Below is an email recently received from Honors College alumna, Kierstin Bolton. She describes her experience and offers to help anyone who might also be inclined to pursue a similar path. The name of the program she is teaching through is ChinaESL. It can be found online at http://www.chinaesl.com.cn/index2.html.
Let me know if you are interested in talking with Kierstin and I will send you her email address.
Hi Dr. Goebel,
How are you? I hope you had a great summer— I
see you went to Turkey again with Honors College students, you must have
had a blast :). I loved that trip and I hope to return to Turkey next
year to visit Goze.
I wanted to give you information about
teaching English in China that you can share with Honors College
students who are interested. I work for a company called ChinaESL that
is a third party and is reputable for taking care of its employees.
They give me 9000 RMB per month to work 35 hours per week, plus 6000 RMB
when I finish my one year contract, and visa extension. If a teacher
works in another city besides Beijing, an apartment will be provided.
I
teach English at a traning center in Beijing called RISE. I recommend
that anyone who wants to teach English in China work in Beijing because
there is so much to do here and the wealthiest families in China live in
thus city. Much of my income comes through private tutoring and I earn
200 yuan per hour, though next year I can earn as much as 300 yuan per
hour. There is a shortage of foreign, native English teachers in
Beijing, so many Chinese are willing to pay top price for Native English
teachers, and the best are from the United States (in their view).
Of
course, it is not possible to earn as much money working in China as in
the United States, but it is so cheap to live here and save money, plus
pay off loans. Also, it is very relaxing to live in China and not have
to worry like everyone else about paying off bills, getting married,
etc. I think alot of students get so stressed out trying to figure out
what they will do the year after they graduate, and they think that
working in the US or going to graduate school right away is the best
thing because everyone else is doing it. But, especially for someone
who is serious about learning Chinese, it is a good idea to consider
teaching English in China for at least a year because not only can one
teach English, but improve his/her Chinese. Although I had wished to
attend graduate school or get a job this year, I am glad that I am
teaching in Beijing instead. However, I do plan to go to graduate
school in the near future, after I have vastly improved my Chinese.
You
may give any students interested to teach English in China my email, so
they can contact me if they have any questions. If Rebecca Tang, the
owner of ChinaESL, knows that a fellow graduate of mine at IUP wants to
get an English teaching job through ChinaESL, she will make sure they
find a good job. I have a good relationship with her.
Although I
am glad to have applied for the Fulbright, I am glad that I am teaching
English in Beijing because everything is working out for me. Thanks so
much for all your help and guidance over the years; I really appreciate
it! :).
Kierstin