Q . What is the main thing that I can do to begin to prepare myself for this adventure?

A. Read Dear Alice : Letters Home From American Teachers Learning to Live in China , IEAS, U. C. Berkeley, 1998. You can get it on Amazon or better yet call the publisher at 510.643.6325 and they will send you a copy. It will enlighten you on teaching, travel, culture shock, university life, anxieties, and how to cope. It is like comfort food! The book will give you a much better idea of what your experience will be like than just emailing one or two teachers who have gone through the program.

Then you should go to a really good/large bookstore or library and start looking at TESL-Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language books to get a feel of WHAT you will be teaching.

Q . When looking at programs what should I beware of?

A. There are so many internet programs out there that are NOT legitimate, not to mention the identity theft going on. You must be able to make sure that a program is legitimate, transparent, has a VERIFIABLE track record of many years and hopefully is connected to some university or organization in the US. Please read the ABC News article about a couple that went to China with a program that turned out to be abusive, dishonest, and just plain scary. There are more and more horror stories every week coming out of China re hiring recent college graduates as well as older professionals and then switching the contract and everything else on them AFTER they arrive in China. Caveat emptor! Please see http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2277297&page=1

 

Q . Why should I go with this program instead of one of the other 14,000 plus programs/schools/organizations listed on the internet?

A. Because the Colorado China Council has been in the China education business for 31 years, with the same director, Alice Renouf, who is a China specialist, in the same town, with the same phone number, and with many of the same Board of Directors from universities all over the US since 1977. If you want references we have them! If you want accountability we have it! We were one of the very first organizations in the US to accept applicants from all over the US . We have sent close to 500 people to China since 1991. Most importantly we are not a bureaucracy! You will ALWAYS WORK with Alice Renouf whenever you need help. You will always be given individual care and attention. The Council responds to almost all queries within 48 hours unless Alice is out of the office traveling. And finally, since the Council is a member of the China Teachers Consortium it has a vast wealth of institutional information it can tap into and a large network of top American universities all trying very hard to provide the best programs possible.

Council has worked with many of the same universities in China for over a decade and many of them are in the top 10 BEST universities in China with the best students and a foreign affairs office that knows what it is doing. See Asiaweek.com for university rankings.

Schools and organizations listed on the web often have no accountability, will take your money and run and or take your documents and sell them. What sounds GREAT on the web can be a complete disaster after you arrive in China, i.e., they can't get you a visa, don't meet you at the air port, housing is wretched, and expect you to teach 40 hours a week, etc. etc. Sure, it is cheap but what guarantee do you have that they are any good and will honor their commitment.

Q . After teaching for one year, can I commit to another and do many people do this?

A. If you do a good job most universities will ask you in the spring to stay for another year and about 40% of our teachers now stay on for another year and some have never come home!

Q . Will my fees be refunded if there is a family emergency?

A. The Council tries to be as fair as possible. If you are not able to go the following spring or the next academic year we will refund half of all fees paid if there is a legitimate family crisis that arises after you have signed a contract with a Chinese university.

Q . If I want to teach but my spouse doesn't want to can I still get a contract?

A. Universities strongly prefer that both people teach even if one teaches fewer hours than the usual 14-20. This is decided on an ad hoc basis and there is a lot of flexibility from university to university.

Q . Will universities accept couples with children?

A. Some will and some won't. It depends on the type of housing they offer foreign teachers and what sort of day care or k-12 facilities they have on campus. People with children should apply as early as possible. Private schools in China for K-12 can cost upwards of $20,000 USD! Home schooling is certainly an option.

Q . What if I need to come home for a family wedding or funeral?

A. Universities are usually very understanding and will help you arrange your visa and airfare. If you KNOW in advance that you need to go home for a few days PLEASE make arrangements with the Foreign Affairs Office (Waiban) ASAP. You will need to try to find another teacher to take over your classes.

Q . Will I be given a textbook or a curriculum?

A. This is easily the most challenging aspects of this job! Most schools not only do not give you a textbook or if they do it is so dated that you don't want to use it, but most people do not even know what they will teach until after they arrive which is one of the many reasons why going to the Summer Institute is so useful.

Q . Will I have internet access?

A. YES! There are internet cafes all over China , especially located around college campuses. Most teachers today take a computer or laptop with them and many take a printer too. At your university you will also have access to computers, copiers and the internet though it can be slow and you might have to wait quite a while to get on. It usually takes a few days after arrival to get it all sorted out. At some schools however, you will have high speed internet access and can get online in minutes---all depends on the university and city you are in.

Q . Will I have enough time to study Mandarin and can I learn to speak Chinese in one year?

A. After you get your teaching routine figured out you will have enough spare time to study Mandarin. It IS the most difficult language of all cause of the "tones", but the grammar is relatively easy and our teachers who REALLY study are able to achieve some conversational fluency after one year. Reading and writing…..plan on a lifetime of study.