Post: #626

(10-25-2016 03:21 PM)NomadofEU Wrote:  Suits, $50 an hour is amazing. I'm probably still another year away from hitting that pay-grade. How many hours a week do you work on average?

I work a little over 20 hours per week. I do all my teaching at a location convenient to my students, so I spend at least another 20 hours travelling around Beijing each week.

(10-25-2016 11:41 AM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Interesting. Did you teach for a year or so before you started to do your own thing?

I actually started out doing work at schools by the hour (rather than as a contracted teacher) first in Beijing for a few hours each Saturday back when I was a language student and then fulltime in Tianjin a few years after that.

When I moved back to Beijing two and a half years ago, I was concerned about stricter visa requirements, so I took traditional jobs that came with a visa and a set salary while hunting for reliable part-time work where I wouldn't be at risk at being busted in a police raid.

There were a number of setbacks. First, I had a good arrangement setup with a small training school within a few months of arriving and was prepared to quit my contract job, but then the place got raided by the police, so I never step foot there again.

This left me unexpectedly broke and I had to take a new full-time contracted job just to pay my bills. Within half a year, I'd built a schedule of part-time gigs through a friendly agency that earned me more than enough money to live on. When my full-time job ended in June, I expected to be earning plenty of money just with the part-time work, but although these students had been reliable in the spring time, they all went on vacation all summer, leaving me trying to grab just enough scraps to survive. I had to take another contracted part-time job (just three hours a day, Monday to Friday each morning this time) until my freelance work picked up again.

Eight months later, I'd finally rebuilt my part-time freelance work with enough reliable students that I could quit my contracted job and do freelance exclusively. I went to Hong Kong and got myself a tourist visa. I also had good working relationships with a couple small schools, so I could do special programs during holiday periods (winter and summer) so that I wouldn't be screwed over if most of my students took an extended vacation.

It's been a bit of a journey with lots of ups-and-downs, but I'm in a good place now.

(10-25-2016 11:41 AM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Did your business grow via word of mouth?

A combination of word-of-mouth and marketing online in the free classified section of the local expat website. Advertising online is a bit tricky, because a good number of the people who have contacted me this way have done nothing but waste my time trying to use me as a business partner, when I all I want is to earn money to build my own businesses.

I'm getting better at wording my ads, however, and my efforts last summer landed me some very decent clients (families who just want a teacher who can teach their kid and some of his friends in a group class with no profit incentive). The clients I stay away from are those that are trying to earn some money off of me, because they'll charge so much money to others for my services that my job becomes a lot harder. Instead of paying $50 an hour as a group (split 3-6 ways), they'll be charged $40 per student, which naturally raises their expectations and demands. So, at this point, I avoid these arrangements altogether.

My best clients come from my personal network. Someone I know will put me in touch with a family friend who needs a teacher. These are always the most friendly and reliable clients and the most easily satisfied.

Although I used to have a lot of clients through one agency (which is run by a very nice woman), despite how positive my experience was with the management, the students were largely unreliable and poor quality. Some would cancel at least half of their lessons, or take a 6 month break for summer. I only have one student through this agency currently, simply because it's a very nice family and fits well with my existing schedule.

Post: #627

(10-25-2016 11:41 AM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Did your business grow via word of mouth?

Although this question wasn't directed at me, I'll give my answer anyway. I've tried several things to grow my teaching business over the years:

Free online advertising
Paid online advertising
Handing out business cards to people on the street
Distributing business cards to apartment buildings in high-end neighborhoods
Posting signs on community bulletin boards in cafes and restaurants
Displaying sign in ground-floor window
Building a website with useful daily content
Posting daily to a twitter account with useful content, interacting with followers
Writing directly to twitter users in my area
Publishing YouTube videos
Putting a sign on my laptop or table at a local cafe
Giving classes in cafes where other customers see me giving a class
Offering discounts for referrals

To date, all of these have been failures. The only thing that has worked consistently is WORD OF MOUTH = existing clients recommend me (or my friends and acquaintances recommend me). In this low-trust society, no one is going to take a chance on an unknown quantity.

