By Daves ESL Cafe
Golden Apple International Child Education -- Sunday, 28 September 2008, at 8:05 a.m.
Contact: tranzchina@gmail.com
Website: www.61bb.com/english/index.asp
Tel (mon-fri): +86 28 85133381 ask for Nigel or Yang Zhan:
If you are looking for a great job in a modern city brimming with unique
Chinese culture and flavor, a relaxed and friendly yet professional
working environment, plenty of training and the greatest kids in China you
should consider us.
Golden Apple runs a number of kindergartens, a children's English school
and an elementary school throughout Chengdu in Sichuan province China. We
have an excellent reputation for treating our foreign teachers well and
currently have 20 overseas teachers in our various schools. On average our
teachers stay for 2 years and sometimes up to 5 or 6 years because they
enjoy it so much, so we must treat people right.
If you are looking for steady Monday to Friday work with lots of
opportunity for weekend travel this is just the job for you.
We need:
ASAP ñ 7,000 RMB/month, 25 hours class time (one teacher)
ASAP ñ 4,000 ñ 5,000 ñ 15-18 hours class time per week
Other parts of our offer:
* Absolutely no weekend work and 80% of evenings free.
* 6000 Yuan (approx 800USD) at the end of the year to help defray travel
expenses.
* All necessary FULLY LEGAL working certificates including visas, foreign
expertís certificate, residence permit, residence registration, etc.
* Private accommodation complete with all basic living necessities.
* Optional extra teaching hours at other Golden Apple schools: paid at
100-120 Yuan per hour.
* All Chinese holidays: Chinese New Years Day, Chinese Spring Festival,
May Day holidays, National Day holidays, and one additional holiday on
Christmas Day.
* Two weeks additional paid vacation, when signing a one year contract.
We may not match up to East Coast China in terms of money but certainly
surpass them in friendliness, great working conditions and the chance to
experience a more traditional side of China. I should emphasize that we
are not an agency, we are a direct employer and most of our employees love
working here!
You can contact me on nigel@tranzchina.com or tranzchina@gmail.com
My name is Nigel or you may hear from our office worker called Emily.
You may have heard much about the Wenchuan earthquake. Please feel
reassured that this did not affect the city of Chengdu in any substantial
way and life here is going on as normal! By coming here you will also be
making an indirect contribution to help the region recover from this
disaster and you may also feel moved enough to take more positive action
in the relief effort, like many foreign people here!
------------------
Other contact info:
Tel (mon-fri): +86 28 85133381 ask for Nigel or Yang Zhan Tel (weekend):
+86 15902804305
Telephone applicants are more than welcome!
Address: No.7 Xinguang Rd., Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R.C. 610031
Website (in Chinese): http://www.61bb.com
Website (in English): http://www.61bb.com/English/index.asp
----------------------
Our requirements are as follows:
* Applicants from USA, Great Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand and South Africa only
* University degree in any subject
* MUST have at least 2-3 years full-time work experience in any profession
but preferably teaching
* Some experience with kids
* Lively and cheerful personality
* Energetic and full of life
* Responsible and safety conscious
* Enjoys acting and performing
* Loves children
* In good health
* Willing to learn
* No criminal record or outstanding warrants for arrest, especially for
child related offenses (we have had pedophiles apply for jobs more than
once, which is quite scary, so we do check) Our apologies if stating this
offends you in any way.
It may sound like asking a lot for a teacher but we have found these
traits make by far the best teachers, so if you love kids and think you
fit the bill we would love to hear from you.
Please note that we DO NOT accept applications from people whose natural
language is not English.
-----------
If you interested in reading more please read the English section of our
Website http://www.61bb.com/English/index.asp.
In it you will find loads of information about working at Golden Apple,
Chengdu, finding work in China, the employment process and Things to
beware in the process. Even if you aren't interested in working with us
you'll find lots of useful information.
Here is a copy of the things to beware section, which I find is usually
the most help to people looking for work in China. Most of it is true to
our knowledge, if you know otherwise please tell us.
------------
Things to Beware
It used to be very easy to get work in China and the government
requirements for overseas teachers were very low. However, recently the
government has made much stricter regulations about working here and in
the last year the Chinese government has started to clamp down on illegal
and improper workers (especially since the rumors that they caught quite a
few smuggling drugs). We have heard of at least 30 or 40 cases of people
being fined, deported, etc. for various reasons and that is just the few
cases we have heard of. So, here are some things you should beware of
before you come and work in China. Even if you donít want to come and work
with us I hope they are of some help.
