Teaching EFL in China : What Every Foreign Teacher Should Know Before They Go

This book consists of a compilation of articles that seek to fully inform foreigners about the realities of teaching in China. (The good, the bad, and the ugly)The authors have personal experience teaching English as a Foreign Language and ESL in top tier university, 2nd tier university, 3rd tier college, private business institute and joint venture university. These varied teaching experiences have exposed the authors to many "foreign experts" and "foreign teachers" as well as their varied complaints about teaching English in China. It is not uncommon for foreigners teaching English as a foreign language in China to pull a midnight runner. A midnight runner is simply when a foreign teacher disappears in the middle of the night without explanation and not due to accident, illness, injury, death or kidnapping. By stealth, and usually right after pay day, the foreign teacher packs his/her bags, waits until everyone is asleep, and leaves without a trace, no forwarding address or any word to anyone. There are a myriad of reasons for this kind of behaviour, sometimes it is due to unhealthy and even dangerous or life-threatening working conditions. Sometimes it is a simple case of homesickness or culture shock. But more often than not, it is a case of missed expectations resulting from some basic misunderstanding. Foreigners come to China with expectations based upon their own personal prejudices and life experiences and when China does not measure up, disappointment and even despair sets in. China routinely recruits unqualified foreign teachers to teach (sic) English as a Foreign Language, fails to provide them with appropriate teaching materials, and then blames the foreign teachers for poor classroom performance. China regularly makes pronouncements that it is opening up and has embraced a new transparency. Yet, foreigners desiring to teach English as a foreign language, or core subjects, find that the laws, regulations and rules for employers of foreigners and for the foreigners themselves, are vague, ambiguous, misrepresented, hidden and even non-existent. This compilation of articles is a must read for anyone contemplating a decision to teach in China.