One thing I have not done is tape flyers on posts in neighborhoods, since that is not consistent with my brand. I do offer a free trial session, but that does not seem to make much difference. The difficulty is not retention or closing the sale. It's getting suitable prospects in the door in the first place.

I should add that I don't teach company classes or work through recruiters; those situations surely require a different approach.

Post: #628

(10-24-2016 08:24 PM)Suits Wrote:  The problem with Japan is that the are actually strict about their visa laws. Since over a decade ago, attempting to enter the country for the third time on a 90 day visa exempt stamp would earn you a serious questioning about your intentions.

I'd think that you probably wouldn't have any trouble getting a low hour part-time job and getting a work visa through your employer that way, but I'm not familiar with the laws there.

I assume it's the same way in Korea and Taiwan?

Post: #629

I've been teaching in Shenzhen for nearly a year now, as a city it's fine. Quite good and HK is nearby which is handy for when China gets too much.

My contract ends soon, and I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions of where to go in China? Should I stick with Shenzhen or find somewhere more fun?

I don't care about night life, just a decent wage.

Post: #630

(10-26-2016 10:35 AM)Kfalcon Wrote:  I've been teaching in Shenzhen for nearly a year now, as a city it's fine. Quite good and HK is nearby which is handy for when China gets too much.

My contract ends soon, and I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions of where to go in China? Should I stick with Shenzhen or find somewhere more fun?

I don't care about night life, just a decent wage.

If you are looking for a Mainland Chinese city that is more fun then Shenzhen, your options are Beijing or Shanghai.

Both have very high costs of living.

The pay will be better in Beijing and Shanghai, but this will only be enough to compensate for the higher cost of living.

If you are just looking for a fulltime job with a Z-visa, you can make about 14,000 monthly at a training center or 16,000 at a kindergarten. There are jobs that pay better, but those are only generally advertised through word of mouth.

To rent your own place (without room mates), you'll pay 4,000 a month for a tiny, poorly insulated hutong accommodation inside ring road 2. If you are willing to live an hour from the action, you can have a studio or a small one bedroom for 3,000. If you want a classy one bedroom within 40 minutes of the action, expect to pay upwards of 8,000 per month. Not easily done on an English teachers income.

With roommates, you can live close to the action for 3,000 per month. Most people choose this option.

However, if you freelance, it will take a little bit to build a good schedule (filling the first 10-15 hours is the easy part, getting yourself to 25 hours a week so that you can make bank is hard), which will be challenge, because everyone wants to schedule classes at the same time (evenings and weekends).

However, if you follow the right steps for about a year (give or take), earning 25,000 monthly isn't out of the question. Beijing has a ton of demand for part-time teachers. The competition is tougher in Shanghai, although I can't give precise details, since I've never lived or worked there.

PM me or post here if you have some more specific questions you need answered.

Also, there's a good forum crew in Shenzhen. If you haven't already, you should look into meeting them.

Post: #631

(10-26-2016 10:35 AM)Kfalcon Wrote:  I've been teaching in Shenzhen for nearly a year now, as a city it's fine. Quite good and HK is nearby which is handy for when China gets too much.

My contract ends soon, and I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions of where to go in China? Should I stick with Shenzhen or find somewhere more fun?

I don't care about night life, just a decent wage.

I recommend Vietnam. Can make 20 usd and hour and work as much or as little as you want.

Cost of living is cheap. 250 usd for studio apartment in city center and 1-3 usd for food.

Superior girls to China and a stones throw away from Bangkok.

Post: #632

(10-23-2016 06:36 AM)Cyclone Wrote:  ^ Phenomenal post my friend. Especially the bit about Internations' poll results. I wonder why that is.
Regarding pay in Taiwan, it's depressingly lower than mainland China, however it's an easier lifestyle and more efficient, less bullshit to deal with which at the moment I bet I could use.

