Comments on: A Week-In-The-Life of Becky: Teaching in China

By: becky

becky — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:29:35 +0000

@Richard yeah, your right it is about $11 per teaching hour. That is just for class time. We get a free place to live, airfare reimbursement, and free language classes. Food is incredibly inexpensive with my average (very filling) meal being about $1. To be honest, making $700 bucks a money sounds terrible, but I spend so little I’ve been able to save about half my salary.

@Julie i just did it by myself. There are so many job opportunities that I didn’t want to pay someone to help me find one. Just make sure you do your research! Some school treat foreign teachers like dirt. They sound good on the internet but when you get there the hours are increased, the living conditions poor and they might not even pay you. So always make sure you talk to teachers who have taught at the school you are interested in! (Ask the school for the contact info of some past foreign teachers. If the school doesn’t give it to you, that is a red flag.)

By: Julie

Julie — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:54:21 +0000

This was so interesting! I’m interested in teaching abroad myself, and I’m curious what program she went through. Any chance it was CIEe?

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:27:27 +0000

Enjoyed your “Week in the Life of…..” I’m trying to figure out remuneration for university English teaching. From your article it looks like $11 an hour, but is that for class time? I’m also interested in housing costs, food, etc.
Thanks for any info you can point me to. I know you’re busy.
Richard

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 04:24:03 +0000

@Becky – Interesting: “Saving face” is a concept that is common in many countries I think!

By: becky

becky — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:01:52 +0000

If you don’t drink, you can say so from the start. The only thing is to never let anyone you tell that to catch you drinking! Then they will know that you were lying and that is a major embarrassment. And in China they are all about “saving face!”

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 22:50:31 +0000

@Kimberly – Thanks!

@niamh – Indeed; I’m not sure how well I’d fare such a tradition, having something of an allergic reaction to alcohol past the first glass or two!

By: niamh

niamh — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 10:58:51 +0000

Great post! Love the gan-bai stories – my brother works in Shanghai and has many similar stories, not all of them with such a peaceful ending! Sometimes it’s good to be a delicate female.

By: Kimberly Goza

Kimberly Goza — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:53:13 +0000

Love this series!

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:03:41 +0000

@Frank – Cheers!

By: Frank

Frank — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:51:04 +0000

Good pick up Nora,
Great info and a terrific site. Love the food posts!
Thanks for sharing