Messages by Jere

I understand a little of the frustration the OP has about life in China but his experience seems very extreme. Despite his poor grammar and spelling, he is entitled to his opinion. IMO, I think he had a bad case of culture shock. Almost every person who moves to China (or any foreign country) will experience this.

Is his experience the norm? No. Are some of his experiences and grievances valid? Yes. China is certainly not for the faint at heart. It takes special people to come here, take in a new culture, new language, new way of life, and still do a good job. Teaching is not the easiest profession and teaching in China can be a miserable experience if you're not prepared.

I live in Shenzhen and my experience has been a rollercoaster ride but I've had more ups than downs. Living near Hong Kong has certainly helped and I TOTALLY enjoy my day trips to HK once a month to get a dose of Western life and culture. I'm not sure how I would handle living in the interior of China, especially, a large, cold city in the north of China or western China. So I am curious to know where the OP lived and which school he worked for.

Is China a place with no human values? That is another subject entirely!

Hi Mardy
Sorry to hear about the loss of your sister. I'm sure that was not an easy thing to go through. Send me an email and I can tell you what to bring (and the things I wish I brought with me before I left the USA). Here's my email : frostspeed@gmail.com.
Let me know if you have any other questions as well.
Dale

Depends where you are in China. You are in Tianjin. Despite the heavy pollution, Tianjin is a decent, first-tier city. I'm in Shenzhen and some of the teachers here are making 150 to 250 rmb/hr. One teacher I know was recently offered 8000 rmb/month to give private lessons to a wealthy businessman. That is not the norm but those opportunities do exist.

Shoot for 250 rmb/hr but expect about 150 - 200 rmb/hr.

EF is a large language school outfit. Some ESL teachers call it a 'language mill'. There are 2 types of EF language centers. Many are franchised/privately owned. The other is corporate owned and operated. Some of the private centers have had a bad reputation depending on its location. Last I heard is that EF is attempting to buy out all the privately owned centers and make them all a corporate chain. Ask if the center in Jakarta is corporate or franchised. You can also ask other teachers on Dave's ESL Cafe (www.eslcafe.com) if they have any experience working for EF. I'm near Hong Kong so I don't know much about EF in Jakarta.

EF is all over China and they are expanding rapidly. You may want to consider working for them in China.

Couldn't agree more with what everyone has said here. Stephen has given some of the best advice on this forum in regards to teaching in China (or anywhere else in the world). I work with people who are mellow, easy-going, and adapt very well to the environment here in Shenzhen. They rarely complain and when they do they usually just laugh it off. For example, hearing a jackhammer outside their apartment at 5 a.m. They come to work a little tired that day but they accept that this is part of life in China, especially a big city.

On the other hand, I work with people who complain and whine daily. They hate the people they work with, they don't like the students, they think Chinese culture is weird, they hate Chinese people, they hate China, they don't like the company they work for. My question to them : WHY ARE YOU HERE???

I work with Anthony here in Shenzhen and he has blended in well. I'm following his lead. Granted, we have our moments where everything isn't as we want it to be but you have those same moments back in your home country. Everyday I learn something new here and I really enjoy living in Shenzhen. My neighborhood is great and I am within walking distance of almost anything I need/want. Can't complain about the school I work for and my coworkers are good people for the most part. My students make my day. They love to tease me but at the same time they respect me. Just the other day, a group of students told me I'm like a big brother who looks out for them. They respect that I have high expectations but I also never yell or show disrespect to my students.

Smile, make your students laugh, and show them respect. You will get the same from them 10x over! Remember, it's not about you ... it's about the students.

Global Tesol should make this thread a sticked topic and lock it. After reading all the postings, this thread has some great input and useful information for anyone looking to start a teaching career in China. Unfortunately, the immigration laws and processes change often so this topic could be out of date in a few months.

Recently I heard that many cities/provinces in China will not even send your invite letter to Japan or Korea anymore. One guy was specifically told he MUST receive the invite letter in his home country. Just a few months ago, you could receive your invite letter and process your Z visa in Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. No longer the case, apparently.

And don't even think about Taiwan. As far as the Chinese government is concerned, Taiwan is still 'in country' and you are not out of China.

However, these are the current rules and laws and they are subject to change at any time. Also, every city and province has different visa requirements and processes. Bigger cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou) have much tougher requirements and restrictions. Smaller cities seem to be more lenient.

Another important thing to take into account is the relationship of your home country. The USA will NOT allow Chinese citizens to come into the USA unless they are married to an American citizen or have proper work/business visas that cost the earth to get. My experience was painful because a U.S. diplomat decided to open his big mouth and insult some Chinese immigration officials. That's the story I've heard. Other American teachers I've run into here in Shenzhen said they had the same delay.

As for the L visa. I would not come over to China on an L visa and look for work. You can try it BUT you must go to Hong Kong, Korea, or Japan to receive the invitation letter then apply for the Z visa. What a pain!

If you are from NZ then you may not be subject to the medical check before you go to China. You will have a medical check when you arrive and your employer will provide it. Make sure they do!

Your employer will provide you with all the necessary documentation on the work visa. Don't sweat it. Make sure they cover the cost of the work visa too. All you need to really do is get the documentation from your employer and find a reliable passport/visa agent in your home country. They will tell you what information and paperwork you need to provide. After that, let them do the legwork.

Also, ask them what area of Shenzhen you will be living/working. The closer to a subway line you are the better it will be for you as far as your daily life is concerned.

Also, I posted a thread about obtaining a Chinese Z visa to work legally here in China. It was posted about a month ago. Check it over so you will get an idea of what you will be busy doing for a couple weeks. Good luck!