I teach teenagers in Shanghai, so its less ABCs and more discussing the moral responsibilities of letting your friend date the local bad boy, and the girl defending her argument by quoting Catcher in the Rye.
I taught literature and ESL writing through English departments at universities in Beijing for seven years, and loved it -- great lifestyle, the students could be outstanding, and at universities everything was aboveboard. That said, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone looking to go into teaching or especially academia in their home country, which was my plan (you either need to work for a shorter time, maybe two years max, or for like 20 years and groom yourself as a pundit). After moving back to the US it took years to transition into a new career, and, to be honest, the lifestyle in China was at least materially better.
I've been teaching for about 3 years now, and for the past 2 years at least my experience has been fairly similar to Dhiten's. My school's structure is a bit different to his (we don't have to work until 3pm on weekdays) but overall the experience is largely the same.
I taught in China for a year and all the people who complained the most were foreigners who did not even try to get out of that foreigner bubble. If you go, learn Chinese, make local friends, don't just hang out with other foreigner. Don't just eat pizza and KFC, try a new local restaurant every day. Just wander around and find new interesting places. That way "a a Apple" is just something you get paid for, not something that kills you on the inside, at least that's how i managed to truly enjoy the experience.
I'm finishing up my second year soon, when I arrived we were a group of about a dozen foreigners from a number of countries. One american (she was soooooo american) acted like she wanted to stay in asia for a few years, she played really hard at being miss popular (big personalitybut could be really overbearing) and sure enough, she ran right back to the US at the end of her first year. Actually, many of that group of 12 have now returned home. I really like it here
You remind me of someone I worked with in my first job in China who said “you are toooooooo American” but constantly complained about chinese people and somehow wanted to go to Miami with the Americans lmao and bragged about how GREAT South Africa was and was better than every other country. Is this you?
Hello from NY! It was a very interesting video! We are an ESL school located in New York, owned by Chinese American educators. (I myself am not Chinese, though.) I will come back to check more videos again because I am interested in knowing the English education situation in China. Thank you for the wonderful videos!!
I envy Dhiten. I teach Indonesian language in Guangxi and I had to wake up at 6.00 am in the morning every weekdays coz my class starts at 7.50 am. Btw me and Dhiten share the alarm sound LOL.
Indonesian Language? When I think of Indonesian, I think of massacres of chinese Indonesians... Why would any Chinese people want to learn that language and go there😳😳😳 Have things changed?
@@hobbiestuart9591 people learn language for the business opportunities it provides, if there is a great market for Chinese companies in Indonesia, then those companies will start to look for chinese people speaking Indonesian, even send some of their staff learn it before going there doing business
@@osoiii The lastest anti-Chinese INdonesians happened in 2000s I guess. When it comes to Japan, at least you do not have to be afraid of being killed by Japanese people in 2000s
@@zahfys Of course I know that. I am just mad at what they have done to.those innocent people back in 1970s and 2000s. What a savage and terrible country. I would never go there.
12:50 its true about working in the same profession for a while, i worked in the retail industry for 7 years straight and by year number 5 i was dead inside. Was good experience but ill never do it again
This looked like a good school that had proper teaching aids and equipment. A lot of them are not that good. Also, there is a lot of burn out. A lot of ESL teachers last about six months.
Thanks for the flashback 😊 My biggest problem with China, well any country where foreigners standout, is always being an outsider and living in a bubble. You meet wonderful people, but so often have to say goodbye forever when their contracts end. I'd still recommend the experience. Just do reseach!!!!
my biggest problem with expats, is always worrying about them leaving and the income inequality cuz expats always earn much more than the average chinese counterparts. u meet wonderful people, but so often have to say goodbye forever when they get tired of u (cuz they always have ppl wanting to be friends with them) or the country.
@@invisi6l339 Interesting comment. Sounds like you're commenting from the other side of the expat experience. May I ask what you do? *I agree with you the income inequality is extreme*. I knew a school where the Chinese assistant teacher got RMB 3'000pm and the American teacher got RMB 30'000pm. (The American has a Masters Degree... Pays taxes in China and the USA and after 10 years teaching still paying off student loans). For real teachers (not just the ones that come for one year of fun) Chinese schools need to pay market related salaries plus expenses for teachers to leave their home country, friends and family. But the Chinese schools should take better care of their local teachers as well. Again I'd still recommend the experience for anyone, but do extensive research on the school, city and what's to be expected. Have fun, but work hard! PS My salary was half that of an American with equal qualifications.
