Teaching in China

[Orrin]

Lately, I've seen quite a bit written (both pro and con) here about life in China. Much of it comes from those who have lived there for some length of time, and some from those who have only visited. There are also a number of those (like myself) who have spent time teaching English in China so that they could be together with their love. English teaching is a HUGE business in China these days, with new schools popping up on almost a weekly basis. Teaching there can be a good vehicle to get you together with your love, as well as helping (in a small way) to get you through the visa process a little more quickly. But, be advised that there are a number of things that you should be aware of before you make the commitment to go there. A good place to start is to visit Dave's ESL Cafe web site, www.eslcafe.com. There you will find an abundance of useful information, including a section where people have written about their experiences in China and a number of other countries. I've included two posting that I have made on that site. I've included these for general information, and I'm curious if any of you might have had similar experiences, or any comments you might like to make.

 

Teaching at TPR is the only job I have had for my entire time in China. On July 2 my wife was granted an immigrant visa to the U.S.. Coincidently, I have secured suitable employment in the U.S.. We plan to leave Zhuhai and return to the U.S. in mid-September. I highly recommend TPR, Zhuhai as an excellent place to WORK (key word ...WORK! Be advised, there'll be a short quiz later) as an English teacher.

TPR,Zhuhai is a Chinese-owned, private, language training school that has been in business in Zhuhai for the past 11 years. Over the past 3 years, the school has experienced phenomenal growth. When I came here, the school had 6 full-time foreign teachers and about 1,000 students. Now, the school has 20 full-time foreign teachers, and over 2,200 students. The school has just opened its own 5 story building with 6 classrooms and administrative offices, and it also has 3 satellite locations in Zhuhai with a combined total of 12 classrooms. TPR's primary business is teaching children. Students from age 4 to 17 make up 85% of the total enrollment. TPR's main focus is on conversational English. We don't teach a lot of grammar other than what is required to support an intelligent conversation. The school's year is divided into 3 terms; a spring term from March through June, a summer term from July through August, and a fall term from September through January. February is a paid month off. Because we can only teach our students when we have access to them, during the spring and fall terms we teach the children and youth on the weekends, and the adults in the evenings. During the summer term we teach the children and youth during the weekdays and the adults in the evenings. Also, during the summer, we frequently have Saturday and Sunday off.

 

For the most part, TPR's students are really great. Because of China's "one child" policy, however, you will get your share of the 11 year old, over-fed, terminally spoiled, and unmotivated "little emperors" who think that your classroom is their personal domain, and whose grandmother will burst into your classroom in the middle of your lesson to bring the kid a sweet roll and a Coke. For every one of these, however, you will have 30 kids who are bright, well-behaved, cheerful, eager to learn, and are a whole lot of fun to work with.

 

TPR teacher's compensation is fair and competitive with all other similar schools. Monthly salary for a full-time teacher on a 1 year contract is about 4,000RMB/month for 18 hours/week of teaching. Any teaching hours in excess of 18 hours/ week are paid at 100RMB/hour, and opportunities for overtime work are abundant. Additionally, the school pays travel allowances, and additional bonuses for returning students, and teaching particular levels. Housing is also provided. TPR's apartments are modern, spacious, and well equipped (by Chinese standards), and are usually shared by 2 teachers. All of the schools satellite locations are very convenient to the teacher's apartments. None are more than a 30 minute ride away on the city bus. Should you come here with a spouse, they will provide a single occupancy apartment for you. If you decide that you want to find your own housing, the school will pay an adequate housing allowance.

 

The following is VERY important............... pay attention. TPR ALWAYS PAYS IN-FULL AND ON-TIME!!!!!!! Certainly, because the payroll is done manually every month, mistakes are sometimes made. When these mistakes are pointed out to them, however, they correct it INSTANTLY, and in cash. Therefore, you must be sure to keep an accurate record of your teaching hours for every month. Remember, TPR, just like ALL schools in China, is a business, and business in China is done completely differently than it is done in the west. See my previous posting "DO YOUR HOMEWORK."

 

The owner and the administrative staff at TPR are very supportive and helpful. TPR is an ISO9001-certified school, and they are very concerned and conscientious about abiding by the ISO's regulations and rules. All foreign teachers are quickly provided with a multiple-entry "Z" visa and a foreigner's "residence permit." You will have to pay the 220RMB for the required physical exam, and the school will deduct the cost of your visa and permit from your first pay. The school will then reimburse those fees (for the visa and permit, not for the physical exam) to you in equal monthly installments over the term of your contract. You will NOT be asked to work illegally on your tourist visa. When my visa and permit were renewed in February, it only took 2 days to get everything into my hands.

