ft-me
- 2009-09-26
Three questions:
How many training centers have you actually taught at in China?
What makes you think all the fun and games actually prepare students for the rigors of real language acquisition that they will face later - especially if they are led to believe they are being prepared for study abroad?
Is your salary and the ease of making it really the issue, or does the real issue concern the quality of language training provided for the students?
Teacher Ted
- 2009-09-26
Those who denigrate training centres in China as a whole have their own personal reasons for doing so.
Some such critics are not up to the job - they aren't good teachers!
Others dislike working hard - they prefer teaching environments that are not conducive to learning so that they can make a variety of valid excuses to explain away their students' limited progress.
As a rule, talented teachers of EFL who enjoy working hard can make high pay by working for training centres teaching wealthy Chinese and their offspring. In contrast, either incompetent teachers or those who like to idle along at work will be shown the door by a training centre after a week or two. However, all is not lost - they can enter the public sector instead. But their classes will probably be too big. No matter, their foreign faces can still make easy money, though it's much less than what training centres pay their hard-working and versatile foreign teachers!
Joe
- 2009-09-26
Yes!
I'll happily stand in the pro-training center crowd.
Everyday I walk into a nice modern training center to work. I'm greeted at the reception by a beautiful smiling face and walk to the teacher's office. There are four teachers in my office, we each have our computer to work on, there are cupboards full of lessons plans, textbooks, esl books and teaching materials for us to use. I teach in a small air-conditioned classroom, with small groups of motivated, happy and enthusiastic learners...what more could a teacher want! Oh, i nearly forgot the high salary at the end of the month!
No more chalk, no more dust!
No more spinning overhead fan!
No more shouting to the back of a small auditorium to wake up my basketball loving students!
No more 2 and 1/2 hour lunch breaks between morning and afternoon classes!
No more being forced to eat canteen food because the nearest restaurant is off campus!
No more turning up to the classroom to find it empty because the students have an exam that day and no one bothered to tell me!
No more on-campus accommodation! (...call that a mattress!)
No more 6000 rmb a month salary! whoopee
Hehe...you can take what I have written and form your own opinions about me. I know some will damn me as being stupid, crazy, or that I have been manipulated by some evil boss to make money from my white face. The fact is that I work in a training center--fifth year of working in the same company--and I'm happy where I am.
ExTC Fan
- 2009-09-25
Well then, 'Just an FT in China', you'd have us believe you are just that. However, what you have written praises up training centres. Methinks you might well be 'Just a TC DOS in China seeking new louwai staff. That said, so might well be Joe, another fan of that kind of educational establishment in China, judging by the content of his recent post!
Just an FT in China
- 2009-09-25
Training centers are an integral part of EFL in China. Tarring them all with the same brush is an injustice perpetrated by contributors who still have not accepted that education in this globalized world is competative and profit based. I reckon they couldn't hack it teaching small classes of enthusiastic young learners who expect fun and games to prevail in the classroom. You can derive great job satisfaction, at the same time working a busy schedule for a pot of money. It sure beats teaching oversized classes for average pay in the Chinese state sector of education!
Joe
- 2009-09-25
Dear Mike
Just want to wish you good luck with your business. Unfortunately on this website you'll find a few small minded and bitter people who can't seem to accept that maybe, just maybe, that there is a training center or recruiter out there who is actually doing a good job!
Michael
- 2009-09-24
Hi guys,
Ha yes I agree the term 'elites' may be a big call.
I guess the point I am trying to make is that we are not out to get anyone, we do take pride in our company and we do strive to run an ethical and reputable company.
I appreciate your time in joining this discussion.
Sincerely,
Michael Shaw
Head of International Culture Exchange
Shanghai Yulun Education Group
Room 1908 Haoran High Tech Bldg
Jiao Tong University 1954 Huashan Rd
Shanghai 200030 P.R.C
T- 86-21-523 085 97
F- 86-21-628 228 17
www.shyulun.com