@@chantelles3641 im unfortunately unemployed atm but i used to work low-skilled, low income job. thanks to the internet im able to learn english and gain uncersored information, learn about differnet perspectives. it opened up a new world to me and i began to meet expats irl. i thought if the two have no problem communicating and they happen to share similar worldviews, values etc they can make a connection and become good friends... until i found out that income level (which is basically an indicator of ur social status) affects a lot of things..... like the average ordinary chinese person just cant afford to be friends with expats, despite having education level etc. this becomes a class problem. everytime i wanna go out with an expat they have to go to cheaper restaurants for me and i feel really awkward bc of that. i understand many westerners wont care about social status and would enjoy hanging out with u anyways but its just embarassing lol. and u cant have the same experience like they do etc... even tho we're just humans... but live very different lives
@@invisi6l339 Thanks for sharing your experience. I've 6 best friends. One is Chinese. She is the light of my life. If it wasn't for her my life in China would have been horrible!! It's 10 years later and she's still my best friend. In every country and culture there's a class separation. But it comes down to the individual if it's a problem or an opportunity to learn more about others. When I was in China I loved trying new food and having new experiences no matter the status. Sometimes foreigners are scared to try the little restaurant or streets food carts because they can't communicate with the locals. They might want to try it, but are too shy to ask! Some foreigners really want to support the family owned restaurants. Please don't be ashamed of that. It's a good thing!! Maybe try to show your friends some great free parks or open air dancing or public events. Perhaps show them some fun board games. I wish I could have played in the parks. Tip: Don't invite new foreigners to swim with you in their first few months. Years later I realized it's a culture difference, but in the beginning it made me very very uncomfortable and I actively tried to avoid being friends with the creepy co-workers that wanted to "swim together" or "play together". I did not think I was better than my Chinese coworkers, but the invites came across very sexual to my ears. Then I learned a bit of Mandarin and understood their meaning. Sometimes it's just miscommunication. If people only want to be your friend when you spend money it's not a healthy relationship regardless if they are locals or foreigners. PS I knew some terrible Chinese and other foreign people too. Not because they were Chinese, Black or White but because they were unkind people. I hope you meet some kind friends ❤️😊
I let myself be wrangled into illegal teaching in Shandong. It was fun the first time, and the excitement stopped there. I was eventually let go because the boss was watching on the cameras, and said I didn't have enough facial expressions. I was replaced by my uni classmate. Another school told me I needed to be more "crazy" but the last straw was when my uni scholarship "never arrived" and the uni dean had me teach classes for her coworker who started his own ESL business, to pay off my tuition. He was an art professor who liked discussing his erectile dysfunction and some magical African tree bark,with his wife present. In the uni café. Eventually he took off with my wages to Australia to finish his PhD. I grew out my hair and nobody assumed I spoke English anymore. The end?
I taught in a training center like this for 2 years.. it definitely is draining. I work for a bilingual academy now and it’s so much better. You can switch it up and upgrade to a legitimate school if you’re feeling burnt out. Much better pay and time off too..
Been teaching for almost 8 years, unfortunately the industry took a big hit recently with the new policy against private institutions, seen many expats leaving and those staying including myself struggling to find a stable job, I hope China stops discriminating people when applying for a teaching job where they just care about the passport and not experience since many of us have family here and that's all we can do for a living
I was teaching at an international school in Changzhou, where this was filmed for 3 years. I feel bad for ESL teachers because they're just simply not aware of the great jobs available where they could escape the drone and misery of English Centers. All of these native speakers could get jobs that pay 2x what they're making, have awesome schedules, tons of holidays and free housing. Basically ESL teachers are sort of like backpacking teachers---they're not 'teachers' in any traditional sense, they're more 'actors' for a show, that's why they get burnt out. They're minimally qualified foreigners who get the bottom tier jobs---and there's nothing wrong with that if their goal is to explore the world. Teachers who have autonomy have agency, and that will only come when you start looking at bi-lingual or international schools--not English centers. And if you can get those top jobs will live like a king with high job satisfaction.
you need a PGCE, which is 1 year and then two yrs in your home country first, of which for the uk you will be a NQT for those yrs instead of 1 as the government added an extra year.
Many are aware there's better jobs but China discriminates teachers that don't come from a Native English speaking country even if they are fluent with years of teaching experience
@@BAOMANDO They should discriminate, because most non native speakers are far worse than they believe they are. Non natives teaching English are the reason for bad English around the world.
Currently an ESL teacher in Vietnam, but I plan on moving into teaching online part time and being a digital nomad for a while. I definitely want to something else on the side too though.
Those kids are adorable! I cracked up at the girl pulling the skirt over her face, I've seen my students do that kind of stuff. Also the test had me laughing, "No I have" "Say 'No. I don't' " man I know that feeling all too well lmao Somehow comforting to see Chinese students are the same everywhere to an extent. Seems like a decent school, but man office hours seem like such a drag, I'm really glad my school doesn't have mandatory office hours. I usually get all my class prep done within 2 hours just once a week, which we get paid for at my school as well of course, then I just have 2-4 hours of class Tues-Sat. Sunday is the only super busy day for me. As for the classrooms whats the deal with the TV PC thing? No digital whiteboard and desktop PC for him to teach the class with? Seems like such a big school should have that standard. Also sucks his school doesn't pay for the rent(?), most decent schools providing housing or a housing stipend. My wife and I live in a super nice 2 bedroom 2 bath and my school pays for 2/3rds of the rent, which in our small town (about 1 mill population) in China is already insanely low to begin with. As soon as you guys said that place is 2k+ I winced, big Chinese cities are so overpriced. My apartment costs about the same for twice the space plus as I said I don't even pay the full rent. Not humble bragging here, just trying to give other potential expats some comparison. I highly recommend a smaller town, just make sure the school is good.
"big Chinese cities are so overpriced" Mate, go to Shanghai and tell someone that you think this guy's apartment is overpriced... Don't forget salaries are also higher in the bigger cities, so even if small towns are cheaper, they are not necessarily the better choice and you might end up with more money after all expenses in the bigger cities.