1) Illegal Visas: Many people are not aware that under Chinese law you are
personally responsible for any illegal working, even if the company you
work for arranged all your paperwork and you were unwittingly illegal.
(Personally I have heard a number of stories of people thinking they are
working legally then being fined because they were not and it almost
happened to me once at another school). Always make sure the company you
work for can employ you as a Foreign Expert. Ask to see a copy of their
permit to employ foreign experts and make sure the name on the permit
matches the name of the school you are going to. Here are some points to
beware about documentation.
--- You can only work at the company named on your documents. If a company
employs you using their credentials then sends you to work at another
private school you can be fined for working illegally. We have heard of a
few cases where the fine was up to 5,000 Yuan (600 USD)
--- YOU CAN ONLY BE LEGALLY EMPLOYED AS A TEACHER IF YOU GET A FOREIGN
EXPERTíS LICENSE. Legally speaking you can only be a teacher with a
foreign expertís license, no other permit is legal. Some companies employ
people using a different form of document called a work permit which is
used for unskilled workers. Although you are permitted to work, IT IS
STILL ILLEGAL TO WORK AS A TEACHER USING A WORK PERMIT and you can be
fined for doing so. If you want to change jobs later it is also much more
difficult and you may have to leave the country first. Most companies will
say donít worry, nobody checks up, but every time I put this advert I get
new letters from people it has happened to and have been fined some
unearthly sums. Also, the government is getting much stricter on visa in
the run up to the 2008 Olympics.
--- Extended Tourist/Business Visas. Some companies work round the system
by extending tourist or business visas to keep you in the country legally.
However, it is very illegal to work on a tourist visa and they government
has recently been quite hard on those they catch doing so, even if you
didnít know you were working illegally.
--- Working on a Student Visa. Some companies may get you a student visa
for one year then send you to work on that. However, this is just the same
as working illegally on a tourist visa and if you get caught you will not
be able to study Chinese here if you decide later you want to.
-- Working though an Agency. Strictly speaking any agency that gets you a
Foreign Expert's License then sends you off to some school not named on
the license is sending you to work illegally. However, this is rarely
checked and you are not really likely to be fined. Saying that, it is
Olympics year and this may change.
2) Conflicting Messages on the Internet
Many people who have worked in China, but havenít done so recently, may
tell you how little the regulations are enforced, not to worry about
documentation processes etc. This was very true until 2007 when the State
Council passed an edict that new policies must be strictly enforced. The
only places that may let you get away in bending the rules now are little
backwater townships and counties that are in the middle of nowhere. Do not
pay any attention to messages on the Internet from people who did their
documentation before 2007.
It also used to be true that recent graduates from university could come
and work as teachers. This is no longer true, most cities insist on 3
years work experience while some insist on just 2 years. (although some
companies may be able to get round this rule
3) Changing your Visa In-Country
It used to be possible to change a tourist or business visa into a work
visa in country, which made it a lot less complicated to become employed
here. However, this is NO LONGER POSSIBLE and work visas MUST be processed
before arriving in China. Do not listen to any offer that tells you to
come on a tourist visa and they will change it here, they are either
getting you to work on an illegal visa or do not know the new policies and
you are the person who will end up paying for it.(saying that, it may also
be possible in some cases
4) The Hong Kong Connection
It used to be possible to get a 6 or 12 month business visa in Hong Kong
then people would work illegally in China using that. As of July 2006,
this route is no longer possible. Do not listen to anyone who tells you to
go to HK and get a business visa. (I have recently heard this route may be
open again)
5) False Claims
Possibly the worst thing that can happen is the company tells you one
thing about the work you will do and conditions you will have, but when
you arrive the situation is not what they claimed. ALWAYS insist on being
sent the email addresses of teachers who have worked at the school in the
past and, if possible, some who are working there at present. If the
company refuses to send you any or umms and ahhs about sending you them,
it is possible their teachers were unsatisfied with the working conditions
and left disgruntled. They may even send you email addresses of people
they know will not reply or false email addresses of Chinese people who
work at the school who will tell you how great everything is. Below are
some of the work subjects you should ask about and the worst situations
that can occur.
