ROXYINCHINA
- 2015-08-03
It's clear from your post that Helen of EV is a flanneler!
kenny
- 2015-08-03
It looks like I had a lucky escape. If I had seen these threads before I applied to Yuncheng EV, I would not have wasted my time. See below my recent email log with 'Helen' from EV. I applied to their advert on Daves Cafe as it mentioned 'paid summer and winter holidays'. When I received their crappy contract it was nowhere to be seen. She even had the temerity to deny it despite it being in their advertisement for all to see. Quite clearly out and out crooks. AVOID Yuncheng EV and its associated aliases.
helen <chineselifebegin@126.com>
To:
Kenneth ***** <*****>
Subject:
Re:Re: Teaching Position
Date:
Monday, 3 August 2015 12:03 PM
Size:
24 KB
Dear Kenneth:
The AD said we pay holiday is 1000 RMB for one month,no classes,while have travelling fee,while it is ok,wish you have a good future.
Regards.
Helen.
At 2015-08-02 18:48:19, "Kenneth *****" <*****> wrote:
Helen
Thank you for your email.
After careful consideration I am sorry I cannot accept your offer.
The salary is simply too low, you don't even offer salary for winter vacation which is a Chinese National Holiday. Every single job I have had in China so far has paid that without question.
I am also concerned that in your initial advert you said 'paid winter and summer vacation'. In your contract you offer simply 1,000rmb travelling allowance so it appears dishonest before things even get started.
Regards
Kenneth *****
On Sun, 2 Aug 2015, at 09:54 AM, helen wrote:
Dear Kenneth:
I talked to our school headmaster,because there are almost 20 foreign teachers in Yuncheng EV,we have a good team and everybody enjoyed the same salary,noboday can be different from others,.while your contract can be converted to 22 classes per week,enjoy 6500 RMB month salary.Ccerning to 22 this number,maybe you just have 20 or even just 19 classes per week.
Waiting for your reply,if it is ok,I will arrange your Chinese visa to enter to China very soon.
Regards.
Helen.
At 2015-07-31 19:59:24, "Kenneth *****" <********> wrote:
Hi Helen
As I explained my resident permit expired yesterday 30th July. It was issued for one month past my contract expiration date. So I have to start whatever process again.
I am still considering your contract. The fact you do not pay for winter vacation is very poor. Even at my last University I got paid for that and also I would be looking for at least 6,500rmb for 20 classes. I got 7,000rmb for 16 classes last year.
Just to compare I am also in contact with another school in Yuncheng who offers a higher 6,500rmb plus full salary for Winter and Summer if I renew. Not saying I would renew (or they might not wish to) but they are offering it.
I will think about it and let you know but at the moment your contract looks like a poor deal compared to the other.
Kenneth
On Fri, 31 Jul 2015, at 04:49 PM, helen wrote:
Dear Kenneth :
Winter holiday is one month,no classes,no salary,while you can get 1000RMB for winter holiday traveling fee.
You will work in Yuncheng No.3 middle school,in Yuncheng city,20 classes per week ,45 mins per class,my school apartment is better than other schools,a private apartment with one kitchen ,one living room,one bedroom,one bathroom .apartment pics will be taken by tomorrow .
Concerning to your resident permission,when will your expire?except all of you mentioned,need the cancelation letter from Jiangsu province.if everything is ready,I can do transfer your FEC when you arrived.pls email me your resident permission scanner and FEC paper.
Regards.
Helen.
发自网易邮箱大师
在2015年07月31日 16:37，Kenneth ***** 写道:
Hi Helen
Thank you for your reply.
Just a few questions regarding the contract.
Your advert say "Paid Winter and Summer vacation". You contract says no salary for the holidays. 1000rmb travelling allowance. Which is correct?
Your advert mentions 20 class hours, classes are 45 minutes long. How many lessons would I teach in a week?
Where is the exact schools location? Is it in Yuncheng city or elsewhere?
Could you send me pictures of the apartment that I would be moving into. (Not another 'example').
I have just finished in Jiangsu province. I returned home to the UK. My resident permit expired whilst I was home. I do however have my FEC book, release letter and such. What else would you need? I don't really want to be going on a Hong Kong trip to change my visa. If I applied for a tourist visa it would only be for thirty days anyway.
Thanks. Awaiting your responses.
Kenneth
On Fri, 31 Jul 2015, at 02:48 PM, helen wrote:
Dear Kenneth:
I am happy to got your application to be teacher in our school.Our school is located in Yuncheng,Shanxi province,you will teach in a public middle school,not a private one,your students are 15 years old,your task is speaking and listening ,you also will have a Chinese assistant who can help you to prepare teaching plan and keep class discipline .
I have sent the official contract and some pics ,pls find in my attached.if you have any further questions,pls let me know.
Best regards.
Helen
发自网易邮箱大师
在2015年07月31日 12:45，Kenneth ***** 写道:
Hello
I am inerested in your advertised vacancy.
Could you send me more details of the position and a sample contract? I only teach grades 10 and above. No children.
Regards
Kenneth
The Truth
- 2015-08-02
The problem is that this will not dissuade Yuncheng recruiters from misrepresenting both
these requirements and the new strict process to prospective foreign teachers who will
subsequently arrive in China and be unable to acquire a residency permit.
You are correct, Sir.
One of the many gambits run is that the teacher is offered a job, contract is not offered to sign before one flies to China. The invite letter is sourced in another province outside of Shanxi so that the FT does not know where they are going.
As Katz wrote:
they lied at every opportunity, brought us here under false pretenses (firstly we were working in Shanghai, then Shenzhen then Yuncheng and then we were outposted to random outback places [[Ed. very small towns of 40,000 people]]).
The recruiters do not want people to know where their final destination will be.
In addition, yet another gambit is still, in 2015 with very strict rules being followed to the letter, to then take that new FT on the Beijing or Shanghai invitation letter, and first give them an 'F" or 'M' visa, not a 'Z'.
Do not fly to China if the visa you get is NOT a Z-visa. Your employer is a scam if they ask you to do this in 2015, and since the crackdown on corruption began last year you will be in violation of several laws punishable by jail time, fines, deportation, and banning.
The teacher is responsible for paying the fines and being in compliance.
Yuncheng English Village and all other Yuncheng recruiters, but NOT direct hire schools, will not help you, pay for this, or anything of the sort. You will pay the fines of many wan (10,000 unit of currency).
Once you arrive on that illegal 'F' visa, you will then have to make a visa run to Qingdao and/or Hong Kong to 'reset' the visa process - but this is illegal, and sometimes does not work, and more than 3 teachers were sent to Hong Kong at their own expense with the wrong papers and had to wait a week on their tod in Hong Kong at their expense for the Yuncheng Recruiter to fix the mess.
Of course, Yuncheng English Village did not offer nor provide any recompense.
You may never get your residence sticker in your passport if your passport sits at the PSB for 5+ months, or you may never be offered a contract to sign at all.
Yuncheng English Village also will not sign the contract in your presence, thus there will never be a legal agreement and you are technically never hired as Party B won't sign.
