Job Discussion Forums

[SpedEd]

Hello people:

Since I've been in China for the better part of a year, I've found the following situation to exist re FTAs: A FTA (of Chinese origin) is assigned to help me but is the exact opposite (not helpful). During my prolonged working stint in Korea, I would find some of the FTAs to be somewhat smarmy but usually quite good on the whole, and there would be no animosity like I encounter in China on a daily basis with them.
Is it a universal rule that FTAs need to be resentful, condescending, and sometimes hostile towards the foreign teachers they are assigned to assist? Please somebody explain the twisted logic behind this over here.

[Trish Flurman]

Because our lives are as cushy as it gets compared to theirs - especially our work hours in comparison to their 7 day work week, 12 or more hours a day. It "ain't rocket science."

[DistantRelative]

Wish I could offer some helpful insight, but in my case, with one exception, all of CTA's (have had quite a number in the past 3 1/2 years)I have had the pleasure of working with have been just the opposite of what you describe.

Zhuhao,

Shawn

[And Your Bird Can Sing]

[Sly22]

I think with all humans in all positions of work it varies. I've had extremely helpful assistants who were a real pleasure to work with, and I've had assistants who seem to sabotage the class by doing such things as a) immediately translating what I say into Chinese so the students don't even bother listening to what I am asking them. b) answering the questions themselves. and c) correcting *my* english.

I think with younger students they can be very helpful, but with intermediate to advanced students I would rather be on my own.

[william wallace]

I like to have TA as they're usually much more intelligent than I ,and therefore can carry me through the complicated ordeal of "oral English".

[Anda]

Well we all go by our own experience but in South Korea I found that usually about 10% to 20% of Korean public school English teachers did not like foreign English teachers period. I find the same thing here in China with government English teachers. Notice I said 10% to 20% and not 100%.

In Korea older teachers actually earn more than foreign English teachers and here it is only a little less with the extras they get. Young teachers however earn a lot less than us in both countries.

The new Middle School where I'll be working the head English teacher leaves at 6.30 in the morning by bus to her job and catches the 9.30 of an evening back home from school six days a week. Teaching hours are about the same however as myself.

I used to say to any co teacher I had in Korea that they had the choice of being the lead teacher and planning the lessons and telling the other teacher exactly what to say or being told exactly what to say. Never had one that wanted to be the main teacher.

My classes are getting so big in my spare time job that the boss is going to give me a young lady to assist in class control. I look forward to that!

[shuize]

Semi-retirement in China is looking better and better.

Me: "FTA, go get me coffee while I sit here and read the newspaper."

[MGreen]

I guess it depends on what and whom you are teaching. I have 2 post-graduate teaching assistants in my MA classes and it�s been a god sent. In the beginning of the academic year, we discussed the expectations, duties, roles etc� and its been smooth sailing ever since.

[B�te T�te]

I've never encountered this. My FTA is laid back an friendly. we han out, and go sight seeing together.

I can't reiterate who awesome Jiangxi people usually are!

[SpedEd]

[williamtdphillips]

I, along with most of the other 20 expat teachers that I worked with, had some pretty cold treatment from Chinese FTAs. It was quite understandable in some ways. First of all, they were only paid about 1/5 of the salary, but they all had about the same education level, and work hours. Their program manager also said that they would be fired if they ever became 'close friends'. They even had regular meetings with their supervisor to regularly warn them about the danger of being with foreigners (I wish I knew what they said about us). Many of the expat teachers dined out at expensive restaurants at lunch, and came to work frequently with hangovers. Some teachers also spoke about China very critically to their FTAs - most Chinese can't handle direct criticism about their country. Chinese, in general, often only like to get to know someone well if you can benefit them (I guess most westerners do too, but less obviously). As an expat teacher, you are seen by them as someone who is their temporarily, and after a year or so you'll be out of their lives. So your are generally seen as unimportant to them, and often not involved in their conversations or life outside of work. Although most of the FTAs were in their early 20s, their maturity levels were like 15 year-olds (just like the majority of Chinese who miss out on normal childhood from studying too hard in school). So they often did childish things that showed their resentment to expat teachers more. So the cold treatment is all understandable - don't you think?

[Anda]

So far in my two years here in China I have had one head English teachers out to do as much damage to me as possible plus one young male English teacher that was his spy but pretended to be my friend trying to climb the ladder at Funing Teacher's College. The rest I got on well with.

At the institute where I work part time I get on great with the Chinese teachers. I help keep the place clean and take them to dinner and also bring snacks to work to share. They do the same with me but I spend more in keeping with my wage. I don't criticize China nor do I build China up. Sometimes I might say something about the water pollution problem here however.

I muck around with my students a lot in and out of the classroom. If you like them they will like you provided you are friendly. Your teaching method has to be fairly interesting plus provide teaching results.

In general if you teach well and remain friendly to the local people at work plus while you are walking around town then they will warm to you. Sometimes this can take up to a year. You are being judged 24 hours a day here in Asia, it is part of this English teaching game. You can�t switch off away from work.

[7969]

when i was in taiwan i worked through an agent, and she found the classes for me. i had one teaching assistant help me with a twice weekly kindergarten class i had. she wasnt obnoxious or outright unfriendly, but had a habit of only pointing out what i was doing wrong.

after a few months of that, i simply told the agent to find someone else to do that job and that i wasnt going back.

[arioch36]

Trish