Okay this is so helpful, I leave in August 2020 to teach English for 6 months in Beijing and honestly I'm terrified. But this makes it seem not so scary. Thank you guys :D
This reminds me of my time. 6 years of teaching. Moved back to the states, got married and divorced. Have a kid. Half Chinese and half indian. Got the CPA amd running my own small business. Miss those simple times of China where it was teaching women and beer
I’ve been living in China for 4 years now. First year at a large private boarding high school with a tiny international department (2 foreign teachers) and the last 3 freelancing and teaching online to kids 4-7. I don’t like it and this video made me feel anxious and sad. My husband is Chinese so I feel trapped here. I hate teaching English but no real other options for foreigners in my small city. No one would hire me to do anything else. The burnout is so real. Even though I only average 2 teaching hours per day, I’m always exhausted from it, as all my energy goes into that “performance”. Sadly my livelihood depends mostly on excellent reviews from parents, most of whom never leave reviews, and even one bad one (justified or not) brings my average down enough to keep me from getting many bookings. Would like to leave China ASAP.
Wait why would you want to be a teacher in the first place? Or you can go teach English in a country whose native language is English (i.e US) Like if you hate teaching English, find another job? You should do a job that you like, not for the pay...
I completely agree. You can get 100% through a decent agency anyway as they can charge the school a one off advertising or 'finders fee' instead of touching a teachers salary. Those agents garnishing salaries are ridiculous. I started the agency Noon Elite Recruitment mentioned above in this vid 5 years ago and I'm pleased to say we continue to work just fine on placement fees alone and giving teachers like Dhiten 100% of their salaries. I'd love to see salary garnishing thing in this industry disappear completely. It's so mean to work hard each month for somebody else- just doesn't seem fair.
Love these documentaries. More! I need more! BTW, when you guys mentioned the burn out, I couldn’t help but think of the sketch about the burnt out ESL teachers. The guy even used the A is for Apples in the video. LOL! ruclips.net/video/bdYRk3wRuk4/видео.html
Mamahuhu, thank you for all your hard work! This is where I come when Korean Life videos aren't quite cutting it (the moment in the "Reverse Culture Shock" vid where the man doesn't know which trash can to use so throws garbage into the river? Iconic. I felt that. Have almost done that here in Seoul). Like Dhiten I also left the science/medical industry in my later twenties to teach in Asia. And has Marius considered opening his own fitness facility in Shanghai? Seems to combine his experience in teaching with knowledge of health/wellness. I'm considering a move to China after Korea so these types of videos, along with your documentaries and skits give me a much better understanding of what I might be getting into. Cheers and happy Monday~
Sorry for the late reply here but it's me Dhiten from the video... thanks for highlighting your thoughts and this was just a small snippet into the life in China.
Dhiten, (in case you are reading this comment) as a former ESL teacher who has worked in China until recently I am suggesting you to challenge your students more. Do not hesitate to do it. They are way past the age at which they should learn about body parts. I used to have a Pre-K class that was extremely advanced and the students were able to make some sophisticated expressions (for 6-year-olds) like "I've been to Suzhou, Nanjing, etc. My hobbies are dancing, playing the piano, etc." and they actually used them properly. It was not something they learned by heart. You will be amazed at how much the Chinese kids can do if you just give them some competition and challenges. Good luck and drink more hot water! :D
It definitely depends on the group of students. There are young kids with great English, and many High Schoolers with poor English. Level should not be based on the students' age, but background and ability.
@@apterousgargoyle Mate, that little video snippet does not give enough information for you to come to that conclusion, you're just speculating there without knowing anything about these kids
@@bennoon2505 Well the "entrepreneur" category is quite expansive in reality. Plus, there are many overseas companies with a presence in China. I just don't see how it's more limited than anywhere else expats from developed countries go. Understandably, they only want people who can add value, not replace the jobs of local people. China needs to create 10M jobs a year to ensure everyone who wants a job has one.
Most of that schools only value your passport (so-called "native speakerism"), not your level of language proficiency. Unfortunately! That's so great to have a decent accent by just being born somewhere, which takes much efforts for people who are not so lucky with a birthplace, but doesnt hecking mean we can't speak a lang at the same level as they speak, will Chinese understand that sometime?
It's because the teachers are frauds, most just take advantage of their white skin and US/UK citizenship and think they are qualified to teach English before realizing they were never a teacher in the first place and blame their problems on China when they wouldn't be half qualified to teach in the US
I wish they would introduce more communicative language teaching methods... I know many Asian countries have a lot of drilling and learning by heart in their curricula, but the point of hiring “native speakers“ and foreigners is to have fresh perspective and new teaching methods. I would rather have my children taught by professionalised Chinese English teachers than native speakers.
no offense, but his career ideas are a joke. Teaching English in China and then thinking about "doing something with China" when he goes back does not really work that well. Also teaching after returning isn't really an option unless he wants to work for a low salary in a private company or actually get the appropriate qualifications (considering that he worked for the NHS before it is probably safe to assume he doesn't have the required background). Also - unlike so many expat English teachers think - teaching English in China does not make you a China expert. Many people go into those teaching jobs thinking they will help them further their career prospects back home - they don't. Unless you want to make a career out of teaching English, this might be a nice gap year experience, but nothing more
I agree with you on some of these points but do strongly believe that time in China can open up new things. I mean there are a lot of City jobs in London giving preference to British nationals that can speak Mandarin. Also I think a lot of those with the guts to live in China for a year gain a lot of independence and confidence in life and come back much more employable- particularly compared to those that took a 'gap yaar' out in Australia to 'find themselves' when you know they probably spent a lot of time there getting hammered and smoking weed- not the kind of activities that look good on a CV.
@@bennoon2505 If you come out of in actually having put in the effort to learn Mandarin, that's one thing. However, so many of these English teachers can speak limited Chinese at best and can't really hold a conversation. Teaching in China is a good opportunity to pick up Chinese outside of work, however many teachers don't take advantage of that opportunity.