(10-22-2016 09:36 AM)Suits Wrote:  Nightlife is somewhat important to me. Not clubs so much, as I've grown bored of these, but a city that features an enclave or two of decent restaurants with good service and delicious food, cocktail bars with genuinely good drinks and two or more microbrewery joints is important to me. Having access to those things here in Beijing really adds a lot of value and enjoyment to my life.

I just skyped with a friend that said outside of Tai Pei, there's virtually no drinking culture whatsoever in Taiwan. Somewhat depressing and strange considering how much they glorify Korea/Japan. But yeah, going in-person would be the way to see the truth, or ask Atlant

(10-22-2016 01:29 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Still not sure whether I should teach in Taiwan or Japan. Do you guys think that if I was placed in a Japanese city outside of Tokyo, I'd be able to save more money than if I were in Taipei? I don't have any teaching experience, btw.

You'd probably be saving exactly the same amount of money, except the big problem with Japan is good luck finding people that speak English in 2nd-tier cities. I'd choose Taipei over it for that reason alone; plus the warmer weather year-round.
.

The poll. I think it is because it is overall and easy place to live. Most places have hassles. This doesn't.

Drinking culture. There isn't much of one. Chinese don't tend to get the concept of bars. They mainly go to dinner with friends and family and maybe drink something there. There is starting to be a late night club scene for 20 somethings but that isn't my scene so I don't know anything about it. One advantage of not having much of a drinking culture is it is cheaper to go out with women for sure.

Post: #633

(10-23-2016 07:18 AM)El_Gostro Wrote:  Would Taipei require qualified teachers or can native speakers do by?
It's sounding rather interesting I must say

New teachers can get work in Taipei if they are certified but it is harder if you want a pick of a good school from what I've read and been told. That is similar to China with trying to get a job as a new teacher in Shanghai or Beijing. Maybe tougher in China because they make it hard to get a visa in the top cities if you don't have 2 years experience. What some teachers do in Taiwan is start outside of Taipei. Get a little experience and move to Taipei.

Towns to look at in Taiwan if you can't get a gig in Taipei are Hualien and Taichung. Both are beach towns on the west and east coast respectively and both have expat communities. I enjoy going to Hualien for the weekend but don't know what it would be like to live there as a young teacher.

Post: #634

(10-26-2016 10:13 PM)Tweezy Wrote:  

(10-26-2016 10:35 AM)Kfalcon Wrote:  I've been teaching in Shenzhen for nearly a year now, as a city it's fine. Quite good and HK is nearby which is handy for when China gets too much.

My contract ends soon, and I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions of where to go in China? Should I stick with Shenzhen or find somewhere more fun?

I don't care about night life, just a decent wage.

I recommend Vietnam. Can make 20 usd and hour and work as much or as little as you want.

Cost of living is cheap. 250 usd for studio apartment in city center and 1-3 usd for food.

Superior girls to China and a stones throw away from Bangkok.

This post lacks info to the point of being infuriating.

Is the 20 USD per hour for freelance work or work through a school? How strictly are visa regulations enforced?
How easy is it to survive for years on tourist visas or other visas that can be acquired independently?
Is the 250 USD for a studio apartment in the city center for a nice apartment with a decent appearance or does the interior look like a jail cell?
Center of which city(s)?
What about lifestyle opportunities? Outside of lame areas catering to backpackers, how does nightlife in key Vietnamese cities compare to key Chinese cities?
Why are the girls superior to Chinese girls?
Have you personally taught there?

Post: #635

If any of you are seriously considering Taiwan I recommend the following sites:

Teaching:
there are at least 3 English teaching in Taiwan groups on Facebook that are worth checking out to understand job openings.

http://tealit.com is a site for teachers in Taiwan. Also has apartments

For teaching, non teaching and just general Taiwan

http://tw.forumosa.com

https://taiwanease.com (this site is where I got the lead for my job. I train managers and execs 1:1 on things like sales, presentations and business planning).

Post: #636

Cheers for the all the answers guys, I think I'm going to stay in Shenzhen until the Summer. The school I work at is friendly and my apartment is nice.

