Red H.
- 2013-03-17
I have worked for Aston Lianyungang for 6 months now, and I must say that I agree with the positive comments to this posts. I have also heard the stories of past teachers deeds and misdeeds along withe their complaints, but I can truly say that they do not describe the situation today. Of course there are some misunderstandings and disagreements from time to time, but these are all solved with a smile and civilised discussion, and most of them derive from cultural differences rather than bad behaviour. We have a very competent foreign teacher manager who fights for the employers rights if thats needed, and a chinese manager who does her best to make every day a fun day! The owner is absolutely NOT the cruel buisnesswoman the original post makes her out to be. She has been nothing but nice to me as long as I have been here, and I have not heard anyone talk bad about her or how she treats her employees. I have had some experience, both first hand and as a bystander, with Chinese employers before, and the atmosphere here is the best I have ever encountered.
When that is said, this is not a public school. It is a business in a very competitve environment that people depend on to make a living, and like all other businesses it depends on an income. Making the students and parents happy is therefore also a part of the job, but you do have ways to deal with those impossible kids if that is needed. It is, however, important to remember that Chinese children are under extreme pressure to perform in school. Working from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening from monday to friday, and with additional classes in the weekends and little or no free time is not unusuall. At the same time they are often treated like small kings and queens because they are the familys only child and hope for the future. So, to once in a while encounter a spoiled little devil that is just fed up and doesnt understand, or care, that his behaviour is unacceptable is therefore just a part of teaching in China.
I have spent 2 years in China so far, 1,5 of them in Lianyungang. It is not a touristy city, and it is far from a internationl metropol. But the city is on the rise, and for those who wants to see how traditional China meets modern China its a good place to be. Its easy to get to know people, both other foreigners and locals, and new things to do pop up all the time. You can find teachers for everything from piano and guitar to traditional chinese caligraphy and marshall arts, and with your salary you can definitely afford the lot! I have no problem recommending both the city and the Aston school here to anyone who wants to experience China!
Year of the Trouser Snake
- 2013-03-13
Worked at Aston LYG a couple times, 2009/2010, then 2011/2012 - there were ups and downs for sure, but I was able to see significant improvements over time, including the city itself, which when I first arrived was without any bar with draft beer or decent pizza restaurant - LYG has both now in spades and in my simple eyes it makes life a lot easier. The apartments have also improved from standard run of the mill chinese style apartments to some pretty nice new places built within the last couple of years. As far as the comments about management, I just don't see it - don't know who the OP is but I would imagine they were pretty disgruntled for whatever reason and just wanted to badmouth the school. I have heard stories from before I was there about slobbish teachers bragging about getting prostitutes and one that bit a student Mike Tyson style during a class, so its not just us laowais that have complaints lol!
Bill Wallace
- 2012-11-29
Well I can't really say things about 5 years ago. I have to say I've had a very positive experiance here in Lianyungang. We have a great apartment, and a lot of support from the owner and manage ment staff here in the Xinpu area of the city. Nothing is perfect, but you can't apply western thinking, values and standards to China. I asked lots of questions before comming here and most of my expectations have been met, and even exceeded. Hell, my current apartment is better than many of the apartments I have had in the USA!
The staff here has been a great help in many areas of living here. They have been able to help my find things for my hobbies and projects, and have been a huge help when I have been able to travel to other cities like Xi'an and Shanghai.
Here is my best advice for people considering teaching english in China: 1) Read the book River Town (a good book about an english teacher's 2 years teaching in china in '97), 2) Ask lots of questions of local teachers in the area, and even frequent chinese travelers if there are any available, 3) Leave western standards and values in the west (it is ok to apply them to yourself, but don't apply them to the locals, and even be careful of applying them to other forigen teachers as even other english speaking countries have different opinions on how things should go), 4) reasonable precistance is your best tool here. You might have to explain the situation several times, and over several days (english isn't easy for the local staff, dispite reasonable proficiency) but things will get taken care of in a reasonable amount of time (at least here in the Xinpu district of Lianyungang).
This is an area I recomend to those who'd like to teach english here.
I am well into my first full year here and am looking forward to another year as I am planning on signing on for another.
Dan White
- 2007-12-03
Quite often, the problems in any school (or any company) exist all along. After you arrive, you begin to notice things. Some things are not at good as you would like. After a year, you think the school is full of problem, that things are getting worse and worse and worse. The truth is, the problem have been there all along, you just didn't seem them from the start. If you stick around a company long enough, you begin to accept that the world isn't perfect. You can make a lot of money and achieve your goals, against all odds. People do it all the time. Just stop trying to make the world perfect!
Hadler
- 2007-11-30
Why does everybody talk about the bad schools and bad experiences no one mentions good schools for teachers to ask for a job? Is it some kind of secret? Are there any good schools one would recommend?
Kerry
- 2007-11-16
This is so typical of Chinese schools not just Aston where I too once worked at. I did a contract in Shaanxi province last year. Our schools head master was nuts and cheap too. I was so happy to be out of there. There are better run schools than Aston but they are hard to find. A friend of mine worked for EF and it was no better there either. Good luck to all in your search of a good school.
professional 'foreign face'
- 2007-11-08
I apologize for the heavy dose of cynicism regarding your post, but WELCOME TO CHINA!
What you describe is all TOO TYPICAL here -- only care about profits, little or no attention paid to or energy invested in actual education, acadsemic standards, integrity, discipline (academic or behavioral), etc.
I'm sincerely sorry about the experience you describe and I assure you it is extremely similar to PLENTY of work situations and environments I've found myself in here in the PRC.
A professional, experienced and dedicated teacher has to look LONG and HARD before finding a position that has many rewarding qualities.
These websites are just cyber-landfill for such stories and testimonies.
China needs to clean up its act with regards to English-For-Profit.
No problem with making money, profitable business, etc., but the focus and dedication should remain on students, staff, and services -- and too often, those things are forgetten or considered frivolous money-wasters.
This is a blacklist posting.
Aston in Lianyungang is a franchise. I have worked at and visited other Astons. Talk of standards across the board is dismissable.
The owner is a business woman and commands a substantial profit. The manager is a relation and evidently, unfortunately, hates her job, and avoids doing it at all costs. There is frequently nobody in authority present in the school.
No money is spent on the school or resources. Free English Corners are run nearly everyday with a refusal to limit numbers. 40 to 50 kids is common. Due to a longterm attitude of neglect and active lack of interest towards the quality of classes upstairs, discipline is a problem. Contacting the parents about the behaviour of their children is quietly forbidden.
Chinese teachers are required to work "office hours" during the week, unpaid. However the bonus is that unlike many teachers they receive insurance payments. Except that none of them do.
Attempts to approach "management" in order to discuss any problem, suggestion or request are depressingly difficult. Everything is waved off with a smile. One teacher left after two weeks, they never got around to installing gas in her kitchen or furnishing her with all her books for classes. Trying to get enough board rubbers is a hard enough.
"Management" fosters bad relationships bewteen CTs and FTs; after you try to discuss a problem about a class, the CT is taken aside and blamed and threatened, despite our protestations.
Incompetence runs riot in this school, commmunication is a quagmire and morale is immensely low.