Comments on: Where to Teach ESL in China http://www.teachabroadchina.com/where-to-teach-esl-english-china/ Home of the Teach Abroad China Alliance Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:45:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Robert Vance http://www.teachabroadchina.com/where-to-teach-esl-english-china/#comment-13999 Robert Vance Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:14:37 +0000 http://www.teachabroadchina.com/?p=257#comment-13999 @Linda, There are plenty of ESL jobs out there that would probably fit your time needs but the financial aspect of living in China could be difficult. I assume that you would be sending your son to an international private school, correct? Someone please correct me if I am wrong but I believe that those are pretty expensive even in China. I don't think that you will be able to find a part time job (or a job teaching ESL) that is going to allow you to send him to such a school and live comfortably at the same time. While I appreciate your desire to live in a 'healthy and safe' place I have to warn you that such cities are hard to come by these days in China. I am not sure what you mean when you say that Changchun may be a 'diffiult' city to live in. I think that Changchun is probably just as difficult or easy to live in as many other cities in China. Changchun is an industrial city so you would definitely have to put up with the bad environment but that is a common story throughout Chinese cities. I don't want to discourage you from coming because living here IS a great experience. However, you have to be aware that since China is still a developing country, there are plenty of negative aspects that you will have to deal with here. You can read about quite a few of them on this website. However, I will tell you that I do know families (one family I know has 4 children) who have made it here and learned to adapt. I hope that someone else out here can add more...especially if they have experience with children here... @Linda,

There are plenty of ESL jobs out there that would probably fit your time needs but the financial aspect of living in China could be difficult. I assume that you would be sending your son to an international private school, correct? Someone please correct me if I am wrong but I believe that those are pretty expensive even in China. I don’t think that you will be able to find a part time job (or a job teaching ESL) that is going to allow you to send him to such a school and live comfortably at the same time.

While I appreciate your desire to live in a ‘healthy and safe’ place I have to warn you that such cities are hard to come by these days in China. I am not sure what you mean when you say that Changchun may be a ‘diffiult’ city to live in. I think that Changchun is probably just as difficult or easy to live in as many other cities in China. Changchun is an industrial city so you would definitely have to put up with the bad environment but that is a common story throughout Chinese cities.

I don’t want to discourage you from coming because living here IS a great experience. However, you have to be aware that since China is still a developing country, there are plenty of negative aspects that you will have to deal with here. You can read about quite a few of them on this website. However, I will tell you that I do know families (one family I know has 4 children) who have made it here and learned to adapt.

I hope that someone else out here can add more…especially if they have experience with children here…

]]> By: linda http://www.teachabroadchina.com/where-to-teach-esl-english-china/#comment-13982 linda Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:11:11 +0000 http://www.teachabroadchina.com/?p=257#comment-13982 Hi. I live in Australia, am a New Zealander with dual citizenship. I have a Cambridge University Certificate for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, also a BA in German, French, Japanese, am a mature-aged student half-way through an external Diploma of Education (for teaching state high school languages) and am an experienced librarian/records manager (I have a Master of Library & Information Studies). I have experience teaching in France & Japan as an assistant teacher, have also taught high school as a teacher in NZ for a year. My 'end goal' is to work as a teacher librarian in Australia, although I have had other ideas recently....... I saw a full-time librarian job advertised in Changchun, Jilin Province, but it looks like it could be a difficult city to live in. My 'problem' (well, my joy, of course) is that I have a 5 year old son. Working full-time in China (with him there) would not be a good idea. Part-time work is the only option, or school hours at least. I am wondering if you can advise me? Would work in China be possible for me with a 5 year old (with whom I need to spend time. His Nanna would visit from time to time also)? I would need to live in a healthy and safe place (for his sake), I'd also need to earn enough to live on well enough (& pay for his school fees - I guess I'd need access to a bilingual school), and I'd need a job with either school hours or part-time, either an ESL or a librarian job (or combination). I would be very keen for us both to learn Mandarin. If you or anyone have any ideas, please reply? Thank you :) Linda Hi. I live in Australia, am a New Zealander with dual citizenship. I have a Cambridge University Certificate for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, also a BA in German, French, Japanese, am a mature-aged student half-way through an external Diploma of Education (for teaching state high school languages) and am an experienced librarian/records manager (I have a Master of Library & Information Studies). I have experience teaching in France & Japan as an assistant teacher, have also taught high school as a teacher in NZ for a year. My ‘end goal’ is to work as a teacher librarian in Australia, although I have had other ideas recently……. I saw a full-time librarian job advertised in Changchun, Jilin Province, but it looks like it could be a difficult city to live in. My ‘problem’ (well, my joy, of course) is that I have a 5 year old son. Working full-time in China (with him there) would not be a good idea. Part-time work is the only option, or school hours at least. I am wondering if you can advise me? Would work in China be possible for me with a 5 year old (with whom I need to spend time. His Nanna would visit from time to time also)? I would need to live in a healthy and safe place (for his sake), I’d also need to earn enough to live on well enough (& pay for his school fees - I guess I’d need access to a bilingual school), and I’d need a job with either school hours or part-time, either an ESL or a librarian job (or combination). I would be very keen for us both to learn Mandarin. If you or anyone have any ideas, please reply?
Thank you :) Linda

]]> By: Jhunex http://www.teachabroadchina.com/where-to-teach-esl-english-china/#comment-4141 Jhunex Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:46:00 +0000 http://www.teachabroadchina.com/?p=257#comment-4141 Is it true that looking for teaching job in Zhejiang province is hard especially for NNS for racism is still commonly practice? How about in Changchun, Jilin, should it be avoided or what, for most schools don't follow the contract as what my friends have epxerienced when teaching in that province? Is it true that looking for teaching job in Zhejiang province is hard especially for NNS for racism is still commonly practice? How about in Changchun, Jilin, should it be avoided or what, for most schools don’t follow the contract as what my friends have epxerienced when teaching in that province?

]]> By: Robert Vance http://www.teachabroadchina.com/where-to-teach-esl-english-china/#comment-4090 Robert Vance Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:03:21 +0000 http://www.teachabroadchina.com/?p=257#comment-4090 @Simon, Thanks so much for catching that. I doublechecked the story through an email archive and discovered that my first contract was offered to me by a school in Dalian, not Harbin. I was hesitant to post your comment (considering that it's a little embarassing for me) but we do publish EVERY comment on TeachAbroadChina.com. :) Thanks again! @Simon,

Thanks so much for catching that. I doublechecked the story through an email archive and discovered that my first contract was offered to me by a school in Dalian, not Harbin. I was hesitant to post your comment (considering that it’s a little embarassing for me) but we do publish EVERY comment on TeachAbroadChina.com. :) Thanks again!

]]> By: Simon http://www.teachabroadchina.com/where-to-teach-esl-english-china/#comment-4089 Simon Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:44:09 +0000 http://www.teachabroadchina.com/?p=257#comment-4089 If you have a look at a map you will see that Harbin is pretty far from the ocean. Russia and North Korea are in the way. If you have a look at a map you will see that Harbin is pretty far from the ocean. Russia and North Korea are in the way.

]]>