 

Let me give you an example of what I mean by "supportive" and "helpful". In late June, one of TPR's teachers (who had recently completed his contract, and who was no longer actually employed by the school) and his Chinese girlfriend, were beaten and robbed by 4 young toughs. When he reported the crime to the police, he got the standard Zhuhai police response.............. "You should be more careful. Have a nice day". This incident happened less than a week before he returned to England. When TPR's owner (who is VERY well-connected in this town ) found out about the police department's inaction, he contacted the Mayor of Zhuhai and complained about "his" teachers being mugged on Zhuhai's supposedly "safe" streets. The Mayor then hauled the Chief of Police into his office to "discuss" this matter. One week after this meeting, the victimized teacher was called, IN ENGLAND, by the Zhuhai Police Department to inform him that the 4 young punks had been arrested, confessed to the crime, and were now cooling their heels in the Zhuhai city jail awaiting trial. Now, THAT'S what I call "supportive" and "helpful".

 

Aside from the aforementioned situation, Zhuhai is a pleasant, relatively modern coastal city of slightly less than a million people in southern Guangdong province. It shares a border with Macau, and is about a 90 minute boat ride across the mouth of the Pearl river from Hong Kong and Shenzhen. By Chinese standards, it's fairly clean and the air is most always fresh, which is a lot more than can be said about a place like Guangzhou, which is overcrowded, dangerous, polluted, and generally filthy.

 

Now, what does it take to work in this "ESL teachers paradise"? (See......... I told you there would be a short quiz.) All the school asks is that, if you are going to accept your pay, you should be a responsible, reliable, professional, ESL-teaching adult and WORK FOR IT!!!!! Remember, this school, just like every other school in China, is a BUSINESS, (again...... see "DO YOUR HOMEWORK") and they are willing to pay you a fair wage to come here to do a JOB. Make no mistake about it. Teaching at TPR, or any other school is a JOB in which your employer pays you for a professional service that you are expected to provide.

 

Classroom time with you, the native English speaking foreign teacher, is the only product that this, or any school in China, has to sell. Although the school recognizes your value to them, and, therefore, will try to accommodate you as best as they can with scheduling, you are still expected to show up for your assigned classes, and to show up sober, on-time, and prepared to teach. Now, "on-time" and "prepared" does not mean waltzing into your classroom while still eating your breakfast 30 seconds before your class is to begin. You are expected to be a bit more professional than that

 

From time to time, teachers are asked to participate in some of the school's promotional activities, such as "Open House" days, English Corner, presentation classes, and student placement interviews as part of their regular assignments. Remember............. this school is a business in a very competitive business environment that is getting more competitive every month. The more students that are attracted to the school means that more classes will be opened, and, if more classes are opened, the teachers will have more opportunities for paid overtime. Does the school make more money because of the increased enrollment? Of course they do. That's why its called BUSINESS!! Increased enrollment, however, is a win-win situation for everyone... the school, the students, and the teachers.

 

The annual "turnover" rate for foreign teachers at this school is about the same as it is for all schools of it's type.... nearly 100%. That's because most teachers come here on a 1 year or shorter contract, complete their contract, and then move on. Teacher recruitment is a continuous process. That's the nature of this business. The reason that the school withholds the cost of the visa from the first pay, and then reimburses it over the term of the contract is because, over the past year, the school has had a serious problem with immature, irresponsible "teachers" who, for reasons known only to themselves, have abandoned their classes, and made the "midnight run" out of town within days of receiving their "Z" visas.

 

In the 3 years that I have been here, I know of only 4 teachers whom the school has fired. One, an American, was fired for chronic absenteeism and tardiness. He was, repeatedly, too busy chasing whores and dope in the entertainment district until 5am to make his 9am class. Another was an English-speaking, German "loony tune" who insisted on preaching religion in her classroom, and two more who were dismissed, and rightfully so, for gross incompetence. I know of only one teacher who quit before the end of his contract because he was dissatisfied with the school. Yes, TPR, just like every other school in China, gets it's share of losers.

 

I've tried to paint as much of a realistic picture as I can about working at TPR. I do not, however, want to leave the impression that TPR is perfect. It isn't. But then again, what school is? Although my 3 years at TPR have been rewarding, it has not always been a smooth toboggan ride. Most of the problems that I encountered, however, could be attributed to either poor, or non-existent communication between the school administration and and the teachers. Breakdowns in communication, either between the school and the teachers, or between the various departments of the school administration are, unfortunately, not an uncommon occurrence. During a management change at the school about a year and a half ago, the relationship between myself and the school became pretty contentious, almost to the point of being adversarial. After some lengthy, and sometimes heated discussions, we were able to arrive at some solutions that both the school and I could live with. Note that I said "discussions" and not "negotiations". More on that issue later. To this day, however, there are still some of TPR's policies and practices that I disagree with, but tolerate.