--- How many students in a class? Most schools will have between 10 and 40
in a class. Some terrible schools may lump together as many as 200-300 at
a time and you just stand there and shout (Not a joke and happens more
than you think especially in remoter areas).
--- How many working hours a week? Working hours are not the same as
teaching hours. Most schools will have working hours for class
preparation, extracurricular activities, time to meet students and
parents, time between classes etc. At these times you will be at the
school or travelling but not at home relaxing. Your time at school or
travelling should be no more than 4 or 5 hours per week more than your
teaching hours, i.e. if you have 16 teaching hours you should have no more
than 20 or 21 working hours but it is very common for 16 teaching hours to
turn into a full time 8am to 4/5 pm job. In the worst cases schools will
give you just two one hour classes per day one being in the early morning
and one in the evening and the remaining time you must spend at the school
so you may be actually working 40 to 50 hours per week but only paid for
15 or 16 teaching hours.
--- How many days per week, what days and what times?
You may only want to work Monday to Friday, during the mornings,
afternoons or evenings or you may simply have religious objections to
working on some days. Make sure you know what days of the week you will be
working on and at what time of the day. However, at least be a bit lenient
when the school feels it necessary to change the hours a little, it is
hard to run a successful school if your teachers will not at least bend a
little.
--- How much travelling will I do and will I be paid for it?
The majority of schools will not need you to travel anywhere and a
minority will possibly ask you to hop between 2 or 3 schools (actually
illegal if they are not owned by the same company). However, some schools
are travelling schools which will take you around remote towns once per 2
months; you spend Monday to Friday on the road performing and only come
home at weekends. Of course, most of these travelling jobs will not pay
you for travelling time.
--- Where EXACTLY is the school I am working at?
Most schools will say they are in a big city such as Beijing, Shanghai,
Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu etc. However, big cities are often municipal,
which means they include many little satellite townships within the city
borough limits. The long and the short of this means that a school that
says it is in Beijing may be as much as 70 or 80 kilometers from the city
center in a satellite county township. Always ask to know exactly where
the school is in relation to the city center and what the transport is
like to get there. Note: in most big cities, outside the fourth ring road
is usually already a long way from the city center
--- What are the conditions like in this area of the city?
Like in the West, conditions in a city can vary a lot from one district to
another. Some districts may be very poor and relatively isolated and some
reasonably prosperous. Schools often like to place themselves in cheaper
areas, especially if they are boarding schools, to reduce costs. Find out
what part of the city they are in and what the surrounding area has to
offer.
--- Is the school I am going to a satellite campus?
Some of the more well-known universities and schools have satellite
campuses in remote areas or even in different provinces. You may see an
advert for a famous school or a school that has the name of a city or
province you want to go to, but actually end up somewhere completely
different.
--- How often do I teach the same classes?
Most schools will vary between once a day and once a week teaching the
same classes. In some places you may only see a class once a month and the
very worst situation you may only ever see a class once (especially
traveling teachers in remoter areas .
--- What extracurricular activities are there?
Most schools will have some unpaid extracurricular activities, such as
Xmas, Halloween or even promotional activities; however, these will
usually take no more than a few hours a month. Beware that some schools
may pile on hours of extracurricular activities such as obligatory lunches
with local officials or even singing in McDonalds for which you do not get
paid.
--- What is the accommodation like, where is it and what does it include?
Most schools cannot afford to give fantastic accommodation, but will at
least guarantee it is clean and give the essential items such as bedding,
TV, washing machine etc. We have heard of worst case scenarios of people
being put up in ëliterallyí rat infested hotels or dingy apartments next
to noisy all-night Mah Jong parlors or whorehouses, sometimes miles away
from work. Always make sure you know exactly where you will live and in
what conditions.
--- Do you offer Training?
Only a small minority of schools offer any sort of training, mostly
because they are not experienced enough to do so. If you are
inexperienced, that includes having just completed a TEFL or TESOL course,
try to go to a school that offers further training.
--- What is the curriculum/course?
You would be surprised just how many schools do not use a course book or
even set a curriculum and you end up having to write it yourself or just
go into class blind. We have even heard of teachers who were blamed
because the curriculum they wrote was very poor quality, even though they
had no experience writing it and were not offered any help.
All the above things can and do happen, make sure the conditions being
offered are clear and concise. Keep your emails and copies of the
advertisement stating the conditions just in case you need to terminate
the contract you have with the school for not giving you what they said.