@@iGeekozoid I fully agree and can confirm some teachers do. I can speak fluent Mandarin to Chinese colleagues but it took over 2 years and as mamy teachers only stop a year I think its understandable mamy cant do this. Do fully agree that everyone coming to China has the responsibility to study hard and learn Mandarin. Its such a game changer to be bilingual and 讲普通话.
@@bennoon2505 yeah, no. Going to China to teach English for a year is just like going to Australia to find yourself. It does not give you a competitive edge. Also, in order to actually get one of those jobs requiring Mandarin, you have to be fluent. Which you are not after one year and most of those English teachers never get beyond average conversational Chinese even after staying there for years.
It really depends on how you market yourself, which I don't think most returning ESL teachers do very well. You could transition into online teaching, private tutoring, or working in a center, either as a teacher or in an admin role. I know a couple people who teach ESL in the UK and they have their own houses and make a good living. But you could certainly pivot your experiences into various different roles in offices, universities, work involving children, copywriting etc. It depends on the individual, it's what you make of it.
Or... Work hard, get good at it, build up a reputation, command a high salary, get a lux apartment, get a Chinese driver license and a Tesla, live the good life. It's possible if you don't give up.
11:18 Test question for one of the professional high-fiving kids: Do you like motorbikes? The kid's answer: No, I have!!! That is what I call a cutting-edge ESL language center... You are really good at your job, teacher!!!
You are right that a lot of the teachers speak limited Chinese because of their recent arrival to China. Think you'd be plesantly surprised that Dhiten he understands a lot of Chinese but hasn't yet studied characters so he's planning to improve his reading in 2020. I speak Chinese fluency myself now but its not uncommon for me to make a mistake with my speaking especially if someone uses any dialect.
Ben Noon yeah. It’s so easy to get stuck once you start though. I got nothing against going and living there but just spending 10 years teaching English I can’t imagine being happy doing that or feeling a sense of self worth.
@@AndrewByrnes1 Yeah well the problem is they don't want to be teachers in the first place, so why don't they just get a normal job like everyone else does? Why are they all fleeing to China? It sounds like they failed in their home country and trying to find a different place to fit in
I went to school with Dhiten and he is one of my best friends
I cant believe that parents spent half of their household income for childern’s extracurricular😭😭 so much pressure on both parents and childern
I teach teenagers in Shanghai, so its less ABCs and more discussing the moral responsibilities of letting your friend date the local bad boy, and the girl defending her argument by quoting Catcher in the Rye.
Wow id love to teach that lool
Omg is this THE Donovan?!?
I taught literature and ESL writing through English departments at universities in Beijing for seven years, and loved it -- great lifestyle, the students could be outstanding, and at universities everything was aboveboard. That said, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone looking to go into teaching or especially academia in their home country, which was my plan (you either need to work for a shorter time, maybe two years max, or for like 20 years and groom yourself as a pundit). After moving back to the US it took years to transition into a new career, and, to be honest, the lifestyle in China was at least materially better.
I've been teaching for about 3 years now, and for the past 2 years at least my experience has been fairly similar to Dhiten's. My school's structure is a bit different to his (we don't have to work until 3pm on weekdays) but overall the experience is largely the same.
Had to check my phone when I heard the first alarm
I taught in China for a year and all the people who complained the most were foreigners who did not even try to get out of that foreigner bubble. If you go, learn Chinese, make local friends, don't just hang out with other foreigner. Don't just eat pizza and KFC, try a new local restaurant every day. Just wander around and find new interesting places. That way "a a Apple" is just something you get paid for, not something that kills you on the inside, at least that's how i managed to truly enjoy the experience.
I'm finishing up my second year soon, when I arrived we were a group of about a dozen foreigners from a number of countries. One american (she was soooooo american) acted like she wanted to stay in asia for a few years, she played really hard at being miss popular (big personalitybut could be really overbearing) and sure enough, she ran right back to the US at the end of her first year. Actually, many of that group of 12 have now returned home. I really like it here
You remind me of someone I worked with in my first job in China who said “you are toooooooo American” but constantly complained about chinese people and somehow wanted to go to Miami with the Americans lmao and bragged about how GREAT South Africa was and was better than every other country. Is this you?
@@abbytrapp8258 LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
This reminded me of my days in China 🥺💕
Hello from NY! It was a very interesting video! We are an ESL school located in New York, owned by Chinese American educators. (I myself am not Chinese, though.) I will come back to check more videos again because I am interested in knowing the English education situation in China. Thank you for the wonderful videos!!
This video triggered my ESL PTSD. Glad I was able to experience it but left after a year.
Same. Something died inside. Also I didn’t like not having flexible hours.
Same
Didn't take me long to realize I wasn't meant to be a teacher. Chinese kids can be a bit unforgiving too.
wow PTSD
this video was very encompassing, thanks!!
I envy Dhiten. I teach Indonesian language in Guangxi and I had to wake up at 6.00 am in the morning every weekdays coz my class starts at 7.50 am. Btw me and Dhiten share the alarm sound LOL.
Indonesian Language? When I think of Indonesian, I think of massacres of chinese Indonesians... Why would any Chinese people want to learn that language and go there😳😳😳
Have things changed?
@@hobbiestuart9591 people learn language for the business opportunities it provides, if there is a great market for Chinese companies in Indonesia, then those companies will start to look for chinese people speaking Indonesian, even send some of their staff learn it before going there doing business
@@osoiii The lastest anti-Chinese INdonesians happened in 2000s I guess.