Yuncheng adverts this very week, August 1st, 2015, still state that a 3/4 yr degree is NOT an absolute requirement, that the FT will arrive on an F or M visa, and that you will be paid 5000 to 6000 rmb/month - 2008 pay scale levels.
Teach elsewhere, Yuncheng is for those who have no qualifications (no longer an option in China, 3/4 yr degree a must now) or wish to break the law.
The strongest possible negative appraisal. Avoid at all costs.
Stay as far away from Yuncheng and Shanxi as possible - unless you want The Genuine China Experience with all of the negative aspects that entails.
martin hainan
- 2015-08-02
I do know.
The decision to combat corrupt recruitment activity in Yuncheng by strengthening police review of the credentials of foreign teachers and enforcing the 2014 regulations is a positive change.
The problem is that this will not dissuade Yuncheng recruiters from misrepresenting both these requirements and the new strict process to prospective foreign teachers who will subsequently arrive in China and be unable to acquire a residency permit.
The police should, but will not, review the players in the process that led to that unhappy Western face when he is told he must leave the country in 14 days. The recruiter will then have the opportunity and leverage to convince the stranded to teacher to work illegally.
Anyone considering working in this area should click on "show all posts" in this thread. There is no other region in China with this level of notoriety.
Teach elsewhere.
TS
- 2015-08-01
In the backwater where you will be teaching, you are a big fish in a small pond.
Love the extended metaphor, but any size fish in a fetid swamp like Yuncheng is in jeopardy.
I will respect your opinion, even though I don't fully agree with it.
Stating that Yuncheng is a fetid swamp, as you must know, will annoy a variety of posters and readers, including private schools, state schools, local education bureaus, Yuncheng PSB, and, last but not least, local agents.
martin hainan
- 2015-08-01
In the backwater where you will be teaching, you are a big fish in a small pond.
Love the extended metaphor, but any size fish in a fetid swamp like Yuncheng is in jeopardy.
steve
- 2015-07-31
You seem to be very cocky for someone who has never lived in China. That San Mig poster whatever his name is is correct: you not think you will get special treatment or a red carpet will be rolled out for you. The Chinese don't give a shit about foreigners anymore, and English teachers are considered to be losers in 2015. They are also very rude people. Anyway, good luck, haha!
TS
- 2015-07-31
I had posted:
Please be fully aware that the tightening up of the visa rules has empowered you. In the backwater where you will be teaching, you are a big fish in a small pond. It will be very difficult for the school to replace you quickly following the recent changes to the visa rules.
Don't take any shit from them re your teaching. Private schools can sometimes be be a pain in the neck in this regard! I'm not saying that that school will be, but be ready to counter-attack if necessary. That's why many FTs avoid teaching at private schools in China. Public schools tend to be more easy-going as employers, and their students are more respectful of foreigners, and easier to teach.
Your reply was:
I also note your comments, I'm not sure why I need to be worried about being replaced. At the end of the day that is the schools problem not mine. I was candid and informed them that I can only stay one year due to continuing my studies. About the private school thing, based on my own research and contact with a former FT they do not appear to follow the language mill method at all, no dancing monkeys at this school.
I will clarify:
Some private schools control greatly what the FT teaches. They insist that the FT bases his lesson on a particular textbook. And in China textbooks can be full of mistakes even though they are so-called British English textbooks, for example. Private schools will sometimes force the FT to teach oral English exclusively. Not easy when some classes comprise mainly students of low ability. If you don't teach well, you may be dismissed by a private school in the middle of a semester. Much less chance of a public school dismissing you then for said reason. And public schools generally let you teach as you like. Some of them even ask you to teach listening instead of oral during most of each class, as they know the students cannot or do not want to speak English. That is so easy for the FT to do. Many students regard the FT's class as unimportant because there is no oral English test in the Chinese college entrance exam. I don't know what made you think I was talking about language mills or private training schools. Like you, I am not in favor of FTs coming across in class as dancing monkeys, but at private schools like the one you intend to teach at, that would not be tolerated in any case. Your teaching reputation is likely to depend mainly on what your students say about you. Sometimes, earnest FTs whose lessons are a bit hard are in danger of being dismissed, while FTs who enliven classes by making students laugh while teaching next to nothing in terms of English are deemed good FTs.
It's clear from your posts that you are an arrogant newbie who has taken it upon yourself to defend a private school that has been looking for two new FTs out of three. The carrot of full summer holiday pay hasn't worked there. You are very trustful of that Chinese employer. Anyway, what I've said is probably of more interest to some of our fellow readers. That's why I do not regret composing this longish reply.
San Migs
- 2015-07-30
I am from rural England and prefer a quiet life. I think you should be less condescending sometimes towards others in your comments.
I did not mean to come across as condescending, but facts are facts and not speculation. You WILL save more in the gulf states or south korea, that is FACT. Big cities? I lived in a sleepy town in Oman, with goats in equal number to people?!
Phil88
- 2015-07-29
It was my mistake, @FT should have been @TS. It was your last post.
Sorry for the mix up!
TS
- 2015-07-29
@FTI also note your comments, I'm not sure why I need to be worried about being replaced. At the end of the day that is the schools problem not mine. I was candid and informed them that I can only stay one year due to continuing my studies. About the private school thing, based on my own research and contact with a former FT they do not appear to follow the language mill method at all, no dancing monkeys at this school.
I can't seem to be able to locate the post, or posts, that you refer to. Please post the link, or links, that you have referred to regarding '@ FT'.
Cheers, mate!
Phil88
- 2015-07-29
@SanMigs
Your comments have been noted, however it is my choice and that is the choice I have made. I only intend to stay in China one year as I have only deferred my Masters one year. Yes, I could go to the other countries you mentioned but I don't want to. I have no wish for big city living. I am from rural England and prefer a quiet life. I think you should be less condescending sometimes towards others in your comments.
@FT
I also note your comments, I'm not sure why I need to be worried about being replaced. At the end of the day that is the schools problem not mine. I was candid and informed them that I can only stay one year due to continuing my studies. About the private school thing, based on my own research and contact with a former FT they do not appear to follow the language mill method at all, no dancing monkeys at this school.
@thetruth
I appreciate your comments and input and your ability to be non judgemental despite that it appears you have had issues in the past. It has been very helpful. I will keep the thread updated with how things pan out. I think you or the mods should disassociate Yin Xing from Yuncheng EV though as clearly they are not related. I am sure I can save money, I do not drink and have no wish for the western luxuries you mentioned except for maybe the odd occasional reminder of home.
@WTB
Your posts also give a lot of insight into the area and whilst not as verbose or frequent as thetruth it clearly indicates you know the area. Again they have been very helpful.
San Migs
- 2015-07-29
I am not in anyway a Western loser as you rather patronisingly put. I have just graduated and want a chance to experience China and save money towards my Masters Degree.
And you think you will get any respect from anyone at home or in China for going there. The chinese wont give a rats, let me tell you that just now. And if and when you do return "home", you will find it has gone against you. If you want to save towards a masters degree why not go to South Korea or the Middle East, you won't save enough towards a masters degree, unless you are prepared to eat at a school canteen and instant noodles each day....and how much fun will that be? Not being down on you, but if you want to save for a masters, go to Saudi or South Korea, NOT China.
