Few questions about teaching in China

[kdavid]

I actually resigned and sold my stake back in 2012; though the video on the main page still has me listed as DOS. The website is in need of updating.

 

The company is now under new management, most of whom are not listed on the website. The model has also transitioned from training for all of China (e.g. we did 70 teachers in 2011, the last full year I was involved) to just training for Sunshine (e.g. they did just over a dozen in 2013).

 

Those still involved are all excellent guys with a lot of experience. The instruction and teaching experience will certainly prepare you for teaching children at Sunshine. It's a good short-term deal to get you started and get some experience under your belt, especially if you're on a budget and/or have little savings.

[James3]

Thanks for the update on Will-Excel Tesol kdavid . It's nice to have an accurate, up to date picture of the opportunity.

 

By the way, if you had it all to do over again...would you still go to Harbin?  Or to another city?

[ChTTay]

That was a typo... I meant "My school" not "Ky school"

Quite a few of the better managed schools have decent training before you start. The first school I worked for had an optional 10 day course in Xi'an you could do before joining the school in various cities. You had to pay but it wasn't a huge amount.

My school is only based in Beijing, it's called AiHua English. PM if you want more information, I am just a teacher there.

Yes, TESOL and CELTA both have real classroom exposure, teaching real students.

[roddy]

"TESOL" doesn't designate anything specifically, it just means Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Don't confuse it with Trinity College's CertTESOL. The other commonly recognised qualification is the CELTA. I'll be very surprised if the Willexcel course is a Trinity CertTESOL - if it was, they'd make very sure everyone knew it, as it's a massive selling point. 

 

If you just plan to teach for a couple of years in a provincial Chinese city, then it probably doesn't matter too much. If you want any kind of career, or you want to be able to teach in Europe, or you might want to get higher-paying jobs in Beijing or Shanghai, you're going to very quickly see things like this in job ads: "CELTA qualified, with minimum 1 year post-СELTA experience"

[kdavid]

@James3

 

Harbin was a very different place when I moved there in 2006. It wasn't as developed and the air was A LOT cleaner (i.e. you never thought about the air being clean or dirty because it was essentially what I had been used to both in the States and in Europe).

 

Aside from the air, I don't think Harbin has changed at all for the worse. In fact, the new developments made in recent years made it a much better place to live as an American who appreciated American-esque creature comforts (e.g. Burger King, Subway, wider streets, etc.). Harbin is also still "Chinese" enough to give you a more accurate feel for what cities outside the huge metropolises are like.

 

I didn't leave Harbin because it was Harbin, I left because I had reached a point both professionally and personally where I needed growth. I was done being an English teacher (which, back in 2006, was a respectable career, but now is pretty bottom-rung in the eyes of locals). I also have two children who I didn't want to raise in China.

 

Harbin is a great place for young, single, males who just want a year or two of experience abroad. Harbin, and China in general, becomes an increasingly less tolerable place to live as one ages, establishes a family, and seeks to grow professionally. IMHO.

 

Will-Excel TESOL is not a Trinity-accredited course. They're partnered with the local education bureau, who accredits the course.

 

As I've said, the quality of instruction is good, and the experience they give you is great. You won't save much money, though, as the TESOL/Sunshine pay is very below the national average. The hours are also long, both during and after the course, and you practically have no vacation time, unless you ask for unpaid leave (which they're great at scheduling, if you're interested).

 

If you're only looking for a short-term job abroad, and you can get on-the-job training for free and without a TESOL, you may want to look into whatever other options you can find. You'll save money that way.

 

Will-Excel TESOL is a good low-cost, gateway option. It gets you some general experience. It's a great, soft-landing, and the guys there will take good care of you. At the same time, it's also a good get-you-wet-behind-the-years sampler of what life in China is like. If you can't cut it with Will-Excel TESOL and Sunshine, you won't cut it anywhere else in China.

 

Edit: The other thing about Will-Excel TESOL which makes it extremely attractive to many is that they can issue you a legal working/resident permit/visa with no BA, TESOL, or work experience. FYI.

[Alexjijia]

Hello guys

I just need advice from experienced people.

I reside in the USA and i am a permanent resident, I am not a citizen yet.

what do you think do I have a chance to get an english teacher's job in China?

do they necessarily want the citizens?

my passport is back from the country of Georgia, east Europe

thank you much for your time and replies

[James3]

@ChTTay

 

 

Quite a few of the better managed schools have decent training before you start.

Oh, I had no idea. Interesting. Then I'll keep searching. Thanks!

 

 

@roddy

 

Thanks, that's helpful. I hadn't yet picked up these subtle distinctions between the various certifications.

 

 

@kdavid

 

Thanks for your comments. Helps to put things in perspective. Wish you the best in your new endeavors (even if it is kind of belated.)

[aone]

http://www.anesl.com/shouye.asp

[liuzhou]

You might want to read this. 

 

"CCTV asks if ‘expats unqualified for language teaching in China?'"

[ChTTay]

@aone

Not much help posting a link with no comments. Have you used this company? If so, how did the job thre job turn out? How was the whole process of dealing with the agench? Or... Do you work for them?

Actually, as i happens I searched for a job through them at one point. The adviser at the time (American) restored my faith in agency workers. At the time I had dealt with a few dodgy ones. He left the company shortly after I stopped dealing with him.

[ChTTay]

Did any of you make it to China?