When it comes to Japan, at least you do not have to be afraid of being killed by Japanese people in 2000s
@@zahfys Of course I know that. I am just mad at what they have done to.those innocent people back in 1970s and 2000s. What a savage and terrible country. I would never go there.
12:50 its true about working in the same profession for a while, i worked in the retail industry for 7 years straight and by year number 5 i was dead inside. Was good experience but ill never do it again
Anybody else expected this to be a parody?
Yes I was expecting some Eastern European who don't speak any English
@@benkysan3246 me too
I like these documentaries. Alessio are you going to make more know you are back in the UK
Hopefully but probably not in this same style.
Wait! No parents observing the class!? Damn I wish my school was like this one 😂 we have all the parents looking throught the window, in Shanghai
Same here
Wow! Why is that??
We only had CCTV and the parent were not allowed to come inside except if theres meeting with parents.
This looked like a good school that had proper teaching aids and equipment. A lot of them are not that good. Also, there is a lot of burn out. A lot of ESL teachers last about six months.
Thanks for the flashback 😊 My biggest problem with China, well any country where foreigners standout, is always being an outsider and living in a bubble. You meet wonderful people, but so often have to say goodbye forever when their contracts end. I'd still recommend the experience. Just do reseach!!!!
my biggest problem with expats, is always worrying about them leaving and the income inequality cuz expats always earn much more than the average chinese counterparts. u meet wonderful people, but so often have to say goodbye forever when they get tired of u (cuz they always have ppl wanting to be friends with them) or the country.
@@invisi6l339 Interesting comment. Sounds like you're commenting from the other side of the expat experience. May I ask what you do?
*I agree with you the income inequality is extreme*. I knew a school where the Chinese assistant teacher got RMB 3'000pm and the American teacher got RMB 30'000pm. (The American has a Masters Degree... Pays taxes in China and the USA and after 10 years teaching still paying off student loans). For real teachers (not just the ones that come for one year of fun) Chinese schools need to pay market related salaries plus expenses for teachers to leave their home country, friends and family. But the Chinese schools should take better care of their local teachers as well.
Again I'd still recommend the experience for anyone, but do extensive research on the school, city and what's to be expected. Have fun, but work hard!
PS
My salary was half that of an American with equal qualifications.
@@chantelles3641 im unfortunately unemployed atm but i used to work low-skilled, low income job. thanks to the internet im able to learn english and gain uncersored information, learn about differnet perspectives. it opened up a new world to me and i began to meet expats irl.
i thought if the two have no problem communicating and they happen to share similar worldviews, values etc they can make a connection and become good friends... until i found out that income level (which is basically an indicator of ur social status) affects a lot of things..... like the average ordinary chinese person just cant afford to be friends with expats, despite having education level etc. this becomes a class problem. everytime i wanna go out with an expat they have to go to cheaper restaurants for me and i feel really awkward bc of that. i understand many westerners wont care about social status and would enjoy hanging out with u anyways but its just embarassing lol. and u cant have the same experience like they do etc... even tho we're just humans... but live very different lives
@@invisi6l339 Thanks for sharing your experience.
I've 6 best friends. One is Chinese. She is the light of my life. If it wasn't for her my life in China would have been horrible!! It's 10 years later and she's still my best friend.
In every country and culture there's a class separation. But it comes down to the individual if it's a problem or an opportunity to learn more about others.
When I was in China I loved trying new food and having new experiences no matter the status. Sometimes foreigners are scared to try the little restaurant or streets food carts because they can't communicate with the locals. They might want to try it, but are too shy to ask! Some foreigners really want to support the family owned restaurants. Please don't be ashamed of that. It's a good thing!! Maybe try to show your friends some great free parks or open air dancing or public events. Perhaps show them some fun board games. I wish I could have played in the parks.
Tip: Don't invite new foreigners to swim with you in their first few months. Years later I realized it's a culture difference, but in the beginning it made me very very uncomfortable and I actively tried to avoid being friends with the creepy co-workers that wanted to "swim together" or "play together". I did not think I was better than my Chinese coworkers, but the invites came across very sexual to my ears. Then I learned a bit of Mandarin and understood their meaning. Sometimes it's just miscommunication.
If people only want to be your friend when you spend money it's not a healthy relationship regardless if they are locals or foreigners.
PS I knew some terrible Chinese and other foreign people too. Not because they were Chinese, Black or White but because they were unkind people.
I hope you meet some kind friends ❤️😊
I let myself be wrangled into illegal teaching in Shandong. It was fun the first time, and the excitement stopped there. I was eventually let go because the boss was watching on the cameras, and said I didn't have enough facial expressions. I was replaced by my uni classmate. Another school told me I needed to be more "crazy" but the last straw was when my uni scholarship "never arrived" and the uni dean had me teach classes for her coworker who started his own ESL business, to pay off my tuition. He was an art professor who liked discussing his erectile dysfunction and some magical African tree bark,with his wife present. In the uni café. Eventually he took off with my wages to Australia to finish his PhD. I grew out my hair and nobody assumed I spoke English anymore. The end?
How's it going now?
I wish parks in America were like that! I remember parks in Taiwan being very similar, especially early in the morning.