 

The bottom line is this; TPR, Zhuhai is a good place for an ESL teacher to WORK. Let me qualify that statement. If words like "competence" "responsibility", "maturity", "resourcefulness", and "self-reliance" are not in your vocabulary, then do yourself, your school, and the other hardworking ESL teachers in China a favor, and FOR CHRIST SAKE, DO NOT COME HERE!!!!

 

If, however, you are a competent, mature, responsible, resourceful, and self-reliant ESL teacher, then you can do a hell of a lot worse than working for TPR, Zhuhai. I have, deliberately, not included TPR's contact information in this posting because I don't want this to be seen as a recruitment ad for them. It is not. If you would like to get in touch with the school, email me, and I'll be happy to pass along all of the contact information.

 

OK Simone.........ok.........ok..... I wrote the part you wanted. You can take the pistol away from the back of my head now.

 

Parting Thoughts and Shots...........

 

Because I'm going back to the U.S. in about 6 weeks, this is probably the last posting I will be making on this forum. I will, however, continue to read it to see how everyone is getting along. I would like to take this opportunity to pass along a few insights about living and working in China. After that, I'll shut up. Please bare with me for a few more paragraphs.

 

Someone posted a message here a few months ago titled "You're Not In Iowa Anymore". Believe me, truer words were never spoken. When, and if, you come here, you are going to be in for a HUGE culture shock. Your employer in China, whether it be a school, or some other business, is not your "mommy". They will not, cannot, and should not "hold your hand" every minute you are here. Yes, your employer is obliged, by contract, to do, and provide certain things for you, but you are expected to have the maturity and resourcefulness to take care of yourself. If you want a "mommy", then hire a "wiban"......... if you can find one that you trust.... good luck!!!

 

As I've said before, business in China is conducted in an entirely different way than it is in the west. In China, there are no such things as "trust"or "respect" given in any business deal. "Trust" and "respect" are something that must be earned in China. In any business dealings, the Chinese will look for any weakness in you, and, if they detect it, they will exploit it for all its worth. That's when people get screwed, mistreated, and cheated.

 

I made mention earlier about a teacher who was recently robbed and beaten. The reason he was beaten is that he offered no resistance. He just rolled up into a ball on the ground, and the thieves continued to kick him and then went on to blacken both of his girlfriend's eyes. If he had put up any resistance at all, those assholes would have evaporated like steam on a hot day. I have had a few similar confrontations in my time here. The most typical one happened a few months ago when 3 would-be muggers surrounded me one night while I was walking through a small park on the way to a bus stop. When one of them gestured to me that they wanted my money, I just stared him straight in the eye and said, In Chinese, "NO WAY!!!!", and continued to walk past him. They vanished into thin air.

 

There is a prevalent attitude amongst the Chinese, that when they get mistreated or cheated, they just roll their eyes and say "Oh well........ This is China........ That's just the way it is........ We just have to live with it", and, they think (until they learn differently) that you, the foreign teacher, has the same attitude. If you take on that attitude, you are just inviting trouble. The truth of the matter is that YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT!!!! Contemporary Chinese society is not one that values meekness or weakness. They value strength and resolve.

 

If you are certain that your contract has been breached, or, you have been cheated in any way, you do not negotiate a solution, .......... you DICTATE the solution. That is the only way you are ever going to earn any respect in China. If your employer does not agree to your demands, or threatens you.............LEAVE!!!! ESL jobs in China are plentiful. You can quit your job tonight, and be to work for another school, probably in the same city, tomorrow morning. Do not let them intimidate you. You have to keep your own ass covered. If you are not mature enough or capable enough to do that, DON'T COME HERE!!

 

Living and working in China can be a very enlightening and rewarding experience. The past 3 years certainly have been for me. Just like anything, you are only going to get out of it what you put into it. If you think that you have the maturity and resourcefulness to handle it, then, I highly recommend that you come to China. You will make many wonderful new friends, and have a completely unforgettable experience. Welcome to China. Best of luck.

 

I have a lot more to say, but this posting is getting MUCH too long. If you want to know more, send me an email. I'll respond to all as quickly as possible.

 

Orrin Young

orrinyoung@hotmail.com

August 7, 2003

Posted: August 6, 2003

 

 

May 3, 2003

I am a long-term teacher at the American TPR English School in Zhuhai, China, and I am now in my 3rd year of teaching here. I do not, by any stretch of the imagination, consider myself to be an "old China hand". I learn something new every day, and that's part of the fun of living here.