TS
- 2015-07-29
Please be fully aware that the tightening up of the visa rules has empowered you. In the backwater where you will be teaching, you are a big fish in a small pond. It will be very difficult for the school to replace you quickly following the recent changes to the visa rules.
Don't take any shit from them re your teaching. Private schools can sometimes be be a pain in the neck in this regard! I'm not saying that that school will be, but be ready to counter-attack if necessary. That's why many FTs avoid teaching at private schools in China. Public schools tend to be more easy-going as employers, and their students are more respectful of foreigners, and easier to teach.
The Truth
- 2015-07-29
Saving Money:
For a 10 month contract, where you are paid 8 months, you can save your pay minus about 2000 rmb to 2500 rmb. Your contract has even greater upside potential.
It depends what you do. If you eat at local restaurants you will be hard pressed to spend more than 1500 to 1800 a month. Buying a motorbike or eBike, junk food, sodas, having clothes dry cleaned, kitting out your flat, or multiple taxis into Yuncheng where there are clubs and restaurants that have western food and prices, will increase that to your salary if you socialise every weekend.
It is trivial to spend your month's packet in a KTV in a few hours on fake top-shelf liquor.
You seem sensible, so I would project a savings potential of ~40k for one year, and that includes a trip here or there, pizza, a burger, Xian, so on. With your package, max potential could be up to 70k if you stay in and only save. That is, for the ESL industry, good. It's not MENA great, but it's better than most other countries. Around JP and SK level.
That your pay will be as it shall, assists this greatly.
Being 'stuck' outside of town (it's only 3000 metres away) across the freeway, will cut down on spending events as well.
Internet:
You won't be able to do just about anything you assume you can do.
Is going bye-bye. Set up your VPN and any online accounts well before you leave, and make certain they work. Once 'inside' everything basically stops working, especially now with the current climate.
It will be pure Catch-22. You will need a VPN to access banking, email, fill CAPTCHA's, to get anything done, but TGFWoC blocks them, so you cannot register to get a VPN so that you can use CAPTCHA forms...
Get a friend back home to act as point person, keep your bank account open back home and wire the money into it every 2 months. Try to keep as much of your money, that you earn in China, as possible OUTSIDE of China.
Have a good flight, good luck, pack very light (3 bags tops), and let us know how it goes.
Mobile Phone:
Probably won't work, you may need to buy one in country, try not to spend too much they will overcharge you for a fake.
Phil88
- 2015-07-29
Thanks for all your responses.
It appears my post triggered a lot of activity on this thread. I think perhaps I initially misunderstood the school (dodgy Skype connection). I thought they meant that I must mail my original documents to them but in fact it turns out that I should send my certified copies now and then show the matching originals when I arrive. I have sent these and they are on their way to the school.
I also believe that they are not anything to do with Yuncheng English Village. As for them being a 'garbage school' well that is your opinion. Even I don't know but I will give them the benefit of the doubt. The posts from thetruth and WTB alievated my concern anyway.
Despite some advising me not to go, I have decided to go for the job. As thetruth said I have my reasons and I am trying to read between the lines. I am not in anyway a Western loser as you rather patronisingly put. I have just graduated and want a chance to experience China and save money towards my Masters Degree.
I will keep this thread updated after I arrive in China.
FT2
- 2015-07-29
Trying to second-guess what the Chinese will do in this regard is very difficult. Like you, I shouldn't dishearten non-native speakers of English.
Probably, some of them will get jobs, but not the better jobs! Anyway, a job's a job, and much better than not having one at all!
Andrew
- 2015-07-28
Yes fair point. I'm sorry if I offended any non native speakers, that was not my intention.
I just base my opinion on what is evident in Yuncheng. Two of my best friends are from Poland, they have been here two years. Their school had to let them go this year as they were told by the PSB they can't get a renewal as they are non native. That school is not having a hell of a job replacing them. They have more certificates than I have.
As always its at Provincial level where these things are decided. Shanxi is not Hohhot.
FT2
- 2015-07-28
Simply, if you are not a passport holder from a native speaking country you will find it almost impossible to get a job in Shanxi at the moment.
I don't know about that, and with all due respect, neither do you.
However, what I would say is that non-native speakers with all of the required credentials and teaching experience, as well as a clean criminal background check, will probably be accepted when there aren't suitably qualified native speakers available to fill certain vacancies.
Up north in Hohhot I was at the PSB one morning a few weeks ago when I happened to observe two Africans getting their Z visas converted to RPs, with the help of two FAOs from two separate schools.
TS
- 2015-07-27
Thanks for your response, Andrew. Don't get me wrong - I'm NOT looking for a job. But if I were, I'd have no worries working for EV. The thing with me is that I like a TA, it's not just a matter of money. I can sort an outfit like EV, and a foolish TA without having to think twice! Done it before, no contest!
Anyway....!
Andrew
- 2015-07-27
Its not about Yuncheng being far superior. Beijing is a long way and far removed from Yuncheng.
I have been in Yuncheng ten years. I am married and have a business. There used to be numerous non natives but now I am aware of only one and he is having considerable hassles renewing. The rules are being followed here now to the letter.
The OP asked does the advert belong to Yucheng EV and I confirmed it did. They are so lazy they could not even be bothered to change it. Then again knowing them they will probaby just harvest your information and flog it onto someone else later.
Simply, if you are not a passport holder from a native speaking country you will find it almost impossible to get a job in Shanxi at the moment.
Walter
- 2015-07-27
I taught on behalf of IELTS School in a small city of Yuncheng at both a private school and a public school a couple of years ago. EV were there too, but teaching grade 2,
Well, the strangest thing happened at the private senior high one morning. Some of my classes had more students than normal. I asked my TA to find out why. She said that the education committee were having an inspection, and the school was transferring students just for the day from oversized classes to undersized classes so as not to break the rule about the maximum number of students in each class!
Another story that might be of interest:
It was a real headache teaching at the two schools because holidays and make-up classes were scheduled at different times by each school. So, as I couldn't teach in two schools at the same time, my TA took my class alone in the private senior high while I taught my other class alone at the public senior high. At the private school, my TA told a lie to students and a Chinese teacher to explain my absence. She said I had profesional exams that afternoon. However, she forgot to tell me this. So I didn't know about it, and was caught by surprise a couple of days later when a student at the private school asked me about my professional exams!
Walter
- 2015-07-27
Some schools in the Yuncheng area like to hire EV for grade 1, say, and IELTS School for grade 2, say. I asked my TA why. I thought it was perhaps a way to make the FTs work harder. She did not say that. She said it was so that the headmaster could get two kickbacks, one from each agent.
The private senior high I mentioned in the other reply to you had classes of around 45 students, good multimedia classroom equipment, but naughty students of low ability. In contrast, the public senior high had classes of around 55 students, had outdated and unreliable multimedia classroom equipment, but students who behaved well and were of much higher ability. It was indeed a pleasure to teach them.