The pay isn't brilliant by any stretch of the imagination but perhaps I can get a rise in Janurary (Shenzhen average seems to be 14k+ with an apartment).

I read quite a lot of this thread and I think the minor problems I have are to do with China as a whole not the city. I love living here and I think it's just a case of the grass is greener. The Taiwan discussion looks interesting and I'd have a look in the summer (I'd have nearly 2 years exp then).

Post: #637

(10-26-2016 11:10 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(10-26-2016 10:13 PM)Tweezy Wrote:  

(10-26-2016 10:35 AM)Kfalcon Wrote:  I've been teaching in Shenzhen for nearly a year now, as a city it's fine. Quite good and HK is nearby which is handy for when China gets too much.

My contract ends soon, and I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions of where to go in China? Should I stick with Shenzhen or find somewhere more fun?

I don't care about night life, just a decent wage.

I recommend Vietnam. Can make 20 usd and hour and work as much or as little as you want.

Cost of living is cheap. 250 usd for studio apartment in city center and 1-3 usd for food.

Superior girls to China and a stones throw away from Bangkok.

This post lacks info to the point of being infuriating.

Is the 20 USD per hour for freelance work or work through a school? How strictly are visa regulations enforced?
How easy is it to survive for years on tourist visas or other visas that can be acquired independently?
Is the 250 USD for a studio apartment in the city center for a nice apartment with a decent appearance or does the interior look like a jail cell?
Center of which city(s)?
What about lifestyle opportunities? Outside of lame areas catering to backpackers, how does nightlife in key Vietnamese cities compare to key Chinese cities?
Why are the girls superior to Chinese girls?
Have you personally taught there?

$20 dollar an hour is for hired teaching through a company or school (this assumes you have a degree and from a native country). Non degree holders and native speakers can get jobs as well but usually for less pay.

Can survive easily on a tourist visa. Just had to do a 12 dollar bus border run to Moc Bai Cambodia every 3 months and pay extending your visa. Now there is a new 1 yr tourist visa for Americans like 130 dollars or so. Still have to do the border run every 3 months, but without paying money to renew. You can also pay someone to get you a business visa. A little more pricey than the tourist visa, but don't have to leave the country for 1 year.

As for the apartment, nice is subjective. For me, nice means clean, not old, own bathroom, double size or larger bed, a desk/chair, and small kitchen area. Serviced if the apartment doesn't come with a washer and dryer. Id say for 250 you will get a decent place. For most people's nice, you would be looking at 400-500 usd a month. By central, I was talking about HCMC, District 1 to be precise. You can see an example of a 250 usd apartment here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZhZ22V-nyM

Can't compare nightlife as the one time I went to China, I didn't do any gaming or partying. (Back in my beta days) I will say the nightlife is decent in HCMC if you know where and what to look for eg Sky Bars, Ladies Night @ Lush, Beer Gardens, and so forth. HCMC is not really a place id recommend for nightlife though.

I think VN girls are superior to Chinese girls due to looks and personality. Sample size is small with Chinese girls, so keep that in mind. I could be totally wrong, just my impressions.

My sister taught in VN for 2 years. Actually, went and stayed a month with her. Didn't teach myself.

Post: #638

How about teaching English Online?

I have just started for a Chinese company and they pay $20 USD an hour plus some bonus cash here and there. I have been having no difficulty getting over 20-30 hours a week, the only issue could be schedule as it is run on Chinese time.

The company has exceeded my expectations in every way since I started (I am just a month in). The company is huge and has some big time endorsements. I log in, teach class, log out. No extra work needed trying to canvass students.

Best part of all you can work from anywhere with good internet. Currently I am at home but planning some big major moves to spend future months. (Nowhere near Beijing).

If anyone is interested PM me for some more info, or ask here. I should note they require that you have a degree from Canada/U.S university and one year teaching experience, but it doesn't have to be English classes per se. Thats about it, I hardly had much experience but sold it a bit. You have to submit your degree though.

