Robert MannSanta Barbara City College

“The Good, the Bad…….and the Beautiful!

Jiangsu Educational Services for International Education (JESIE)

Recruitment of 100 teachers for summer camps

Applied on June 16, teaching on site in China less than a month later

JESIE have run summer teaching camps since 1997

6-8,000 RMB ($US 900 - 1100) per month Full food and board in a 3-star hotel No air-fare reimbursement but

transportation provided from Shanghai to Nanjing/Teaching Site

Sightseeing & w/end excursions included Letter of support for 30-60 day visa On-site Program Coordinator provided

5 x 45 min teaching periods per day Class size of 25 – 30 Learners were primary and secondary

school teachers Syllabus focused on spoken English and

western teaching methodologies No grading or assessment responsibilities

The Lishui school The Lishui school

…….and the teachers…….and the teachers

The classroom

and teaching

The classroom

and teaching

Great hospitality!

Great hospitality!

THE GOOD………… Make contacts for longer term positions Try out the idea of working in a foreign

country Teach with a group of other short term-

teachers Short-term teaching might fit when family

commitments prevent longer appointment Adds to your teaching resume

THE GOOD (cont’d)

Subsidize a trip to China Relatively cheap to live and travel in

China Summer programs in China coincide

with USA summer vacation

THE BAD…………………. Low salary; no airfare support Minimal TA or tutor support Standard of classrooms, equipment & tech

support varies Fewer jobs for the over 55’s Occasional last-minute administrative

changes

THE BAD (cont’d) Summer weather very hot and humid

(especially in Southern China) Very firm beds Be prepared for crouch toilets

……AND THE BEAUTIFUL !! Westerners treated as celebrities in

many places Great respect for teachers and

education 1.3 billion people keen to learn English! Chinese culture and scenery is

fascinating!

Wonderful sites and friendly peopleWonderful sites and friendly people

Michael Q LarsonELS Language Centers/Santa Barbara

Right now, in China: Growing demand for English education English is Required to graduate from most

undergraduate programs (College English Test)

Roughly 100,000 Chinese studying in the US alone, many of whom took extracurricular English before coming over

China is rapidly industrializing, producing more money to spend on education

Potential Employers Small private schools Large English-teaching chains like EF

and Wallstreet English – Even Disney Universities IB programs and private international

high schools

Other Opportunities Tutoring Corporate training

How to find gigs and longer-term jobs Websites Networking Positive Referrals from schools and

companies

How to find gigs and longer-term jobs Getting a work visa (finding a sponsor) Housing allowance (or on-campus

lodging) Learning Mandarin

Very cooperative, very attentive …..take good notes

Keen to learn English and all about western countries

Gracious and polite Family oriented culture so it was

considered OK for teachers to bring their children to class with them

Unresponsive to Q &A in class But journals and written surveys worked well

for student feedback Good participation in group activities, group

songs and games News/Weather/Sports presentations by

learners worked well