In the same mid-term exam, the private school had about 30 students in the top 200. The remaining 170 students came from the public school.
TS
- 2015-07-27
Date: 26 July 2015
About the school
We are dedicated to providing a premier education center in a fun and caring environment. Our unique curriculum is guided by Minnesota's Early Learning Standards. At Kindergarten we offer programs that will enhance the children’ cognitive development, emotional and physical growth and teach social skills to ensure success for your child. To provide a better chance for kids to learn different culture we can have one foreign teacher for each class. Now, as more classes are open, we need more esl teachers. We are looking forward to your cooperation with us to make our kindergarten a more suitable learning and playing place for the kids.
Position
Kindergarten teachers
Business area
Education
Location
Near subway station Tongzhou beiyuan, Tongzhou district, Beijing
Work duration
One year or more
Working time
8 hours /day, 5 days/week
Salary
10-11k RMB/month
Job describtion
the ironic thing is now they, you mean Yuncheng EV, can't employ non natives but they still claim it is okay.
Yuncheng can't employ non-native speakers, but Beijing can! The direct school advert, in part, that I've posted below clearly states Beijing will. Or is Yuncheng so superior to Beijing that it imposes extra hoops? Huh!
-Offer an English language learning class for students;
-According to the English level of each student, design training course and implementation plan (including courses, check system, etc.);
-Organize regular English learning activities, with situational learning students, oral exercise platform;
-Participate in marketing activities such as presentations and demo classes, or meeting with prospective students.
Requirements:
-BA degree or above
-Age required:19 - 40
-Native English speakers or speak perfect English
-Criminal background check with proof of no prior criminal record through either your local police department or the FBI
Contact us
The direct school's link:
http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/China/index.pl?read=269030
steve
- 2015-07-27
Well said. Nobody should ever send original copies of documents to any employer or government agency. This yuncheng garbage place will probably get some dumb fools to work for them, an endless supply of Western losers lining up to teach in China. There was even a stupid USA women a while back who mailed her passport to a school in China, it beggars belief!
The Truth
- 2015-07-27
Is this one of Yuncheng EV's adverts?6000RMB Oral English teachers wanted in Yuncheng(Polish, south Africans,and new graduated or about to are welcome)
That is a Yuncheng English Village ad.
5000rmb? Apply elsewhere. The pollution is bad, the food and water are toxic and fake, and EV are lying, con artist, grifter, crooks.
The students pay x amount of money each for this, this goes to the agent and probably some to the school, out of this the foreign teachers salary is paid plus other capital costs. I can assure you though that what the foreign teacher gets is less than 25% of the actual money stream involved. The local students are forbidden to tell the foreign teachers how much they pay (of course they do as they all think we are millionaires as they can do simple mathematics).
Here is the breakdown of the business model.
Students pay twice a year for various extra activities, one of them is the foreign oral spoken English teacher.
If you can figure out when breaks end and the students return on Sunday afternoon, walk on campus into one of the teachers' lounges. There you will see dept heads with a 100 Yuan counter machine, and stacks of cash. This is them collecting the fee for your classes, among other things.
Each student pays 150 rmb per semester, two semesters a year, for English classes.
You will have from 16 to 22 classes, 55 to 75 students in each class.
16 x 55 x 150 x 2 = 240.000
22 x 75 x 150 x 2 = 495.000
360.000 is the median for most local schools, it depends on the number of students and some poorer schools pay less per student.
Your pay and bonus will be 56.000.
Your TA will be paid 12.000 for the year.
The remainder goes to EV.
You get about 20% of your billing rate. The Chinese business multiplier is 5 or more.
BUT...200k of it, from each school, goes to the local education bureau as 'fees' or 'permits'.
The headmaster gets his fat packet, too. Dept heads, and so on.
Yuncheng English Village won't allow other schools to pay more than 6500 to 7000. They threaten others.
So it's up to you if you want to work in a place like that.
If you have a cert and degree and experience and perhaps your QTS and are a NQT, you can work anywhere on this planet, for more money and food that won't kill you.
If you want The China Experience, even knowing all of this, you certainly will get it in Yuncheng.
martin hainan
- 2015-07-27
Everything has changed over the past 6 months. Much that the old China hands knew/know is now
out of date.
"Old China hands" includes the clueless clerks in FAO departments.
Anyone who has asked for directions on the streets in China, even when speaking Chinese, will soon learn that the phrase "I don't know" is not part of Chinese culture. For native Chinese, an erroneous response is always politely preferable to admitting a lack of knowledge. Always 'vet' your information in China.
"Old China hands" includes recruiters who have bills to pay. I'm certain several of them are represented in this thread. They will continue to lie to acquire fees from their clients. In Shanxi, this is The Genuine China Experience.
Work elsewhere.
San Migs
- 2015-07-26
Yes, and they are forcing UK nationals to return home to get the work visa.
Just you watch boyo, you will be headed home each summer whether you like it or not from now on, it was at the end of the 2015 school year, so next year, no chance of renewal in China or its s.a.r's...
Andrew
- 2015-07-26
Yes. It is from Yuncheng English Village.
They have been using the same template on various sites for years. The ironic thing is now they can't employ non natives but they still claim it is okay.
They must be getting into desperation time.
Be aware!
TS
- 2015-07-26
Is this one of Yuncheng EV's adverts?
6000RMB Oral English teachers wanted in Yuncheng(Polish, south Africans,and new graduated or about to are welcome)
Date Updated: Jul 23, 2015 17:54
Apply Now
Employer：CCESL
Company type : Private Industry type : Professional Services (Consulting, HR, Finance/Accounting)
Work City : Taiyuan Job Category : English Teaching
Salary Range : 5000 To 8000 RMB No. Hiring : 5
Work Experience : no experience Job Type : Full Time
Job DescriptionAbout Employer
Location: Yuncheng,Shanxi (high school)
Vacancy: 5 oral english teachers
Salary: 6000rmb/M
Working hour: 20 classes per week
Accommodation: free, well-furnished
Aifare: 8000rmb
medical insurance: free
Working visa: free Z visa document provided
Start date： September,2015
Contract Term： 1 year
Qualification:
Native English speakers from the U.S.A,UK,Canada,Australia, New Zealand, or good candidates from Poland, South Africa, the Netherlands. we prefer teachers who just graduated or about to graduate from the university.
Holding a Bachelor degree or college diploma
Having at least two years teaching experience
In good health
Not older than 45 years old
Anyone who wants to have a nice experience in Yuncheng,Shanxi province , please send us your copies of degree, passport, photos, resume, ESL certificate(if you have).
MarkHarrison
- 2015-07-26
I can confirm I had a similar experience in Shaanxi (neighbouring province). I had to send certified copies of everything by DHL to the university where I applied to in Xi'an.
This is a quote from the email I received from the university FAO.
"We can accept certified copies of your documents to present to the SAFEA office to obtain your invitation letter. However we WILL require the matching original documents after you arrive here to present to the local PSB (police station). If you don't have these documents we will be forced to cancel your contract and you offer of employment cancelled. This is a rule now enforced on us and it is being strictly followed."