Also you have to love kids, or at least be fine around them. They are all little kids and you are encouraged to be super interactive around them. Therefore this would not be good for non 'kid' people. Some kids are a huge pain <10% but the majority are nice and easy to teach.

I'm on the probation period so I'm crossing my fingers I'll pass but this is really a sweet job. Especially as you could do it full time or part time if you had other projects on the go.

Post: #639

RLT,

You mean you are around kids "virtually"?

I am having a hard time conceptualizing someone teaching a bunch of little kids virtually.

I can see older one on one or small group.

Can you break down this in detail? How is the setup? Class sizes? Student ages? What do you teach? Materials? Curriculum? Prep time? Managerial oversight? How do you get paid?

Post: #640

Are there any countries in Latin America that offer a livable wage? I'm thinking of spending some time in Mexico.

Also, what's the general opinion on things like CELTA? Is it necessary for East Asia and Latin America?

Post: #641

(10-29-2016 08:19 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Are there any countries in Latin America that offer a livable wage? I'm thinking of spending some time in Mexico.

Also, what's the general opinion on things like CELTA? Is it necessary for East Asia and Latin America?

I can't speak for the situation in other countries, but Mexico is not a good place to make a living wage as an English teacher. CELTA is not required here by the schools but would open up some (not all) of the better opportunities. I'm not sure what the work visa requirements are for Mexico at this point. Be aware that you won't be offered a job without being here on the ground, but in order to get permission to work, you must apply from outside the country.

Post: #642

(10-29-2016 08:57 PM)ElFlaco Wrote:  

(10-29-2016 08:19 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Are there any countries in Latin America that offer a livable wage? I'm thinking of spending some time in Mexico.

Also, what's the general opinion on things like CELTA? Is it necessary for East Asia and Latin America?

I can't speak for the situation in other countries, but Mexico is not a good place to make a living wage as an English teacher. CELTA is not required here by the schools but would open up some (not all) of the better opportunities. I'm not sure what the work visa requirements are for Mexico at this point. Be aware that you won't be offered a job without being here on the ground, but in order to get permission to work, you must apply from outside the country.

I see, it seems like Latin America isn't very viable for the whole ESL thing. It would be nice to find an excuse to boost up my Spanish though.

Post: #643

(10-29-2016 09:04 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  I see, it seems like Latin America isn't very viable for the whole ESL thing. It would be nice to find an excuse to boost up my Spanish though.

In my experience, most people hear the kind of advice I've given (don't come) and come anyway. It depends a lot on your age, your goals and expectations. By the way, teaching English is not a great way to improve your Spanish. If Spanish is your main goal, I'd work on saving up at home where your earning opportunities are greater, then coming. (If you still want to pursue teaching English in Latin America, PM me and I'll send you a link to a different forum that specializes in that.)

Post: #644

(10-29-2016 09:14 PM)ElFlaco Wrote:  

(10-29-2016 09:04 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  I see, it seems like Latin America isn't very viable for the whole ESL thing. It would be nice to find an excuse to boost up my Spanish though.

In my experience, most people hear the kind of advice I've given (don't come) and come anyway. It depends a lot on your age, your goals and expectations. By the way, teaching English is not a great way to improve your Spanish. If Spanish is your main goal, I'd work on saving up at home where your earning opportunities are greater, then coming. (If you still want to pursue teaching English in Latin America, PM me and I'll send you a link to a different forum that specializes in that.)

I think I'll likely save and go to Latin America for a Summer. I'm much more set on Asia or the US, but was exploring some other options.

Post: #645

(10-29-2016 09:04 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  

(10-29-2016 08:57 PM)ElFlaco Wrote:  

(10-29-2016 08:19 PM)Heart Break Kid Wrote:  Are there any countries in Latin America that offer a livable wage? I'm thinking of spending some time in Mexico.

Also, what's the general opinion on things like CELTA? Is it necessary for East Asia and Latin America?