6) Nationality Issues:
Politics are extremely complicated and the relationships between countries
are always changing. We had one teacher who got sent home to get a visa
before the regulations about changing tourist visas to work visas were
enforced simply because they were from South Africa and relationships had
recently taken a downturn (two weeks later it was OK again). We have also
heard of many teachers from, partially English countries like India, South
Africa, Malaysia, Philippines, etc. being refused work visas. Never take
it as read that rules which were applied to someone from another country
would be applied to you. It may not even be true that the rules applied to
someone from your own country at one time will also be applied to you at a
later date. The Chinese government changes regulations more than you
change your clothes.
7) Aid/Charity Teaching Organizations
If you are interested in coming over with some form of voluntary teaching
program be very cautious of which program it is and whether they are
reputable. Some of these programs can be a scam to make money off you. I
have known of one school which had two teachers who paid 2000 USD to come
on a voluntary program and were working for free at a very expensive
school, while the same school had two other teacher who were being paid
100 Yuan per hour to teach there (making about 5000 per month). The
voluntary organization must have been making heaps from both sides, the
school and the volunteers. Not all these organizations take advantage of
you but from the letters we have received from people quite a few of them
are making a good profit from other's kindheartedness.
8) Introduction Agencies
Some introduction agencies are reputable but many are not. Be very careful
when you choose one and INSIST on them being open about the money they are
making from you. Any advert stating 'Hundreds of Jobs' cannot possibly
really care about you or your personal circumstances. In the worst case we
have heard of people being paid as little as 40 yuan per hour or a low
salary of about 2500 yuan per month while the introduction agency was
charging 2-300 yuan per hour for their services. Of course, it is only
fair that introduction agencies make money but they should not exploit you
at the same time! (10-20% of your salary is a fair amount)
--- NEVER pay anybody to introduce you to a job in China, they are making
money already off the school you are going to. Of course, it would be fair
to pay an agency who helps you complete and transact all the paperwork,
but not if they just introduce you to a job.
--- Beware of some very disreputable agencies who will tell you anything
you want to hear just to get you in the country. If someone offers you a
job the moment they receive your email/letter, BEWARE, they are not likely
to care about what kind of work you want to do, they just want to get your
bum into any school that needs a teacher.
--- Many agencies know that it is in their interests to serve the needs of
the School and not your needs, because the school is more likely to use
their services again later while they don't really care that much about
you (you will be gone after a year). Many agencies will also try to send
you to the worst school they can, especially if you are inexperienced,
because an experienced teacher would not really need an agency at all and
knows what to look out for.
9) Not All Horror Stories are True
To end this section on a slightly positive note; please do not accept that
all horror stories you hear originating from teachers, or schools, are
true. Every school equally has their own horror stories of AWFUL teachers
who were arrogant, lazy, pretended to be sick all the time, turn up late,
can't turn up to work on most Mondays because they drank too much at the
weekend, teach really terribly but are unprepared to learn and various
other scenarios.
Some foreign teachers come here and expect everything to be like in the
West and are rude, inflexible, and unprepared to accept that working in
China will be far different from working in the West. Possibly the most
common comment ever heard from foreign teachers is ìWe do not do that in
my country!î to which I am sure schools would like (but do not dare) to
reply ìBut this is not your country and that is how we work here!î Most
schools bend over backward to satisfy foreign teachers but many of the
horror stories on the Internet are made by people who would be disgruntled
wherever they went, so try to sort out the myth from the reality.
Working in China, and especially at our school Golden Apple (just a little
ad there), can be a wonderfully rewarding and enjoyable experience but it
requires give and take on both sides. As a teacher coming to a different
culture you should be prepared to accept some different working standards
and ethics than your own country.
Thank you for reading so far. We hope this section has been some help
about what to look out for in your search for work in China and we hope
you will decide to come and work with us. We promise to do our utmost to
avoid any of the horrors listed above.
Nigel Jones English Director, Golden Apple Child Education
To save you looking for it here is the contact information again:
Email: nigel@tranzchina.com or yinguoren99@hotmail.com
Tel(mon-fri): +86 28 85133381 ask for Nigel or Yang Zhan or
Tel(weekend): +86 13281188319
Address: No.7 Xinguang Rd., Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R.C.
Website (Chinese): http://www.61bb.com
Website (English): http://www.61bb.com/English/index.asp
For more information, please visit http://www.eslcafe.com/jobs/china/index.cgi?read=19518