Almost word for word of the OP.
I think the confusion seems to be between sending "originals" and "certified copies". It seems they need the originals after you arrive for the PSB.
I agree it would be rather foolish to send the originals initially but you should have them with you later.
I worked in Heliongjang last year (just gone back to England for the summer) and it was becoming just as convoluted there so I am not surprised at all by any of this.
Perhaps the only people concerned are those with dodgy credentials..
Just my two cents!
The Truth
- 2015-07-26
Yes, that is the school we are discussing.
The Truth
- 2015-07-26
Why does your advice conflict with your accurate appraisal of his qualifications?
Because s/he may wish to work in Shanxi. Given his qualifications, he could work in any country on earth, but he clearly wants The China Experience. This thread has many posts about that, he can read about it as he wishes. His choice. Anyone reading this thread will be fairly well informed about China as one can be, before one arrives.
I told him he can work anywhere, he still considers this position. He is an adult, I assume he has his reasons.
The Truth
- 2015-07-26
Here's where things get all are backwards in the Chinese way. I was under the impression
kunming and xiamen both required the check. The trick maybe is to look for a school
outside of the provincial capitals?
Foreign workers, invite letters, they go through the local PSB and are sent up the chain to the provincial capital, except for the Munis such as Chongqing, Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin. Working outside the provincial capital won't fix this - it's the new normal in the Chinese education sector since ~September, 2014.
Everything has changed over the past 6 months. Much that the old China hands knew/know is now out of date.
Chinese do things their way - accept it, apply elsewhere, or forever tilt against windmills.
martin hainan
- 2015-07-26
Best of luck.
but for the information of other readers:
There are 4 steps:
1) the SCHOOL must qualify to send Z invitation letters. The police could care less about this.
2) You home country Chinese Embassy checks you out the schools qualification for the Z visa and puts it in your passport. Or not.
3) After you are in China the SCHOOL gets your Foreign Expert Certificate. My last 3 FECs, 3 different provinces, I wasn't even in the city. This is largely about the school's 'guanxi' and copies of documents always suffice.
4) Most difficult: YOU and YOUR original documents sit in the PSB for your residency visa and they take your passport and whatever else the want for up to 3 weeks. They will just send you away if you don't have what they need. This is why the school is usually overly cautious. They don't want to go through all of this and end up without a foreign teacher.
How do I know this? I have 2014-15 and 2015-16 residency visas in my passport from two different provinces. No background checks required in either province. But the chickenshit rural schools don't know this. Only the FAO departments of the provincial universities hire enough foreign teachers to be up-to-date on the requirements. Most FAO clerks have little understanding of the 2014 regulations and they are tired of being yelled at by the PSB. So they tell you they want everything to cover their ass. Job offers and school information are worthless: each provincial (or autonomous regional) PSB interprets the regulations.
The Truth
- 2015-07-26
I appreciate everybodies input, my gut feeling is they school are honest, yes, I do have the
qualifications that I could go elsewhere but I think as a starting point to immers
myself in the real China and study Chinese it's a good place to do so.
Your gut is correct.
To be safe and appease some of the others on thread, redact some info on your docs.
-Passport number, birth day and month.
Scan the copies and send them along.
Get your invite letter and a contract and sign it before you leave your country. Scan the signatory pages, email them back.
Take the invite letter and contract and go to your nearest Chinese Consulate/Embassy and apply for the Z-visa. Return in a few days, pick it up, and book your flight.
If Yin Xing *insists* upon originals couriered to them in order to get an invite letter, to get the Z, to start the process, suggest sending copies and that you will bring the originals with you. You will need the originals when you apply at your local consulate, in any event.
Most honest schools will know this is an issue, and apply for the invite letter with the copies. You will courier your own docs - safest way to do it.
Yin Xing *seems* to be honest, but This is China - anything can happen.
What they others are advising has to do with dodgy schools getting originals couriered, and then withdrawing the offer, selling the documents and identity of the applicant, and doing this as a business model.
From my conversations with the FAO at Yin Xing (yes, I have met him) and the other teachers there (yes, all Britons), it **seems** safe to do this.
This is China. TIC. There are uncountable untold risks in that society that do not exist elsewhere.
Anything can, and does, happen.
The school treats teachers as well as can be for Yuncheng, they are as honest as a Yuncheng employer can hope to become - but that is damning with faint praise.
someone
- 2015-07-26
Maybe I am being over cautious but the school above do genuinely seem to be a direct hire school and have asked me to courier my documents to them so they can apply for me an invitation letter.
Ridiculous! Courier the school no originals whatsoever! Turn the job offer down, and apply elsewhere.
Shanxi PSB/Provincial Education Office should get real! Huh, talk about backward, and dumb! Unbelievable!
Phil88
- 2015-07-25
Provinces (and autonomous regions) vary on their requirement for a criminal background check
from the home country. I can confirm that Fuzhou, Guangxi and Yunnan currently do not
require it.
I did apply for a job in Yunnan, Dali to be exact and they required a criminal background check. The salary offered was 6,000rmb which is lower than the job in Shanxi. Another school in Kunming were hovering around 6,500rmb also.
I apologize for not including England in the list of preferred countries of origin for
foreign teachers of English in China. Perhaps that is an unconscious result of teaching
English and speaking American.
No offence taken. The school simply said that as they teach English based on textbooks issued from England they 'prefer' native Brits as a first choice.
If I were you, I would not be confident about who your employer is until you receive a Z visa. And I would never express mail original documents.
I had spoken to the school, they have answered all my questions with what appears to be unusual frankness for China, they have a website, sent me details of their registration numbers. Thetruth confirmed what they say. He and the other teacher from a neighbouring city confirmed that they have to have the documents so I will send notarised copies. I am happy to show them the originals when I arrive. I can't imagine anyone having the gall to send falsified documents and then trying to blag it later but then again...
My initial concerns were based on a simple google search of 'Yuncheng schools' and all this slew of things about Yuncheng English Village appeared and the school I applied to seems to have been somehow intermingled with it. In some ways I pity to them as they genuinely do seem to be trying to do things correctly. In fact the Foreign Affairs person I spoke with said that they would gladly offer a higher salary but when they tried this they received unpleasantries from the local competition so I think it is in fact Yuncheng English Village that is artificially keeping salaries low in the area. They then decided to give a higher salary overall by paying for holidays etc.
I appreciate everybodies input, my gut feeling is they school are honest, yes, I do have the qualifications that I could go elsewhere but I think as a starting point to emerse myself in the real China and study Chinese its a good place to do so.
San Migs
- 2015-07-25
Here's where things get all are backwards in the Chinese way. I was under the impression kunming and xiamen both required the check. The trick maybe is to look for a school outside of the provincial capitals??
martin hainan
- 2015-07-25
My advice? Take the job with them. Your contact is as honest as a Chinese employer can get.
If you have the documentation to get this job, then you have the documentation and
qualifications to teach in any other country where pay will be much higher, the air
cleaner, the food not toxic.
Why does your advice conflict with your accurate appraisal of his qualifications?
