Job Discussion Forums

[Orrin]

I wish that so many of those �newbies� or �escapes� considering teaching jobs here in China would PLEEEEASE pull their collective heads out of their collective butts, and stop accepting, or even considering, full-time teaching jobs for �sub-peanut� wages.

When some na�ve, wild-eyed, idealistic Jr. College dropout, or some burnt out, alcoholic sot accepts a RMB5800 full-time teaching job in Beijing, or, even worse, a RMB4000 gig at an unlicensed language mill in Guangzhou, it just makes my blood boil!

Don�t they realize that when they do something as monumentally stupid as accepting a position like that all it does is drive down the wages for all of the other legitimate teachers in China?

There ARE good jobs here for qualified teachers; but one has to do a bit of preparation, searching and other homework to find them.

[Trish Flurman]

Few "legitimate teachers" come to China to teach; they have "real jobs" in their home countries.

China is hardly a system that can be reformed for foreign teachers - thus, I look out for myself.

[Kootvela]

I have been crying about 'backpacker teachers' for quite a time around this forum but their legions are too big to fight with

[Anda]

There are people like myself that don't like the big cities where one can with the paperwork land a good job. My next position is for 5,000 RMB but I get a full ruturn ticket with holidays and a okay on approved side work plus a nice but small apartment. I don't know of anyone on bigger money in the city or as good as conditions where I'll be working.

I'll put it this way a friend fairly high up in the party locally gets 1,400 a month but a counter part in Shanghai gets 20,000.

There is South Korea that pays a lot more but there are countries that pay less. I sure as hell don't want to go back to Indonesia but some love the place.

Nobody is forcing anybody to come here. I wouldn't recomend it to a newbie as they are so dishonest here even in government as I have found out.

As far as our lot changing things that is a laugh as there are about 40,000 of us here and look how many post here these days.

And please don't tell me how good it is back in the West as it just plain isn't. If I put the same hours in per week back in Australia at $45 an hour with no holidays or accommodation etc, I'd be far worse off with the cost of living in Sydney.

[Anda]

Oh, and here is a low wage worker back home advertising. There are those that will work for even less. $45 an hour is around the top pay rate. That's casual with no accommodation etc and tax still has to be paid over about $180 a week.

...................................................................................


Native Speaker for private English classes

Location: Sydney
Date Listed: 20/06/2008


Native Speaker available for private tuition. Fully qualified. Covers grammar, reading, writing, conversation and pronunciation. Only $15 per hour. Available 7 days per week. Contact by email via this page or call/SMS on ................

[kungfucowboy83]

actually he's trying to look out for you too. But in the end if you accept an underpaid position it's your own choice. especially with all the people here telling you. you can get more they can pay more. if you choose not to belive us then you are hurting yourself by making the boss think you're and idiot. and hurting everyoone else by letting the boss think he cn exploit all foreign teachers.

btw i'm mostly critisizing people who take full time 20-25 hour jobs for 5000 or less especially in areas like beijing.

if you are getting 4000 for 12 lessons this doesn't refer to you.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

[Anda]

This current semester I've been on 4,500 RMB for 6 hours a week plus accommodation and all utilities including phone along with summer and winter holidays.

Next contract maxes out at 16 hours a week with full travel costs to and from back home plus 2,200 internal travel allowance plus summer and winter holidays. All utilities including phone gas electric and even bottled water, central location. I'm hoping that I don't have travel costs. I only have to be at work for the teaching hours. Plus I'm allowed side work. Take home pay of 5,000 a month. Just looking at pay in hand doesn't tell you that much!

[arioch36]

As the Chinese would say, there are two sides two every coin.

I would says all teachers are created equal, this is definitely wrong. Teaching, and becoming a teacher requires effort and practice. My first teaching as I remember was teaching American Red Cross CPR. At first I sucked, and I didn't have my act together. My company paid me to take the instructor course, soundd good. In time, I became one of the best. I saw others in our group of eight who took the class who never cared less about improving.

I have nothing against a newbie teaching (we all have to start somewhere) I have something against a newbie or backpacker coming to the classroom and not giving teaching a serious effort.

So i would say rather not all backpackers and newbies who decide to teach are created equal.

One problem is that the Chinese FAO office which cares little about teaching, lumps us all together. So when the backpacker puts no effort into class it effects all of us. Normally in a work situation those who perform better and work harder, or at least have more time in service, will be paid accordingly. Not so here.

A backpacker who puts serious effort into teaching is great. And these also usually insist on a decent wage. I had a friend from Canada, no long term interest in teaching, wanted to see China. He at least first took a basic teaching course though, and took his teaching seriously (Like you know, not saying I am going to teach them a bunch of songs and swear words, but have a plan). But then he also negotiated a salary that was higher then many already working here.

[melilly]

Why would any teacher have something "against" newbies or backpackers who teach English in Asia? Answer: when an experienced teacher begins feeling superior and starts passing judgement. Yes, becoming a good EFL teacher takes effort and practice, but that doesn't make teaching a serious business and it certainly doesn't make any of us less expendable. My point? Teachers who cry and complain about newbies and backpackers are taking themselves, and their EFL careers, way to seriously!

[And Your Bird Can Sing]

I bet such people know the difference between 'to' and 'too' though!

[mike w]

[Mei Sheng]

"I have been crying about 'backpacker teachers' for quite a time around this forum but their legions are too big to fight with .."

That's right. What are you going to do about it?

3 cheers for the trust fund brigade.

39 and never "really" worked a day in my life. Thank GOD!!

15k.

Paco, Esq.

[melilly]

Ah, the game is afoot...
I'll need to watch the typos here...or a grammar geek might insult me!
This discussion is mostly about pride and presumption. It's about teachers who confuse professionalism with superciliousness. It's about people who judge and blame others to justify their feelings of superiority. Nothing could be more condescending than the title of this post. And what, pray tell, are you taking so seriously? Just about anyone whose native language happens to be English can teach EFL. Just about anyone with a little training and experience can do the same job we're doing. There's the rub. The idea, the notion, the thought that our jobs as EFL teachers really aren't all that special or important. I'm a realist. I know my place in the EFL world. I know that newbies and backbackers make very little difference in my life as a teacher, and more importantly, I know they have as much right as any other native speaker to teach English in Asia and to take their jobs as seriously or as lightly as they please. There is no honor in imperiousness. Orwell knew the score. All teachers are created equal, but some (think) they are more equal than others. Game on!

[vikuk]