WARNING~ Beijing New Oriental Foreign Language School ~WARNING!
(Do not confuse this with similar-sounding 'New Oriental')

This is a warning for anyone thinking of applying to Beijing New Oriental Foreign Language School, based on personal accounts of present and past foreign teachers. This is a group of schools located in many of China's major cities, but should not be confused with the similar sounding "New Oriental" which is an entirely different operation (Beijing-based New Oriental were sued over the use of the name).

Don't expect your TEFL/TSOL qualification to be of much use here as BNOFLS does not employ foreign teachers to actually 'teach'. While such qualifications are not an important requirement for foreign teachers at many schools around China, this may suit BNOFLS where foreign 'teachers' are not involved in anything that could be reasonably termed as 'teaching' or 'instruction'. English-speaking Chinese instructors assume sole responsibility of the actual teaching role in classes separate from foreign 'teachers'.

Note: they are "instructors", you are not.

Foreign 'teachers' tout BNOFLS's so-called 'new philosophy' for English teaching that is nothing more than a 'gimmick'. Parents demand something more from a school that employes foreign teachers at great expense than playing basic games and songs. OK.., we all do this with our students, but does nothing to develop basic skills. Perhaps BNOFLS, like many schools around China, uses the presence of foreign teachers as 'marketing tools' to enhance 'reputation'. This may explain why foreign teachers have only a subordinate role to play with 'repercussions' for any who dare to move beyond 'established boundaries' that may involve teaching something 'useful' (i.e. 'English teaching'). This, BNOFLS lays down with a myriad of very ambiguous rules and regulations and not a few foreign teachers I speak to complain of intimidation and unsubstantiated warnings issued against them.

There is no credible English teaching program in place for foreign teachers to promote or enhance the language skill of students. Very little emphasis is placed on this, in spite of various so-called 'teacher training' sessions. Although responses to this posting will contradict this, several (off-duty) foreign teachers I speak to say they are actually discouraged from using textbooks in class or from conducting listening exercises as one of many methods to build vocab, develop pronunciation, or as novel way to learn new expressions and phrases.

For any would-be foreign teacher roaming the internet in search of a pathetic job to just 'get by' in China, then maybe this is the ideal school for you. All you have to do is turn up to a class and fill the time with anything you like. But for the rest of us (and I hope that includes the great majority!) who genuinely care about making something of themselves and of their students, BNOFLS is not a great start!

I meet with parents occasionally too, quite a few express grave doubts as to why BNOFLS is not making more effective use of their foreign teachers (i.e. why aren't the foreign teachers actually teaching!!) Again, this comes back to the point made above about English-speaking Chinese teachers who assume the primary English teaching role. This is a particular concern to parents who shell out vast sums of money to send their kids to BNOFLS, having been under some misguided impression that their kids are gonna be taught conversational english by a foreign teacher; check out their advertisement for the most self-contradicting assurance that BNOFLS employs 'quality' foreign teaching staff.

But advertising is one way in which the school maintains a superficial reputation of 'success'. The other, according to not a few foreign teachers, is being told to fabricate exam results as if this is somehow gonna improve future prospects; although this is not necessarily an issue confined to BNOFLS, but is unethical. Pass rates in exams are still higher in state-run schools where the quality of english teaching is generally much higher.

Even though the kids are under great pressure to perform (eight exams in one day towards the end of term) the atmosphere around campus is rigid and inflexible enough to drive some kids and teachers to the point of a breakdown. The workload confines most foreign and Chinese teachers to campus for most of the week, and sometimes with pointless classes during the evenings and weekends too, that achieves nothing for those involved. Complaints of exhaustion and symptoms of depression seem common among teachers here, and for the students, incidents of bullying are becoming more common with reports of verbal and physical attacks against teaching staff (foreign included) too. Needless to say, out of all the (foreign and domestic) BNOFLS teachers I speak to, most are looking forward to the end of their term of contract, leaving BNOFLS to forever advertise for more teachers.

There are thousands of great schools in China where the whole teaching experience is more rewarding and worthwhile. Nobody needs me to tell them that they should shop around for good schools. Things like a credible and practical teaching program that evolves to meet the changing goals of the school as well as being faithful to the expectations of students and parents is one careful consideration.

And while you're at it, make sure its a school that will not switch off the electric or the water in the dead of winter in a vain effort to save money forcing you to wash out of a bucket of cold water !!! Or, a pitiful excuse for a school where foreign teachers 'held hostage' under a harsh regime demands 'fines' and/or other 'penalties' for fabricated 'misdemeanors'.