Job Discussion Forums

[tosca100]

Hello everybody,

I am considering teaching at Oral English College in Yangshuo, does anyone have any feedback on this school?

Thank you so much for your help!

[theincredibleegg]

I'm repulsed by the name...

[brsmith15]

Do a search both here and with Google.

Oral English? Hmmmmm. Does that mean that while they perform a certain oral activity, they speak English during it?

Yeah, the name is a real put-off!

[stillnosheep]

I see that the contact is Mr Wonderful. The name of Odar's assistant at Omeida in YS was Wonderful. Has he branched out on his own?

[chinglishman]

sounds like a private training center.

[nickpellatt]

I know someone who is working there...Im 99% sure its the same place. he has been there since around July, and his girlfriend has returned to China from England to join him.

if it was really bad, I dont think he would have invited his girlfriend to come and join him there.

I have another friend working in the same town at Omeida, he has also been quite happy, with no serious complaints.

if you want to send me a private message with your email, I will send it to my friend who can advise you if its the same place, and I believe he is head English teacher there...if you have heard that name in connection with that school...then yeah, its the same one.

[eddy-cool]

It was set up this past summer, and the owner is a relative of Odar's, not just his 'former assistant'. Odar seems to be slightly pissed off by his relative's move.

Anyway, I know where it is located but I have never set foot inside. It's on the road out to Yulonghe and thus not far from Buckland's HQs.

The lesson plan and teaching system are perfect copies of Odar's training centre.
The dining-room is next to the neighbourhood street; you will have your meals with your students in full view of all those locals.

I don't know anything about the quality of their housing; on the other hand I know one recent arrival who works there for wages 20% lower than what other employers pay. He is, however, fairly happy with his situation.

[nickpellatt]

Are you in Yangshou Eddy-Cool?

I have passed the OPs details to my friend. My friend did actually suggest it wasnt a great place to work, but didnt go into any details.

Awaiting the Op to share his (my friends) response.

[eddy-cool]

[nickpellatt]

My old housemate from Hainan is working there. He is at Omeida, and when he sends his photos etc, it looks fantastic!

[Xi_Gua]

I can also confirm OEC in Yangshuo is a new school. I was at Buckland with Yangshuo in late August and Oral English College is right around the block.

It's a really nice building. But of course looks can be deceiving. I never cared to ask anyone anything more than that though. Yangshuo is a amazing place to start out though if this is your first time teaching in China. Plenty of western food/commodities and a good number of people speak English.

[clayuk]

Oral College is like most of the schools in Yangshuo. Rubbish

[eddy-cool]

[englishgibson]

in my respectful opinion what the training centers there might've achieved is that they've spread "orally" and created a "foreign attraction". they drove fts salaries down to 50 quai per hour (no direspect to money) and put fts in positions of "take it or leave it". employers there hope that fts will compromise since it's a nice place to live too.

cheers and beers to our fine academic positions in china

[OuterBanks13]

Training Centers. Bleed the kids and the foreign teachers. Try a public school.