Employment & Prof. Development

Just a brief congratulations on your recent move to Abu Dhabi.

I have just finished reading your article on "Why I Left China After Seven Years" and was sorry to hear that you had missed nothing about China. I found it a rather depressing read about life in China and as a result, am seriously reconsidering my intent to teach in China.

The Situation
I am a Chinese-Australian and it has always been one of my dreams to master my own mother tongue. Thanks to my authoritative parents, no opportunity for this has arisen until now.

I have tried and completed many Chinese language programs in Australia only to be disappointed with the results. After completing a 2 month course in Beijing a few years ago, I discovered that I had learnt more in that period than I ever did in all my time in Australia. As a result, I've always wanted to return to Beijing.

After graduating from college, I went to South Korea to teach English for travel and experience and because I was not having success with my job search in China. However, that was cut short due to illness. Now back in Australia, I am dead set on doing some long-term in-country study.

The Dilemma
As I do not have my parents' support for this in-country study, I have to subsidize it myself. I see no other avenues to subsidize my language study other than to teach English because: 1) I have experience; 2) I enjoy it, and; 3) It's accessible to foreigners.

Now I had an absolutely fantastic time in Korea. Korea has government-funded programs for bringing English Teachers into the country. Because they're part of a government scheme, I trusted them and was right to do so. China has none of these. There are hundreds of agencies and English tuition schools in China. I simply do not know which to trust. Hearing all these horror stories about private language centers just makes it harder.

I am well aware of the fact that looking Chinese also hinders my employability greatly.

I am asking for help because even after reading everything on the website, I am still unsure if ESL is the way to go as I know of no other viable option for me. I am still trying to decide whether I should secure a job first then scout for courses or vice versa.

My Questions
Do you have any experience with Mandarin Language programs? If yes, can you recommend any of them regarding my circumstances?

Do you know any reputable employers in the Beijing area?

Considering all the pitfalls of ESL, would you still recommend it?

Any advice greatly appreciated Dr. Greg.

Hi Charles,

Thank you for your good wishes.

I agree that my last article, “Why I Left China After Seven Years,” is very depressing. Unfortunately, it is a true and accurate portrayal of my personal day-to-day experiences in China. However, as the saying goes, “your individual mileage may vary.”

A point made by a regular forum contributor, Cynthia (commcaj)—one that I agree with and even make a passing reference to in our discussion of housing—is that adjusting to the life of a foreign teacher in China is at least partially associated with one’s socioeconomic background (and our survey data support this).

Western people who grew up in abject poverty or had very little materialistically, and particularly those who held menial or low-paying jobs—such that they are used to having a job and not a career—will (generally speaking) adjust more easily to the life of a foreign English teacher in China. Any Westerner who grew up in or had previously lived a middle- or upper middle-class existence back home, who held a position that made a difference in people’s lives (and was recognized as such by others) is in for one hell of a surprise when they enter the Middle Kingdom for the purpose of teaching.

Working as a foreign English teacher in China to subsidize Chinese language study (for no more than one or two years following college graduation) is one of the few isolated instances where I do recommend teaching English in China, i.e., where the Westerner is using China, so to speak, instead of the other way around.

I cannot recommend a specific program. My personal bias is that studying Chinese at a university will be a more reliable way to proceed than studying at a private school. Most universities in first- and second-tier cities will offer a Chinese language program to non-native speakers.

As you will have significant difficulty finding a job as an oral English teacher due to your Chinese heritage, you should secure a job first and then look for a program. Ideally, it would be great if you could teach and study at the same university. However keep in mind that potential employers are not interested in hiring foreign teachers who are in China primarily to study Chinese: their concern is that the teacher will spend more time speaking Chinese than English. You will need to remain silent about this until after you are in China with your Z-visa and residency permit.

You seem determined to learn Putonghua. Then do it. Using a China EFL position to subsidize Chinese language study is a very reasonable way to proceed. Just go there with no expectations of being appreciated or welcomed. Do not even expect to be treated fairly. Expect that you will be insulted, even idly dismissed, for not being a “real foreigner.” If you grew up in a middle-class family, expect to be shocked and even disgusted by your physical environment, especially your provided housing in regard to the “bathroom” and “kitchen.”

Go there with an open mind and see it as a challenging adventure you will be able to tell your children about one day. Most people can endure anything for a limited period of time. It’s the guys who are stuck there year after year as financial prisoners, middle-aged guys who are teaching English in China by default, whom I worry about the most.

Just a little clarification.

I'm sorry you had such a negative experience in China. Being Australian-Chinese, I too find the majority of the Chinese to be rude and prejudiced; worst offenders being my own parents who continually disparage America and the West. China is not an isolated case; Japanese and Koreans are also known for their treatment of foreigners. They are very friendly towards each other (more so than Australians from my observation) but when it come to foreigners, there is always resistance. I think it may have something to do with the deep communal group-think and patriotic pride that Asians feel; there are also next to no laws against racism, Asia is still relatively homogenous and there large differences in educational practices; but that's just speculation.

