| The Skinny on Teaching English in Chinaby
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| | to many of China's new educational
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| Tom Carter
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| | entrepreneurs who put profit before
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| Having little luck finding an attractive
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| | curriculum and quality. Classroom
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| job offer in the U.S. in 2004, I decided
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| | experience and Teaching English as a
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| to take my skills where they were wanted
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| | Foreign Language (TEFL) certification is
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| -- abroad.
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| | nice, but in many cases a Western face is
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| Enticed by the "Teach English in China --
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| | all a native English speaker needs to
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| No Experience Necessary" ads saturating
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| | land a teaching job in China.
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| the online classifieds, I emailed my
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| | In more reputable schools, most
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| resume with one hand and packed my bags
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| | prospective English teachers don't have
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| with the other. I had no idea what to
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| | it so easy. I endured a weeklong
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| expect, but then, the great unknown can
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| | interview process, including a series of
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| be what makes a job like teaching English
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| | teaching demonstrations before 300
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| in the People's Republic so appealing.
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| | stern-looking parents, all while I was
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| As the world's largest economy opens to
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| | still jetlagged and suffering from
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| foreign investment, education has become
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| | culture shock. I must have done something
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| one of China's thriving sectors.
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| | right, because I was chosen to teach at a
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| Confucius probably wouldn't stand for it,
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| | top school in the province.
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| but he wasn't wearing pinstripe suits and
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| | Being rice-wined and dined by my
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| driving a shiny black sedan. The country
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| | prospective employer over 30-course
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| may be Communist in theory, but the
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| | banquet dinners did not distract me from
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| renminbi -- Chinese currency -- is
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| | negotiating a fair salary. Many
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| emperor.
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| | foreigners ("laowai") prefer to live in a
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| A Chinese adage says that the best advice
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| | cosmopolitan city like Beijing or
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| is often born from the most challenging
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| | Shanghai than a small town such as the
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| experiences. After three years helping
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| | one I had chosen, and I was able to use
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| the sons and daughters of Han learn
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| | this preference as leverage during
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| English, I've had my share. Westerners
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| | contract discussions. All deals in China,
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| looking to teach in China may want to
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| | like the price of fruit at the
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| consider the following before packing
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| | marketplace, can be negotiated.
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| their bags.
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| | Most English teachers in China needn't
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| Some foreign English teachers may be
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| | speak Mandarin in the classroom. Instead,
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| shanghaied at least once during their
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| | we instruct students through a process of
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| time in China. Baiting unsuspecting
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| | language immersion and simulation, which
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| Westerners to China with false promises
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| | in time invariably leads to proficiency.
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| of a high salary, deluxe apartment,
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| | Diligence and a little creativity are all
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| airfare reimbursement, visa or other
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| | that are really needed, but like
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| incentives is a common online scam. Blame
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| | performing on stage five times a day, it
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| it on temptation. Often Chinese laws are
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| | takes its toll.
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| too fluid and relationships ("guanxi" in
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| | Over the next few years, I would meet a
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| Mandarin) with authorities too intimate,
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| | number of disappointed young Westerners
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| leaving some foreigners with little
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| | who came overseas as English teachers
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| protection against scams.
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| | expecting to party all night and spend
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| The moment I arrived in the Middle
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| | their free time pursuing adventures in
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| Kingdom I had what some seasoned
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| | the countryside. That, I would tell them,
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| expatriates call "the complete Chinese
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| | is a lifestyle for tourists, exchange
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| experience." The "school" that had
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| | students and embassy brats, not the
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| accepted my application turned out to be
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| | hardworking teacher.
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| a nickel-and-dime operation run out of an
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| | As a foreign expert English instructor,
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| apartment by a guy in his bathrobe. I'd
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| | I'm scheduled for up to 30 classes a week
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| come half way around the world for a job
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| | and spend most of my free time planning
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| and found myself out of work.
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| | lessons. I'm up at dawn with the older
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| I was literally lost in translation.
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| | folks practicing their Tai Chi and not
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| Despair and a desire to return home to
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| | back home until after 10 p.m., about when
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| Mom set in. But I quickly learned that,
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| | the migrant construction workers also are
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| commensurate with its sizeable
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| | getting off work.
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| population, China has a profusion of
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| | I never thought I'd be an educator. I
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| kindergarten, primary, middle and high
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| | didn't like most of my teachers when I
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| schools and universities in even the most
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| | was a kid. Teachers the world over are
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| remote cities. In short order, I wound up
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| | typically low paid, overworked and
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| with a position and salary more
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| | underappreciated. But the fatigue and the
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| attractive than the one I had originally
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| | hit on my income -- compared to what I
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| accepted.
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| | might earn in the U.S. -- are what I pay
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| Chinese parents may work night and day to
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| | for being part of a rapidly-changing
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| pay for pricey English lessons so that
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| | China. As it turned out, I'm not so bad
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| their child can get a head start in this
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| | in front of the chalkboard -- I actually
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| competitive society of 1.3 billion.
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| | like it.
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| Unfortunately, academics are not an issue
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