My advice: anyone who can now qualify to get a job in Shanxi should run, not walk, to a school in another province.
FT
- 2015-07-25
Is it THAT school you are talking about?
The Truth
- 2015-07-25
@Phill88
I attempt to address most of you concerns.
Ask for a photo of your flat, taken today and sent via smartphone, etal.
Not 'similar' - your actual flat.
About the school:
Yin Xing, aka Silver Star, are a boarding school for mostly Xian city kids who are being sent to the 'traditional countryside' to get set straight.
Their contract is the best we have seen in Yuncheng, they are very direct and forthcoming with their hires.
The only issue with their contract is that they pay 50rmb for extra classes when your salary will be 7100 rmb per month for 12 months with 20 classes. 7100 / 4.333 weeks in a month / 20 per week = 81.9 rmb per class you teach. Ask for a higher 'extra class' wage.
Other than that, it's better than any of the agencies in Yuncheng Valley.
Dead links and poached adverts:
A few of the other links you quoted are dead.
That happens. Often an agent will copy an ad, insert their phone and contact info, lower the pay, and pocket the difference. We are glad to see they checked this and had the false ad removed.
Are they on the up and up?:
Are you tarnishing them with the same brush as Yuncheng English
Village or are they connected?
No we are not, No they are NOT connected to Yuncheng English Village, YC IELTS, or any other Yuncheng recruiter or agency.
You are, in truth, dealing directly with the school that is located east of Linyi on the National 209 highway. It's across the highway from the small city, about 3.0km from 'downtown' and the shopping district.
Documentation requests and requirements in 2015:
Yes, Taiyuan has got strict lately. Do what the school tells you, bring notarised/apostilled originals of everything, and YES you must now also have a CRB check from the DBS showing you to be a fine upstanding Briton. Degree, real, a must. Follow the list they sent you, submit it at home to the Chinese Embassy, along with your invite letter, get the Z-visa there, and bring it all with you.
Originals.
Processing time once you arrive in China and submit it all *should* be 3 weeks. During this time your passport and originals will be on a desk at the Yuncheng PSB. 'Should' - it is China, things can always change for no reason.
Request all of your documents back after your visa is processed. Do not accept them 'holding for safekeeping in the school safe' any of your documents. FEC, passport, degree, etc.
Your Foreign Expert Certificate (FEC) is your property under Chinese law - do not accept them keeping this, they may attempt to do so, it is essential for getting any future jobs in China in other locations. If they keep it, it is a way of keeping you on the estate so to speak.
Make copies of your CRB, they will keep that. You won't get that back, and that is normal.
Make copies of everything, actually. Invite letter, contract, everything.
Odds and Sods:
The school does indeed prefer British teachers, those I met were all from England or Scotland.
You can fly in to Xian, fast train to Yuncheng; fly in to Beijing then fly or fast train to Yuncheng.
If you want 'the real China experience' fly into Beijing, then get an old, slow, cheaper, green train to Yuncheng 18 hours, leaves in the morning, arrives late at night 11-ish. Chat with the people in your hard sleeper car. School can arrange this.
Have the school meet you upon arrival. It's about 20 minutes drive, 45 minutes bus, to the school from the various transportation stations.
Taxi fare from your school to the main shopping mall should be 6rmb, but they will likely charge you 10rmb. Taxi fare into Yuncheng on a shared taxi *should* be 10-15 rmb. Bus fare into town is 7rmb. Taxi's solo are 50rmb, 60rmb. They will try to charge you much more. Any store without posted prices will attempt to overcharge egregiously. Try to go into Yuncheng with your assistant, prices will drop.
Keep in mind that the local cultural issues will remain, that China is in the midst of an economic downturn, that when the economy in China goes down, they historically blame it on foreigners, that you will be watched, stared at, pointed at, followed, talked about, commented on, constantly (every 10 metres), once you leave campus and go into town.
Expect to be photographed and surveilled by smartphone everywhere you go, and no - they will not **ask** to take a picture or video of you, they will just do it. Conversations are actually interrogations.
The cultural issues are certainly not specific to Yuncheng. This is China.
My advice? Take the job with them. Your contact is as honest as a Chinese employer can get.
If you have the documentation to get this job, then you have the documentation and qualifications to teach in any other country where pay will be much higher, the air cleaner, the food not toxic.
But, yes, as far as Yuncheng teaching employment goes this job is as good as one can get in this area.
Be prepared to be completely overwhelmed upon arrival.
martin hainan
- 2015-07-25
Provinces (and autonomous regions) vary on their requirement for a criminal background check from the home country. I can confirm that Fuzhou, Guangxi and Yunnan currently do not require it.
I apologize for not including England in the list of preferred countries of origin for foreign teachers of English in China. Perhaps that is an unconscious result of teaching English and speaking American.
This enhanced review of the school's choice of foreign teachers is likely a result of the crackdown on Shanxi's notorious recruitment practices. If I were you, I would not be confident about who your employer is until you receive a Z visa. And I would never express mail original documents.
Stewart
- 2015-07-25
I am not sure about Yuncheng, however I applied to Shanxi University in Linfen which is quite close to Yuncheng and I can confirm that I was asked to send my original copies initially to the University.
I got them notarised and sent those, they did manage to get an invitation letter for me and returned the documents I sent and I was advised almost word for word what you were, effectively make sure you bring the originals with you or you won't be staying.
I was also required to get a police check. I did talk with one of the other foreigner at the University who has been there for a few years and he said that since last year things have really been clamped down on. He had to get a police check done and needed to get his original documents sent despite already having been at the Uni for several years.
Like you I was reticent to send these things but it seems it is necessary. In addition they are ending you an invitation letter to apply for a z visa in your own country so I would go with the flow rather than arrive and then have to faff about going to Hong Kong or even back home again to get a z visa.
Hope it all goes well.
Phil88
- 2015-07-25
Hi.
Thanks for your input. Maybe I should have been a little more clear.
They do not need originals of your documents to provide you with the forms necessary to
obtain a Z visa at the Chinese embassy in your home country. Photocopies, with pertinent
I.D. info like month/day of birth obscured (year is adequate to establish your age) will
suffice if they are legitimate employers.
The school have informed me that the SAFEA office in Taiyuan are insisting that they present the original copies of the documents at the time they initially apply for the invitation letter. They said they are being very definitive on this. I have got apostled copies which I am willing to send them.
They intimated that this may be okay but that if I arrive at the school and do not have the originals with me to match them my offer of employment will be withdrawn.
They did send me their licence number so I have no doubt they genuinely can employ foreigners.
Schools in Yuncheng are now willing to hire ANY native U.S., Canadian or Australian citizen
with a college degree.
I am British. During interview, the FAO told me they prefer British as a first choice.
They also said they need a police check from my home country which I have got. Is this a local thing because another school in Anhui province did not ask this, although they did follow suit with the story about original documents.
I don't think the school is dodgy in any respect, it was just when I read all these threads I got a little nervous. Also could someone confirm (the truth?) if this school is linked in anyway to Yuncheng English Village?
Thanks in advance for helping a newbie.