Recently, I have been reading a large number of "horror" stories on this web site from other teachers who have, apparently, had very bad experiences here in China. I've noticed, however, that in most of these postings there is usually a statement that says: "I've been teaching In China for almost 4 months..", or something similar. I guess that 4 months, or 6 months makes you a real "old China hand", and has taught you everything there is to know about living and working in China.

 

Obviously, the authors of these postings did not do their "homework" before coming here. Please allow me to pass on a little bit of information that may help put things into perspective.

 

Please understand that when you make the decision to come to China, you are coming to a developing, communist country. You can be assured that life in China will not be as it is in San Fransisco, Vancouver, London, or Sydney. Because you are a foreigner, or "big nose" as we are sometimes called, you are an enormous curiosity to the locals. People will stare at you on the street, in a bus, or in a restaurant. This is more prevalent in the smaller, provincial cities than in places like Beijing, Shanghai, or any of the larger modern cities where foreigners are not so uncommon. Two years ago, I had the hilarious experience of watching a local man crash his bicycle into the back of a stopped taxi cab while he was staring over his shoulder at my wife and I. The best advice I can give you is to just get used to it. They mean no disrespect. It may be that you are the only foreigner that the starer has ever seen in person. Also, because you are a foreigner, most of the locals assume that you are rich, and have large amounts of money falling out of your ass. Beggars will single you out of a crowd and "swarm" you at a bus stop, and EVERYONE has something they want to sell you. Once you learn that the price of just about everything is negotiable, this becomes quite a bit less annoying, and can actually be quite a bit of fun.

 

In almost every negative posting on this site, the authors complain of chronic lying on the part of the school ownership and administration. They are correct. Lying, at all levels of this society, is common and constant. What the authors don't understand are the reasons why they are lied to so much. The absolute worst thing that can happen to any Chinese is to "lose face". A loss of face can happen in many different ways, but here are a couple that I have seen most frequently.

 

Very few of the Chinese staff in the schools posses a good working knowledge of conversational English. There are English department heads and English teachers in the public schools here with whom I cannot carry on a conversation past two sentences. To admit that they do not fully understand what you said during a conversation is considered to be disrespectful to you, and therefore, a big loss of face. You may ask them at the end of the conversation if they fully understood you, and they will politely smile and nod their head "yes". It is considered very impolite to say "no" to a teacher. In reality, they likely don't have a clue what the conversation was about, and three days later something blows up. I have lost count of the number of times this has happened to me. As a result, I've learned to do whatever it takes (including calling my wife to translate) to insure that the conversation was fully understood by all parties.

 

Another very common loss of face which people will lie to avoid is probably best exemplified by the recent cover-up by high government officials of the SARS outbreak on the mainland. Two officials (the mayor of Beijing and the Minister of Health) were fired from their posts (sacrificed on the altar of world opinion is probably more accurate than "fired") when the WHO found out what was really going on and made it public. These two ex-officials should consider themselves very lucky that they were only fired, and not been allowed to reach "room temperature" by now. It is still not clear to me if they were fired because they mishandled the SARS outbreak, or because they let the truth get out.

 

For an official, or anyone in a position of authority to admit that there is something going on in their domain over which they do not have complete control is a HUGE loss of face. They will even go so far as to allow themselves to look like the former Iraqi Minister of Information in an effort to deny the obvious truth.

 

Please understand this; You, as a foreign teacher, ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE THIS!!!!! The best you can do is to learn how to deal with it, and conduct yourself accordingly.

 

All schools in China are businesses. This includes "public" primary schools, secondary schools, and universities. Private language schools, such as mine, are driven by the tuition paid by the students, or the students' parents. Public schools, on the other hand, receive their funding from the city or the province. They get a certain amount of money for each enrolled student. The name of the game, therefore, is to enroll as many students as possible. It is common to have middle and primary school classes of 60+ students. The best way for public schools to attract many students is to have a high percentage of students pass the university entrance exams on the first try. So, what do you think the main focus and objective of the education system in China is? BINGO!!! To pass the tests, of course. If the students happen to actually learn a little bit along the way, that's ok, but the primary task is to get them past the tests. The schools only want to teach the students the "what", and have very little, or no interest in teaching them the "why".