Parks in Japan too. You'll get invited to so many fun stuff
I have taught in China for 2 years so far. Great experience, but don't wanna do that more thab few more years, u gotta move on in life
Not everyone can be a teacher
I taught in a training center like this for 2 years.. it definitely is draining. I work for a bilingual academy now and it’s so much better. You can switch it up and upgrade to a legitimate school if you’re feeling burnt out. Much better pay and time off too..
Memories of a time with heavy mixed feelings
The narrator's accent sounds quite Scottish am I right?
Yes you are!
Been teaching for almost 8 years, unfortunately the industry took a big hit recently with the new policy against private institutions, seen many expats leaving and those staying including myself struggling to find a stable job, I hope China stops discriminating people when applying for a teaching job where they just care about the passport and not experience since many of us have family here and that's all we can do for a living
Great video! China looks like an amazing place to live and work.
I was teaching at an international school in Changzhou, where this was filmed for 3 years. I feel bad for ESL teachers because they're just simply not aware of the great jobs available where they could escape the drone and misery of English Centers. All of these native speakers could get jobs that pay 2x what they're making, have awesome schedules, tons of holidays and free housing.
Basically ESL teachers are sort of like backpacking teachers---they're not 'teachers' in any traditional sense, they're more 'actors' for a show, that's why they get burnt out. They're minimally qualified foreigners who get the bottom tier jobs---and there's nothing wrong with that if their goal is to explore the world.
Teachers who have autonomy have agency, and that will only come when you start looking at bi-lingual or international schools--not English centers. And if you can get those top jobs will live like a king with high job satisfaction.
you need a PGCE, which is 1 year and then two yrs in your home country first, of which for the uk you will be a NQT for those yrs instead of 1 as the government added an extra year.
Many are aware there's better jobs but China discriminates teachers that don't come from a Native English speaking country even if they are fluent with years of teaching experience
@@BAOMANDO They should discriminate, because most non native speakers are far worse than they believe they are. Non natives teaching English are the reason for bad English around the world.
I don't know one teacher who "lives like a king" even qualified teachers, even principals of international schools. The salary seems... low.
@@josephtowers1343 sounds like you don't know anyone then. Qualified teachers earing six figures is pretty common, and Principals way way above that.
Cool video! Cheers :-)
9:41. I thought he was going to say Sparta for a second.
Hahaha I wish I had said that. Damn. Missed a perfect opportunity.
Currently an ESL teacher in Vietnam, but I plan on moving into teaching online part time and being a digital nomad for a while. I definitely want to something else on the side too though.
Do you enjoy it over in Vietnam?
I’m so excited to see such a video as I was born and raised in changzhou.Changzhou is not as prosperous as Shanghai but it has its own charm.
Working on weekends, come ooooon
Those kids are adorable! I cracked up at the girl pulling the skirt over her face, I've seen my students do that kind of stuff. Also the test had me laughing, "No I have" "Say 'No. I don't' " man I know that feeling all too well lmao
Somehow comforting to see Chinese students are the same everywhere to an extent.
Seems like a decent school, but man office hours seem like such a drag, I'm really glad my school doesn't have mandatory office hours.
I usually get all my class prep done within 2 hours just once a week, which we get paid for at my school as well of course, then I just have 2-4 hours of class Tues-Sat. Sunday is the only super busy day for me. As for the classrooms whats the deal with the TV PC thing? No digital whiteboard and desktop PC for him to teach the class with? Seems like such a big school should have that standard.
Also sucks his school doesn't pay for the rent(?), most decent schools providing housing or a housing stipend. My wife and I live in a super nice 2 bedroom 2 bath and my school pays for 2/3rds of the rent, which in our small town (about 1 mill population) in China is already insanely low to begin with. As soon as you guys said that place is 2k+ I winced, big Chinese cities are so overpriced. My apartment costs about the same for twice the space plus as I said I don't even pay the full rent.
Not humble bragging here, just trying to give other potential expats some comparison. I highly recommend a smaller town, just make sure the school is good.
"big Chinese cities are so overpriced" Mate, go to Shanghai and tell someone that you think this guy's apartment is overpriced...
Don't forget salaries are also higher in the bigger cities, so even if small towns are cheaper, they are not necessarily the better choice and you might end up with more money after all expenses in the bigger cities.
I swear I thought it was my alarm going off at the beginning lol
I am an ESL teacher in Cangzhou too Vai. Are you still here in Cangzhou?
Okay this is so helpful, I leave in August 2020 to teach English for 6 months in Beijing and honestly I'm terrified. But this makes it seem not so scary. Thank you guys :D
Eh. Your China experience may vary. Especially with such a big city like Beijing. I've been in Shanghai for a while now. Still, I wish you good luck!
I hope it goes well, good luck!
The air is very dirty in Beijing. You will enjoy a lot of coughing during winter.
@@franzpeters3824 I remember a couple of morons like you b1tching about Beijing smoke while smoking 😌😌😌
Nothing to be scared of, Beijing is lovely!
how much was their lunch in rmb?
Usually about 20 rmb
Training center life...never again. Much happier within normal school hours.
I miss China so much. Can't wait to go back.
Why?
@@ploplo8372 make easy money .
This reminds me of my time. 6 years of teaching. Moved back to the states, got married and divorced. Have a kid. Half Chinese and half indian. Got the CPA amd running my own small business. Miss those simple times of China where it was teaching women and beer
I’ve been living in China for 4 years now. First year at a large private boarding high school with a tiny international department (2 foreign teachers) and the last 3 freelancing and teaching online to kids 4-7. I don’t like it and this video made me feel anxious and sad. My husband is Chinese so I feel trapped here. I hate teaching English but no real other options for foreigners in my small city. No one would hire me to do anything else. The burnout is so real. Even though I only average 2 teaching hours per day, I’m always exhausted from it, as all my energy goes into that “performance”. Sadly my livelihood depends mostly on excellent reviews from parents, most of whom never leave reviews, and even one bad one (justified or not) brings my average down enough to keep me from getting many bookings. Would like to leave China ASAP.
