Job Discussion Forums

btbudd · Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 4

Hi guys, just wondering what others' experiences or knowledge of Dalian were. For positions/schools I've been hearing more and more that a TEFL certification of some kind, even if it's a simple online one is needed to get a work visa and that a degree may also be needed in addition to the certification. Anyone else finding similar experiences in Dalian? Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

kzprivate · Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 24

btbudd · Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 4

Thanks for the reply and the insight, I believe those are the requirements for all of China in theory, but was just curious is anyone finding the Dalian government to be enforcing them much more strictly like they do in cities like Beijing or Shanghai?

Sonnibarger · Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 320 Location: Wuhan

Dalian is one of the top destinations for laowai.. schools can demand a higher level of education from FT's... u may get a shifty school but any school with a good rep will have no problems finding qualified teachers.. u will have better luck in a 3rd tier city

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:27 pm Post subject: A former friend of mine

A friend and former colleague of mine worked at an international school in Dalian (a joint venture between Canada and China) for two years as an ESOL teacher despite his being not qualified to teach in state schools in his home country.

Since he was neither qualified as a state-school, specialist-subject teacher nor a Canadian citizen, even though he did possess a CELTA, he was more or less at the bottom of the pile when it came to salary compared to those Canadian citizens who were specialist teachers.

He is now back in his home country undertaking an initial teacher training qualification in order to become qualified to teach modern foreign languages in state schools in the secondary sector.

(In case, you're wondering who this person is, suffice it to say that this person has used at least two monikers while making contributions to these forums in times past and present! Wink

)

dialogger · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 419 Location: China

In my exp these requirements are 'wish lists'.
Dalian is up and coming no doubt and that may be due to the fact that the former Mayor is trade supremo in BJ now.
Some colleges in Dalian may find it harder to get staff now as they have relocated to Lushun which is abt an hour - maybe more out of the city.
PM for some ideas on where to focus. But it is brass monkeys in Dalian in winter.

Old Surrender · Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 12:16 am Post subject:

themanymoonsofjupiter · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 205 Location: The Big Link

i've never heard the phrase "brass monkeys" in that context, either.

you don't need a TEFL certificate, though it may help. i've never met anyone here, though, that didn't at least have a bachelor's degree. of course, i've been approached on the street & solicited to work at private school X many times--many of those places are quite desperate for workers and you'd probably be ok without a diploma.

dialogger · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 419 Location: China

It is from an English colloquialism 'cold enought to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.
Monkeys were used as decorations on early 20th C brassware so I guess that's where it came from.
'It's brass monkeys out there' is a way of saying it's cold.
See
http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/b.htm

although it doesn't give the derivation.

dialogger · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 419 Location: China

As someone who has the job of hiring and evaluating foreign teachers, I put far more value on the TESOL cert.
In fact, if I had a choice between a degreed person with no cert and a cert person with no degree, I'd take the latter every time.
Of course I don't have the final say and the Chinese who are totally credentialist go for the degree, where possible.
Of concern is the total lack of curiosity among the degree-only people as to what TESOL involves and how it is taught.

Old Surrender · Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 4:04 am Post subject:

dialogger · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 419 Location: China

Sorry O S - do you mean a Dalian job or Dalian TESOL course?

Old Surrender · Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:35 am Post subject:

TESOL course.

dialogger · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 419 Location: China

Not off hand but I'll make some enquiries.

Capricornus · Joined: 06 Jan 2010 Posts: 1

A Brass Monkey was a a triangular piece of metal (think like the triangle percussion instrument) meant to contain a stack of cannon balls on a ship deck. If it got really really cold, the metal of the brass monkey would contract and the cannon balls would pop off. Hence, 'Cold enough to freeze the balls off a Brass Monkey.'