Phil
martin hainan
- 2015-07-24
They do not need originals of your documents to provide you with the forms necessary to obtain a Z visa at the Chinese embassy in your home country. Photocopies, with pertinent I.D. info like month/day of birth obscured (year is adequate to establish your age) will suffice if they are legitimate employers.
The Z visa forms will identify the true employer.
Additionally YOU should have a copy of the contract to review.
Schools in Yuncheng are now willing to hire ANY native U.S., Canadian or Australian citizen with a college degree.
If they are unable to provide the Z visa authorization forms, it is an indication of THEIR status as a recruiter, NOT your qualifications.
Phil88
- 2015-07-24
I came across this thread and just have a few questions. I am dealing with a school there who say they are a direct hire employer but I would just like to check if it is true? Their name is Yin Xing School in Linyi, Yuncheng.
It is recommended that if you are offered a job teaching in Shanxi, to check on the
location, agency and school. If you are to be placed in the Yuncheng County/City area,
chances are very high you will be placed through a very disreputable agency there.
Is this advert related?
http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/China/index.pl?read=268840
The advert below seems to have been largely copied from the above. I did ask the school about it and they said that echinacities did it without their permission and they complained and got it removed. Are you tarnishing them with the same brush as Yuncheng English Village or are they connected? I am new to all of this and don't ant to find myself ensnared in some spiders web of deceit!
http://jobs.echinacities.com/jobchapter/1354486626
English teacher needed in Yuncheng, Shanxi province
A few of the other links you quoted are dead. I read with interest the comments you and a few other posters have mentioned.
Maybe I am being over cautious but the school above do genuinely seem to be a direct hire school and have asked me to courier my documents to them so they can apply for me an invitation letter. Surely they would not do this if they were dodgy? On the other hand should I think twice about sending my documents to China with the prospect of them ending up in some black hole?
Your advice please?
cool max
- 2015-07-21
I must disagree with you. Those young teaching assistants deserve no sympathy. It is not the responsibility of Western men to "save" them. They also should not expect to marry into money. It is just like how bar girls in SE-Asia don't deserve help either. I don't care about how they live. Stop making excuses for them, they are not worthy charity cases.
NAMELESS AND SHAMELESS
- 2015-07-19
I feel sorry for Yuncheng TAs. Career-wise, there is nothing for the majority of them. Some will be lucky either by marrying into money if they are pretty, or by obtaining a job in the public sector by the back door, which is their 'iron bowl', so to speak.
Absolutely! But the thing to beware of is that there will be some who will see their FTs as vehicles for emigrating to the west, where they believe they will have a better life. Not necessarily true, of course. So don't be too trusting if they are romantically inclined towards you!
They will clean your abode for nothing after the term is finished, something they can do extremely well if they are villagers.
Yes, the company has told them to do that. To be fair, they will do it willingly. Good for them.
I regarded my TAs as 'Girl Fridays', and did my best to teach them how to behave like an educated young lady from the west.
Commendable indeed! And much better having a Girl Friday than a Man Friday! You've managed to persuade me to work for a Yuncheng agent. I'll be applying soon! A woman's touch sounds the ticket! Just what I need after a messy western divorce.
When out in the sticks, they will rent a room. Their accommodation is dreadful. Probably no TV, no fridge and no washing machine. Even no central heating!
Western women wouldn't live in conditions like that! It speaks volumes for Chinese women that they will do so.
San Migs
- 2015-07-19
It is better to just do private tuition these days, or even avoid China altogether as there are better places to live.
That is it in a nutshell.
Chris
- 2015-07-19
I feel sorry for Yuncheng TAs. Career-wise, there is nothing for the majority of them. Some will be lucky either by marrying into money if they are pretty, or by obtaining a job in the public sector by the back door, which is their 'iron bowl', so to speak.
They will clean your abode for nothing after the term is finished, something they can do extremely well if they are villagers.
I regarded my TAs as 'Girl Fridays', and did my best to teach them how to behave like an educated young lady from the west.
When out in the sticks, they will rent a room. Their accommodation is dreadful. Probably no TV, no fridge and no washing machine. Even no central heating!
The Truth
- 2015-07-18
if a TA is not a local in your county, she will probably run off to
Yuncheng every weekend leaving you on your tod in the county.
Youth in China spend every second from the ages of 5 to 23 studying, sleeping, or addicted to their smartphone.
Thus your assistant will have zero practical knowledge of anything that is not within 100 metres of her home in her village, her jr. middle school, her middle school, and her university. They have no working practical knowledge of their own town, let alone any town a few kms from where they live. Anything 30 kms distant may as well be in another galaxy.
When she is assigned to you in September, a few weeks after obtaining her degree, she will be completely incapable of assisting you in finding the most simple things - a dry cleaner, a hardware store, a motorcycle dealer. She won't know what the concept behind the words you are saying means, even if she translates it. She will do what you do, which is to walk down the street and look in the stores with the added benefit that she can ask the locals where such-and-such store is located.
They do not know anything, about any practical subject. Beyond useless.
She will be berated in the street whenever she assists you, so she won't want to accompany
you. Passers-by will probably call her a traitor or a whore even in Yuncheng City.
...so just imagine the treatment in smaller towns that dot the Yuncheng Valley.
Two TAs walking with me, the first merchant we saw made a slur, they literally stopped walking that instant, 90 degree left hand turn, went to the curb, and stood under a tree and waited for me to walk away.
This is just one of the uncountable ways that the Yuncheng Valley/City/County is off the charts xenophobic, racist, hostile to foreigners, and oh-so "Traditional Chinese Culture and Values".
If you want to experience this, we warned you. Good story to tell, I suppose.
The Truth
- 2015-07-18
Short note about Yuncheng English Village claiming you do not need a degree, or only an Associates:
Yuncheng English Village, Shanxi, states that you do not need a degree to teach (they will generate a fake degree for you without your knowledge). Not true, and will place any teacher that does so in legal jeopardy.
If you have a qualification, perhaps even a graduate degree, Yuncheng EV will likely take YOUR degree, have it scanned and then Photo-shopped, and use YOUR degree as the template to give the other teachers fake credentials.
This is why it takes so long for you to get your original back at end of contract, and why Yuncheng English Village, Shanxi insists upon keeping your original at the company offices at MingYuan Elementary School off of Weinan Street.
cool max
- 2015-07-18
I wonder when you people will ever learn. Don't teach English in China anymore, especially not for an employer. It is better to just do private tuition these days, or even avoid China altogether as there are better places to live.
San Migs
- 2015-07-18
But oh such a joy for those male FT's who appreciate a pretty pair of those chinese leggies....:)
anonymous
- 2015-07-18
Finally, some FTs ae dumb enough to wear high heels to school. One of them came a cropper when doing so. She stumbled badly on the stairs and was lucky not to have broken her (pretty) neck!
Correction, TAs, not FTs! Sorry, and what's worse, she'd a bun in the oven! Fortunately, the baby was born without complications!
anonymous
- 2015-07-18
More about Yuncheng TAs:First and foremost, they are all dishonest and will tell lies even when it is unnecessary to do so.