Amy J I feel you , it can be really stressing , you can try other fields like Hotel receptionist, good luck
Wait why would you want to be a teacher in the first place? Or you can go teach English in a country whose native language is English (i.e US)
Like if you hate teaching English, find another job? You should do a job that you like, not for the pay...
Those kids are so cute ❤️
You can also go directly through a school to get hired, but not many schools want to do that. 100% of your money is nice though lol.
I completely agree. You can get 100% through a decent agency anyway as they can charge the school a one off advertising or 'finders fee' instead of touching a teachers salary. Those agents garnishing salaries are ridiculous. I started the agency Noon Elite Recruitment mentioned above in this vid 5 years ago and I'm pleased to say we continue to work just fine on placement fees alone and giving teachers like Dhiten 100% of their salaries. I'd love to see salary garnishing thing in this industry disappear completely. It's so mean to work hard each month for somebody else- just doesn't seem fair.
4:03 he was waving at those kids and non of them wave back lol 😂
yeah I thought that would not make the cut because it was embarrassing hahaha. Usually they do tend to wave back though.
it's because he is brown.
@@weldon29 hahaha well said.
Dhiten looks like a cool guy. Thanks for sharing!
An apartment at $2500 RMB per month? That's more than I made back in 2000, but I also got free university housing.
If you haven't already found it, there is a bar in Changzhou named Ellen's. If you're a foreigner, they just give away free drinks.
Always wanted to do this but I have a very bad anxiety disorder
It's never too late to try it to build up your confidence step by step. 😀
Love these documentaries. More! I need more! BTW, when you guys mentioned the burn out, I couldn’t help but think of the sketch about the burnt out ESL teachers. The guy even used the A is for Apples in the video. LOL!
ruclips.net/video/bdYRk3wRuk4/видео.html
I was also in Jining shandong
I liked it!
DIDI was only in chinese when I was there in 2015...lucky you guys! I'm Mexican/American and everyone thought that I was from India hahaha!
I'm British Indian but they all thought I was Pakistani 😂
October 2021. How are you doing now?
Probably not teaching English.
British Indian 😘 .. gotcha ya 👍
engineering jobs could easily double the package and provide much better mobility
Mamahuhu, thank you for all your hard work! This is where I come when Korean Life videos aren't quite cutting it (the moment in the "Reverse Culture Shock" vid where the man doesn't know which trash can to use so throws garbage into the river? Iconic. I felt that. Have almost done that here in Seoul). Like Dhiten I also left the science/medical industry in my later twenties to teach in Asia. And has Marius considered opening his own fitness facility in Shanghai? Seems to combine his experience in teaching with knowledge of health/wellness. I'm considering a move to China after Korea so these types of videos, along with your documentaries and skits give me a much better understanding of what I might be getting into. Cheers and happy Monday~
Sorry for the late reply here but it's me Dhiten from the video... thanks for highlighting your thoughts and this was just a small snippet into the life in China.
Dhiten, (in case you are reading this comment) as a former ESL teacher who has worked in China until recently I am suggesting you to challenge your students more. Do not hesitate to do it. They are way past the age at which they should learn about body parts. I used to have a Pre-K class that was extremely advanced and the students were able to make some sophisticated expressions (for 6-year-olds) like "I've been to Suzhou, Nanjing, etc. My hobbies are dancing, playing the piano, etc." and they actually used them properly. It was not something they learned by heart. You will be amazed at how much the Chinese kids can do if you just give them some competition and challenges. Good luck and drink more hot water! :D
i like sleep, play computer, and china
not sure what i could say based on a 15 minute video
It definitely depends on the group of students. There are young kids with great English, and many High Schoolers with poor English. Level should not be based on the students' age, but background and ability.
I am not saying I am the only one who's right. It's just my suggestion based on my impression.
@@apterousgargoyle Mate, that little video snippet does not give enough information for you to come to that conclusion, you're just speculating there without knowing anything about these kids
7:42 Talking about Mamahuhu
DiDi sponsor ?
Such shills
teaching has d best work life balance
.. i don't teach more than 180 days a year .. that is d curriculum
Oh...so he is FBI...
8:41 YOOOOOO Enlighten lego
Big up Leicester!
"potatoes, usually a staple in China"
What? The only staple in China is rice.
EFL ≠ ESL
Are you guys being sponsored by Didi?
Wat？ Sponsorship from Didi? That's some love n hate relationship right there
I love it
I see I click
I love how the American guy makes it seem like options in China are limited for foreigners.
Would you say there's a lot more of them. Which other industries and ventures would you recommend?
@@bennoon2505 Well the "entrepreneur" category is quite expansive in reality. Plus, there are many overseas companies with a presence in China. I just don't see how it's more limited than anywhere else expats from developed countries go. Understandably, they only want people who can add value, not replace the jobs of local people. China needs to create 10M jobs a year to ensure everyone who wants a job has one.
ayy yes then. leicester LE2
Big up LessTarrrr! More of a Nott-in-gum lad myself lol
Leicester LE5 mate 😏
Imagine this life!
i like d middle school age children
...
any younger .. need a nanny 😱
any older .. too late to discipline 😕
A lot of those kids wont be ready for their KET/PET tests. so sad.
