Get PAID for Teaching in China

[Lorean]

Hey, is it reasonable for a new teacher with less than a year of experience to ask for that much money? Thanks

[exported_kiwi]

Nope, doubt it very much indeed, unless you're referring to the 2 cents worth. If this is the case, then, yep, I'd sure as hell expect so! It all depends on where you are, your recommendation, if any, and also your contract.

Most places aren't too happy if you decide to renegotiate your contract while it's still in force, although usually, there is a mechanism for this within the contract. But if you look at yours, I'd imagine it'd read something like "if mutually agreed on by both parties, this contract can be amended" etc etc etc. Look for that phrase/clause, then ask what you want and why, do you deserve it and why and what if you don't get it. There IS such a thing called face and if you lose it, things won't be the same again for you, wherever you are!

Just a few words, probably have more but I can't think of em right now, haveta go dream of earning real money, not this monopoly stuff, hehehe.

Nuff said!

[Hypiereon]

"Lorean Hey, is it reasonable for a new teacher with less than a year of experience to ask for that much money?"

First I'm going to agree with <exported_kiwi> in that maybe asking for that much with less than a year of experience may be asking too much.

Now, I'm going to disagree.

I think it's a good idea to start high in any situation where you're going to be negotiating. The people who have the experience can stand firm, wheras someone without experience may want to "give in" a little to get the job if they really wanted it.

The point of this post to begin with was to put an end to the crappy original offers being made to EVERYONE - regardless of experience level. To that end, I think it's a GREAT idea for EVERYONE to make high original demands on their contracts - that does not necessarily translate into "reasonable" though, simply because the more experienced people should be getting paid more.

The "first-timers" who can confidently stand firm on their original high salary requests are those with teaching experience back in their home country. If you have two years teaching experience anywhere, have a 4 year degree, and a TEFL or TESL Cert to add to that, you'd be shooting yourself in the foot from the get-go to accept anything less than the highest possible salary you can get.

In-country experience should boost your salary even further.

Like I said though, the whole point of this post was to discourage any school, company, tutoring contractor, from offering anything less than a solid first offer that was the highest we could get it because we all - first timers and veterans alike, stopped accepting the low end offers out there - PERIOD!! For a system to change, everyone has to be on board.

[trionyxx]

thanks, Hypiereon. you've perked me up a bit. all the same, i wonder if this will work for non-native ESL teachers

[Hypiereon]

Unfortunately, the answer would be either "Probably not" or an outright "No." See my post on "Hope vs. Reality" on the topic of non-native speakers. Not that you cannot get the salary native speakers get, but just getting the job will be difficult. If you get the job, salary issues are a separate step in the process.

I'll say this, if you have a strong prospect of getting a job, take it now, and bargain with another school on salary later. This way you get what you need - the job - and you can feel secure and get experience in the bargaining process when you are searching for another school. Trying to be too pushy as a non-native speaker without a job in your back-pocket is probably not going to work.

If you have a specific question or scenario you would like to ask about, let me know and I'll try to answer it for you.

For now, I'd like to post a very interesting letter from someone I have never met but who obviously has read over this thread and forum quite extensively. I can only assume they are either a Chinese recruiter, Chinese teacher, or someone who works in a foreign affairs department at a school.

Check it out at http://www.aacircle.com.au/forums/te...ting-paid.html

[DouceGen]

Thanks for the information, I am leaving for YangShuo in July, and will keep that in mind, if I decide to stay, and continue teaching!

[Brisbanian]

Nice thread Hyperion.

A lot of useful information and advice.

Cheers

[ivan19]

Thanks for the info. I hope it is up to date though, as per today! Thanks anyway!

[ivan19]

Originally Posted by Keith Norrie

What about just arriving with out a work visa?

Even if I'm kind of a newbie here, I agree with [ ichini ]: better to be legal in all matters in all ways!

[owdc]

I have been teaching in China for about nine years now. I have also been introducing teachers to schools for about five years.

Why do teachers come to China anyway? Is money the most important thing?

I thought teaching in China was more noble than that. Building cultural bridges, developing understanding and helping your students.

"Basically it works out like this. Schools need teachers, so you sign with one just to get yourself over here -- and then once you are here you try to find a more desperate school that is willing to pay more to put a foreign face in the classroom." (Hypiereon)

This is certainly nothing to be proud of.

"Don't let their griping and complaining about how much foreigners get paid versus what they get paid dissuade YOU from getting paid." (Hypiereon)

This whole thread seems to be about GREED and I would suggest that you guys are losing the true meaning of coming to teach in China.

Before you start trying to screw the maximum money out of your school, consider the following:
1. There are different kinds of schools in China.
Private schools are businesses. With money as the priority, school fees are high, wages are high. Generally only well-off students can attend.

Public schools are limited by the government as to how much they can charge their students. They are also given guidelines for maximum teachers wages which take into account factors such as local cost of living and how much funding a school receives. Which is where this 3000 - 4000 RMB per month wage comes from.

Now what some public schools do is invite a foreign teacher and have "special English classes" which they charge students more for. Often a lot more. So again, only the well-off students have contact with the foreign teacher.

Not very fair.

But there are public schools and universities which do not charge extra for the foreign teachers classes. That is all the students have equal opportunity.

2. Some areas of China have more money off than others. Large cities (e.g. Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin) have more than small ones. Tourist cities like Chengdu, Kunming and Yangshuo have more. So of course wages can be higher.

3. I have taught at schools were my fellow Chinese teachers were getting 800 RMB per month. If you were them, what would your opinion be of another teacher getting 3000 and asking for more?

Ha. LOL.

As I said at the beginning of this, I do introduce teachers to schools in China and if anyone reading this is interested in teaching at a reputable school rather than filling your pockets, then I can recommend some good schools to you.

Please send me an email.

Chris Sands.
Email: owdc.contact@yahoo.co.uk
Phone: 0086 22 8194 3674
Website: http://owdc.org