghai, and then there's an Australian program that sends business teachers here for one-month stints.

I don't have previous Chinese experience, but the other teachers who do are telling me that the quality of life and the way they've been treated here are all above par. I get the sense that it really is quite a pleasant place for the locals as well.