Most of that schools only value your passport (so-called "native speakerism"), not your level of language proficiency. Unfortunately! That's so great to have a decent accent by just being born somewhere, which takes much efforts for people who are not so lucky with a birthplace, but doesnt hecking mean we can't speak a lang at the same level as they speak, will Chinese understand that sometime?
really so can anyone just join?
@@rhysstanley7387 any American can
they seem to hate their jobs...
Are those kids actually learning english? lol
It looks like they just learned how to high five
It's because the teachers are frauds, most just take advantage of their white skin and US/UK citizenship and think they are qualified to teach English before realizing they were never a teacher in the first place and blame their problems on China when they wouldn't be half qualified to teach in the US
NHS recruit.
I wish they would introduce more communicative language teaching methods... I know many Asian countries have a lot of drilling and learning by heart in their curricula, but the point of hiring “native speakers“ and foreigners is to have fresh perspective and new teaching methods. I would rather have my children taught by professionalised Chinese English teachers than native speakers.
no offense, but his career ideas are a joke. Teaching English in China and then thinking about "doing something with China" when he goes back does not really work that well. Also teaching after returning isn't really an option unless he wants to work for a low salary in a private company or actually get the appropriate qualifications (considering that he worked for the NHS before it is probably safe to assume he doesn't have the required background). Also - unlike so many expat English teachers think - teaching English in China does not make you a China expert.
Many people go into those teaching jobs thinking they will help them further their career prospects back home - they don't.
Unless you want to make a career out of teaching English, this might be a nice gap year experience, but nothing more
I agree with you on some of these points but do strongly believe that time in China can open up new things. I mean there are a lot of City jobs in London giving preference to British nationals that can speak Mandarin. Also I think a lot of those with the guts to live in China for a year gain a lot of independence and confidence in life and come back much more employable- particularly compared to those that took a 'gap yaar' out in Australia to 'find themselves' when you know they probably spent a lot of time there getting hammered and smoking weed- not the kind of activities that look good on a CV.
@@bennoon2505 If you come out of in actually having put in the effort to learn Mandarin, that's one thing. However, so many of these English teachers can speak limited Chinese at best and can't really hold a conversation. Teaching in China is a good opportunity to pick up Chinese outside of work, however many teachers don't take advantage of that opportunity.
@@iGeekozoid I fully agree and can confirm some teachers do. I can speak fluent Mandarin to Chinese colleagues but it took over 2 years and as mamy teachers only stop a year I think its understandable mamy cant do this. Do fully agree that everyone coming to China has the responsibility to study hard and learn Mandarin. Its such a game changer to be bilingual and 讲普通话.
@@bennoon2505 yeah, no. Going to China to teach English for a year is just like going to Australia to find yourself. It does not give you a competitive edge. Also, in order to actually get one of those jobs requiring Mandarin, you have to be fluent. Which you are not after one year and most of those English teachers never get beyond average conversational Chinese even after staying there for years.
It really depends on how you market yourself, which I don't think most returning ESL teachers do very well. You could transition into online teaching, private tutoring, or working in a center, either as a teacher or in an admin role. I know a couple people who teach ESL in the UK and they have their own houses and make a good living. But you could certainly pivot your experiences into various different roles in offices, universities, work involving children, copywriting etc. It depends on the individual, it's what you make of it.
Very boring life.
ESL TEACHERS PLEASE SAVE YOUR MONEY.
DON'T GET MARRIED.
DON'T DRINK.
GET LOTS OF SLEEP.
GET OUT.
(ALL IN THAT ORDER)
Or... Work hard, get good at it, build up a reputation, command a high salary, get a lux apartment, get a Chinese driver license and a Tesla, live the good life. It's possible if you don't give up.
Yea ESL teachers are the biggest scam in the world
11:18 Test question for one of the professional high-fiving kids: Do you like motorbikes? The kid's answer: No, I have!!! That is what I call a cutting-edge ESL language center... You are really good at your job, teacher!!!
It seems like nobody in this video can speak or read Chinese. Maybe I am missing something?
You are right that a lot of the teachers speak limited Chinese because of their recent arrival to China. Think you'd be plesantly surprised that Dhiten he understands a lot of Chinese but hasn't yet studied characters so he's planning to improve his reading in 2020. I speak Chinese fluency myself now but its not uncommon for me to make a mistake with my speaking especially if someone uses any dialect.
If my life ever becomes teaching my mother tongue to kids I’d be pretty depressed and definitely am terrified of being trapped like that.
I think its great as a gap year of for the short term. But absolutely get in and get out.
Ben Noon yeah. It’s so easy to get stuck once you start though. I got nothing against going and living there but just spending 10 years teaching English I can’t imagine being happy doing that or feeling a sense of self worth.
@@AndrewByrnes1 Yeah well the problem is they don't want to be teachers in the first place, so why don't they just get a normal job like everyone else does? Why are they all fleeing to China? It sounds like they failed in their home country and trying to find a different place to fit in
No, thank you. I won't go back. *it's a joke*
He looks so depressed.
Wow so depressing there working as an ESL teacher. I'm glad I've left China after working there for about a year as an engineer.
Hey man. I wonder what are you doing now? Go back to Turkey?
ESL is about the most sure way there is to turn some poor bastard into a liar.
is it a life ? 😅
I am an ESL teacher in Cangzhou too Vai. Are you still here in Cangzhou?