 

The "real" money in teaching English in China is in the children. Because of China's "one child" policy, and the public education system methods, PARENTS WILL DO, OR SPEND ANYTHING to give their only child a head start, or an advantage over the other public school students. The product that the schools have to offer is the foreign teacher. The "coin of the realm" in the English teaching business is the foreign, native English speaking teacher. Chinese parents simply do not want Chinese, or Chinese-looking teachers teaching English to their children. Parents of private school students will immediately pull their children out of the school, and demand their money back if they see a Chinese, or Chinese-looking teacher walk into the classroom. I have seen this happen many times. YOU ARE A COMMODITY! That is a business reality in China. Race, sex, and age discrimination are the "norm" in China, and this is another of the things that you are not going to change.

 

So, if you think that by coming here to teach, you can "make a difference" (oh, please.. give me a break.), or, if you are some religious zealot who thinks that you can come here to preach the words of Jesus, Muhammad, or Baha'u'llah to the "ignorant pagans" while you are teaching English, PLEASE STAY WHERE YOU ARE!! If you come here with that as your goal, you will be greatly disappointed and frustrated. Teaching English in China is a job and a business........ nothing more, nothing less.

 

I have seen some posts here that say that you cannot make any more than $500USD/month for teaching in China. That is partially true. In the large cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, or Guangzhou, where the living costs are comparatively high, the teacher's pay will be appropriately higher. Everyplace else, however, the "magic number" for a teacher's salary is 4000RMB/month (about $500USD) or less. There is a very good reason for this. For a foreign teacher, any salary less than 4001RMB/month is not taxable. Also, for teachers from the U.S., that annual salary is below the minimum at which you are required to file a tax return with the IRS. Your earnings in China are, virtually, tax-free!!! Are you going to get rich teaching in China? Hell no!! You must understand, however, that 4000RMB goes a long way. The buying power of the yuan in most cities in China is about the same as buying power of the dollar in the U.S.. The average monthly income in Zhuhai is something less than 1500RMB, and I'm pretty sure the same is true in other cities of comparable size. Believe me, you can live very well, and even manage to save money on 4000RMB/month.

 

The English teaching business is a very lucrative, BIG business in China right now. New schools are popping up almost on a monthly basis. Remember, China is a country of 1.4 BILLION people. One doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to get an idea of how much money is in the mix. Just like anyplace, when there is a lot of money to be had, you're going to get a certain number of unscrupulous school operators and teacher recruiting agencies who's only objective is to stuff as much money in their pockets as possible, and don't give a flying fuck who they have to rip off to do it. Do those kind of really bad schools exist in China? Of course they do. Are all schools in China like that? Certainly not. Is my school perfect? Not by a long shot..... We've had our differences, and I still do not agree with some of their policies. I must say, however, that when problems have come up, the school has always made a good faith effort to come to a solution that is fair for everyone. Also, the school is very receptive to suggestions from the teachers for ways to improve the quality of the teaching, and the satisfaction of the students.

 

Before you make a commitment to any school or employment agency, do all the research you possibly can about your prospective employer. This web site is a good place to start, but it is certainly not the only resource. To get a teacher's perspective of what working there is really like, insist on email addresses for current or former teachers, not administrators. Any school that will hire you instantly after only a brief exchange of email, is certainly one to be wary of. Any reputable school will want to complete a credentials check and conduct a live interview before making an offer. Live interviews can be done by phone (make an appointment for them to call you), or over the Internet via ICQ, or any other instant messaging system that has voice capability. If they do make you an offer, insist on seeing your exact contract, job description, working manuals, housing regulations, and if possible, photos of the housing accommodations before you accept. If you do accept their offer, try, if at all possible, to sign your contract BEFORE you travel to China. I my case, my school faxed a contract to me which I signed and faxed back. It cost a few bucks to do it that way, but it was worth it.

 

It is up to you to find out what kind of an operation you are getting involved with BEFORE YOU COME. In other words, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

 

Orrin Young, Zhuhai China

orrinyoung@hotmail.com

 

 

 

 

Posted: May 2, 2003

[Trigg]

Outstanding information. Many of us at CFL plan to move to China in the coming years. I'm sure many are interested in full ,or at least part time, employment. how about listing the qualifications for ESl teaching in China. e.g. fluency in the Chinese language??? cCollege credentials etc..

[Guest Gene]

Thank You Very Much Orrin....Yes please give us more details on qualifications and such

[Robert S.]

Orrin, I am impressed. I have been thinking off and on for the last three years about teaching in China and your copy here of the posts you had made on Dave's was the best thing I have seen yet. I am sure you got a lot of respect from the eslcafe people as well. Damn, this makes me excited, and you have answered a lot of questions that no one I had seen at Dave's had addressed. Also thanks for your enthusiasm for teaching children - that resolves a big question for me.