The basis for what would later become Middle Kingdom Life was conceived back in 2006 by a group of four members of an Internet forum for foreign teachers who decided the time was long overdue for a single, comprehensive and authoritative guide about what teaching English in China is really all about.
One of the four members, the current author, took responsibility for writing an outline of all the topics that needed to be covered and then delegated writing assignments to each of the members based on their particular interest and expertise. Soon thereafter, the original group of contributors disbanded but the current author continued writing the guide as a solo project in his spare time. Due to other commitments, work on the guide was suspended in the latter part of 2006 when it was about 80% completed.
In March 2007, another member of yet a different Internet forum for foreign teachers contacted the principal author of the guide and urged him to finish his "work in progress." This "fifth member" contributed original drafts for several of the units that needed to be finished and, a few months later, the guide—in its original form—was finally completed.
At that point, the guide was available as both a PDF document (available for download), as well as a series of pages on a CMS website platform, where it remained in obscurity for almost one year. In March through April 2008, the guide was completely updated and expanded but, this time, was published as a series of html pages where it found immediate recognition. Some three months later, the guide is now visited and read by as many as 100 prospective and current foreign teachers each day from North America, Australia, Europe, China and other parts of Asia. The guide in its current form is a 160-page document and represents the culmination of about 18 months worth of research, writing, revisions and updates with subject area contributions and editorial feedback from numerous and nameless foreign and Chinese English teachers alike, each of whom with years of teaching and life experience in China.
This guide, as well as the rest of the site, is provided as a community service towards the goal of protecting the interests of Westerners who are considering teaching English in China at this time. Although most manage to overcome the hardships, exploitation, and abuse that await those who are naive and unknowledgeable, not all do. One young American man, Darren Russell, thought it would be a good idea to teach English in China one year and ended up dead through a harrowing series of incidents when he tried to extricate himself from a highly abusive and exploitive employer. His story has been memorialized by his mother on the website Teaching in China. Although his story is an unusual one, what you don't know about teaching English in China can definitely hurt you. Unfortunately, many such young foreigners get caught up with unscrupulous schools and recruiters every day because of their naiveté—and although they don't end up dead, they do suffer enormously and deeply regret their decision to teach English in China.
We know that people are using the guide with which to make life-altering decisions and that is a responsibility we take very seriously. Wherever possible, the information we publish is verified through reliable and authoritative outside sources and every single word of this guide has been proofread for historical, sociocultural and political accuracy by a bilingual Chinese academician, who serves as the guide's principal local consultant.
Dr. Mavrides is an American psychoanalyst who has been working in China as a professor and mental health consultant since August 2003. He is currently teaching in his field at a Project 211 university in mainland China and is the author of the comprehensive Foreign Teachers’ Guide to Living and Teaching English in China soon to be published as a chapter in a two-volume textbook about the education system in China.
E-mail address: DrGreg@middlekingdomlife.com
Mr. Hayes is a former U.S. Army officer and professional educator who had a long and successful career working in corporate training, public education and private sector management prior to moving to China several years ago. Ken is a frequent content contributor and consultant to the guide and, together with his Chinese wife, owns and manages a very successful private English language school.
E-mail address: Ken@middlekingdomlife.com
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