Back on topic:
Yes, I did grow up in a middle-class family so when I first arrived in Korea, the housing situation absolutely shocked me. I was extremely homesick for the 1st two months and felt that I was constantly living in poverty. However, I've grown a thick skin since then and have realized how lucky I am to be a citizen of a Western country.

You recommended that I score a job before looking for a course. However, by doing that, I think it will limit my choice of courses. I want to make it clear that I am focused on study and having a job to subsidize that is merely a bonus. I am after something very intensive and immersive.

You mention:

My personal bias is that studying Chinese at a university will be a more reliable way to proceed than studying at a private school.

Why do you think that is?

From the opinions that I have gathered, it seems that university courses while looking very good on a CV, provide less intensive less personal courses. They also targeted at non-native speakers who are either beginners or have had no experience at all. I am an intermediate speaker and was born in Guangzhou. As you can imagine it is hard to find a suitable course which is why I am asking for help.

I also do not want to work for private institutions as we all know that's where most of the horror stories come from. Public schools and universities usually require 2 years of experience and TEFL certifications so my choices are pretty limited at the moment.

CharlesLi wrote:They are very friendly towards each other (more so than Australians from my observation) but when it come to foreigners, there is always resistance. I think it may have something to do with the deep communal group-think and patriotic pride that Asians feel...

I'm not quite sure what this is in clarification of but... as an American professor of psychology, it was not my impression that the Chinese were so warm and friendly with each other. Relationships, including friendships, are almost entirely functional in China. Family members and the closest of friends (all those who are members of one's guanxi network) are regarded in one particular way: everyone else is an entirely different matter.

There is no system of social welfare in China (unless you want to include giving birth to a male child) and the country has one of the lowest rates of volunteerism in the world. That which can be stolen will be stolen and even in luxury buildings, areas that are considered communal, e.g., stairwell, are usually strewn with garbage and are in a total state of disrepair.

In the United States, Chinese-Americans are omnipresent in the fields of medical science and engineering yet they are almost nowhere to be seen in public office. This is Chairman Mao's legacy. The sociocultural environment in China will not improve until many years after the CCP has been removed from power.

You mention:

Dr. Greg wrote:My personal bias is that studying Chinese at a university will be a more reliable way to proceed than studying at a private school.

Why do you think that is?

Especially in China, private schools are businesses first and educational institutions a distant second. A good teacher is particularly important for second language learning. At a private school, the owners will typically hire some 22-year old girl right out of college who can speak enough English with which to communicate with foreigners. This will be your "teacher."

If you can subsidize Chinese language study then, by all means, enroll in a program first and teach later. However, I read your previous post to mean that you couldn't afford to pay for school without first subsidizing it with a TEFL position. You are going to have a difficult time finding a university job, even in Beijing. Nevertheless, with enough persistence, you eventually will find one but the question is, how far will your new job be from your school if you enroll first and find work afterward? You may not be able to work out the logistics, not just in terms of distance but also in regard to schedule conflict.

Finally, you are a naturalized Australian citizen who was born in China to Chinese parents. If I understand you correctly, you are not fluent in Chinese. When you are in public, e.g., eating at a restaurant, shopping in the supermarket, other Chinese will tell you that you are not a real Chinese. When you are at work, the students will complain that you are not a real foreigner. If you can deal with that, then you should be able to endure the experience and draw from it what you need. When I was in Shenyang, I knew of a Chinese-American girl who cried the entire time she was in China from being humiliated and insulted on a daily basis.

Well maybe I can add my two cents to this one.

I would recommend a university programme over a private one for a few different reasons.

University programmes at "good" Chinese universities are often geared towards international students who have been studying Chinese in their home country at their parent university. As such, many of the programmes start at the intermediate level not beginner.

If you can attend what is commonly called a "normal university" (these schools were teacher colleges in the past), these will usually have the highest caliber of language teaching practises and often are far better than the nationally ranked universities in the city.

Private schools range from good to terrible. When I looked at learning Chinese I looked at a number of private schools and found them to be very disappointing. Unqualified teachers that could basically just speak some English and had no more benefit than reading a book and listening to a taped conversation, expression of terms and grammar points that are not easily explainable were a disaster zone.

Also private schools seem to charge a lot to their students (compared to Chinese standards) while providing teachers that are sub par compared to the experienced and often highly professional professors and tutors you find at a good public university.

Editor's note: Yes, because private language schools are only regulated as businesses, the quality of the education will generally be better at public universities. You made a very good point about how departments in the humanities will be stronger at normal universities.

Thanks for the input.

I've had a good look at public and private institutions on the web. The most appealing aspect about private centers are their claims of small class sizes. Now I'm pretty sure if I enrolled in a public university course such as BLCU's right now, I'd be thrown in a class of at least twenty students. In my experience, as the size of the class increases the quality of the class decreases. More individual attention is an obvious point. With a better student-teacher ratio, I also find that those around me and myself are more motivated and are less inclined to procrastinate and party.

I'm not defending private schools; I just guess finding a good one is extremely hit and miss. In addition, most of their testimonials are provided by their own staff members posing as ex-students.