Second, most are villagers who have studied English at Yuncheng University, the former Yuncheng Teacher-Training College.
Third, most are plain-looking. Occasionally, there is a pretty TA assigned to a young FT. She will be berated in the street whenever she assists you, so she won't want to accompany you. Passers-by will probably call her a traitor or a whore, even in Yuncheng City. The plain lookers do not like walking. They will sit down at the side of the street on newspapers while the two FTs have a chat waiting for them to recover. I don't think their sitting there creates a good impression among the locals.
Last but not least, if a TA is not a local in your county, she will probably run off to Yuncheng every weekend leaving you on your tod in the county. She will want to prepare the following week's lesson with you each Friday. Refuse to do so. Instead, tell her it will be done on Sundays, when she returns from 'civilisation'.
I agree with what you say.
Some more to say:
Some are former Yuncheng Normal College students, while others have arrived from Datong, Taiyuan or neighbouring provinces. They can be very wily. For example, one of them rented a room to locals while still residing with her parents. She claimed the rent for herself from the company. The company found out about her deceipt and fired her. However, she was reinstated within a fortnight.
If you befriend your TA, you can get to know all the gossip that has been passed around in Yuncheng about the other foreigners. Buying her a dinner once a month works wonders! She will prefer a doinner to a lunch because fewer locals will see you with her on account of the darkness.
Some of the TAs are very lazy, so lazy that they won't clear the PC of a foreign teacher's personal details, after having promised an FT to do so, thus allowing the new job encumbent to mine personal information! Don't supply the agent with your e-mail address. Open a 2nd email address. Chances are head office will carelessly compromise your privacy by e-mailing a general notice to all FTs, but showing the emails of all the FTs to each recipient.
Finally, some FTs ae dumb enough to wear high heels to school. One of them came a cropper when doing so. She stumbled badly on the stairs and was lucky not to have broken her (pretty) neck!
Chris
- 2015-07-18
your assistant will spy on you constantly, ......
More about Yuncheng TAs:
First and foremost, they are all dishonest and will tell lies even when it is unnecessary to do so.
Second, most are villagers who have studied English at Yuncheng University, the former Yuncheng Teacher-Training College.
Third, most are plain-looking. Occasionally, there is a pretty TA assigned to a young FT. She will be berated in the street whenever she assists you, so she won't want to accompany you. Passers-by will probably call her a traitor or a whorem even in Yuncheng City. The plain lookers do not like walking. They will sit down at the side of the street on newspapers while the two FTs have a chat waiting for them to recover. I don't think their sitting there creates a good impression among the locals.
Last but not least, if a TA is not a local in your county, she will probably run off to Yuncheng every weekend leaving you on your tod in the county. She will want to prepare the following week's lesson with you each Friday. Refuse to do so. Instead, tell her it will be done on Sundays, when she returns from 'civilisation'.
The Truth
- 2015-07-17
Avoid teaching English in Yuncheng, Shanxi.
It is recommended that if you are offered a job teaching in Shanxi, to check on the
location, agency and school. If you are to be placed in the Yuncheng County/City area,
chances are very high you will be placed through a very disreputable agency there.
Avoid working in Yuncheng unless you are a direct hire, and even then the local cultural
issues are the most extreme in all of China.
Known issues include:
Police harassment, low pay, short pay, no bonus, dodgy apartments, forced to hide from your apartment, passport seizure for 5+ months, your assistant will spy on you constantly, and many other issues.
Biggest ones are passport seizure and that Yuncheng English Village, Shanxi, states that you
do not need a degree to teach (they will generate a fake degree for you without your knowledge). Not true, and will place any teacher that does so in legal jeopardy.
To find other posts first click this link:
http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/review/index.pl?read=65863;expand=1
Search this thread for posts dated:
the truth - 2015-04-25
The Truth - 2015-06-08
The Truth - 2015-06-10
The Truth - 2015-06-12
The Truth - 2015-06-13
The Truth - 2015-06-24
katz - 2015-06-27
The post from 4-25 has many of the issues recent teachers (2015 Academic Year) have, and
have had, with Yuncheng English Village.
Many other posts go into more detail.
Known organisations that feed hires through agencies to Yuncheng English Village include:
ez recruitment
http://www.ezjobschina.com/
ccesl.net
rememberesl.com
Ameson AYC Cengage MyELT
Bearea College, Kentucky
Here are some of the more recent online Yuncheng EV, Yuncheng English village advertisements with searchable headline text:
http://jobs.echinacities.com/jobchapter/1354486626
English teacher needed in Yuncheng, Shanxi province
http://www.teachcn.com/Job.asp?id=5693
Teach in Harbin, Suzhou, Changchun and Yuncheng, START ASAP
http://w3.jobchina.net/index.php?post_id=123948
Shanxi - Job 4567 Teach in High school, Yuncheng, Shanxi
eslcafe.com/jobs/china/index.cgi?read=36816
13)Job code: SXYCT-01,
- Location:Yuncheng, Shanxi Province
- Start date: ASAP
- School type: Public school
- Age level: 3-18 years old
- Workload: 20 classes /week
- Salary:RMB 5000-6500
- Airfare: 5000 RMB
- Housing: Free apartment (not shared)
- Holidays: Public holidays + winter and summer vacation
- Two days off at weekend
- Working visa and insurance provided
- Native speakers required
http://ccesl.net/ViewHR.aspx?id=40
It's a pretty good school for those who have not much teaching experience， the school
provides free training before the teachers start to teach.
rememberesl.com/ has over a dozen Yuncheng English Village ads as far back as early 2011
http://www.rememberesl.com/job/1281.htm
Public school position in Yuncheng city, Shanxi province, Immediately 2015-03-17
http://www.teachenglishinasia.net/job/high-school-positions-yuncheng-city-shanxi-province-
china-1441723.html
HIGH SCHOOL POSITIONS IN YUNCHENG CITY, SHANXI PROVINCE, CHINA
http://www.teachcn.com/Company.asp?id=5436
Jobs In China>>Yuncheng EV
http://www.chinaesljob.com/job/579923/high-school-positions-in-yuncheng-city-shanxi-
province-at-lydia-yc/
High school positions in Yuncheng city, Shanxi province
http://www.esljobs.com/jobs/high-school-positions-in-yuncheng-city-shanxi-province-6/
High school positions in Yuncheng city, Shanxi province
eslcafe.com/jobs/china/index.cgi?read=35226
We Need 2 more native English Teachers on 5th of March in Yuncheng, China
High school positions in Yuncheng city, Shanxi province
http://www.esljobs.com/jobs/high-school-positions-in-yuncheng-city-shanxi-province-2/
ESL TEACHERS NEEDED IN YUNCHENG CITY, SHANXI PROVINCE
http://www.teachenglishinasia.net/job/esl-teachers-needed-yuncheng-city-shanxi-province-
1920388.html
HIGH SCHOOL POSITIONS IN YUNCHENG CITY, SHANXI PROVINCE
http://www.teachenglishinasia.net/job/high-school-positions-yuncheng-city-shanxi-province-
2241871.html