I can't speak for the situation in other countries, but Mexico is not a good place to make a living wage as an English teacher. CELTA is not required here by the schools but would open up some (not all) of the better opportunities. I'm not sure what the work visa requirements are for Mexico at this point. Be aware that you won't be offered a job without being here on the ground, but in order to get permission to work, you must apply from outside the country.

I see, it seems like Latin America isn't very viable for the whole ESL thing. It would be nice to find an excuse to boost up my Spanish though.

Not so sure about that. Seems ppl can make 800-1,000 which is livable (basic shit). Id rather live and make 800 in Colombia than make 3,000 in "insert any American city".

I think the accurate view of LA with regards to ESL, is that it is not a place to go and save money. You go for the experience and fun. Not the money.

Post: #646

There are a couple of options in Colombia and other locations around S.A. to make a livable wage teaching, I did so myself in Bogota. The companies that do one-on-one tutoring of executives at their workplace is where the money is at in S.A., as well as the private students you'll get through those clients. I was tutoring multiple doctors in different hospitals, the president of Pirelli Colombia and executives at other major multinationals. That lead to getting similar private students, doing work for a latin music record label and other opportunities. I averaged about $30/hr

I didn't even have an exceptional resume for teaching, but because I dress well and people see me as serious, likable and intelligent they were more than happy to send me out to their top clients over their backpacker teachers who think wearing khakis and a flannel shirt is "dressing up". I positioned myself as a specialist in Business English, it aligned better with my background and provided value that is scarce in that region, I didn't need to be a massively experienced teacher.

Don't compete with everyone else- position yourself as a specialist in a subcategory.

If you put even the slightest effort in, dress well, are confident and smart you'll be way ahead of the average gringo English teacher. Most don't bother.

Post: #647

Quick update on my teaching gig:
My school (who holds the lease on my apartment) got upset when I gave notice that I can only work part-time.

After one year of doing good work for them and their always being helpful and friendly in return, they have reacted like I shot their dog since giving them my part-time notice (and still expect me to work for them).

This particular school is a great organization to come work for if you are determined to live in Ukraine and plan to stay here for a while legally. However their salaries are quite low compared to what you can make once you've built a network of successful professionals and people in Kiev's IT industry, and you can make a proper salary gong freelance.

They know they low-ball their teachers and as soon as said teacher gives any hint that they've found a better gig, they will turn on you like a rabid dog.

Having said all this I still have fond memories of working for this school. I had great students, many of whom converted to bangs and good friends.

Lesson: If you come to this school and stay for more than two years you're killing your ability to advance as a teacher and make a great deal more money. Just know that when your time is up you'll need to have your living situation figured out. At the moment they're threatening to put me on the street

Post: #648

(10-24-2016 12:02 AM)Suits Wrote:  I'm looking for a place that I could see myself settling long term, not just visiting for a couple years until it's time to move onto the next destination. I don't mind travel and extended visits to new places, but it would be nice to have a reliable base of operations that I could call home.

Canada, my home country, has never felt like home to me. And have no interest in returning.

I absolutely love Hong Kong. It's the only place in the world where I've ever felt truly at home. But with the high cost of housing and the extreme likelihood of increased Mainland influence both politically and economically in the coming decades, it is a risky place to put down roots.

Singapore is too small for my tastes, although it would be worth a visit, I've received a lot of advice to suggest that I would bore of it.

Vietnam is communist and corrupt. Not somewhere I feel comfortable putting down roots. I've visited several times and I've enjoyed my visits, but it definitely doesn't feel like somewhere that could become home.

Hey Suits, sorry for the insane lag - this post really made me scratch my beard for a while. The predicament of "choosing where to settle" is a trap, as no city is perfect and every city we experience will add something new to the list of things we want in our perfect city. Regarding Taiwan, I have a feeling it's a comfortable place with much less of the bullshit that the Mainland entails. The trio of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan try their best to NOT be like the savages of the mainland; I thought they all succeeded. And a) you speak Mandarin b) they are an incredibly efficient country c) there's a strong motorbike culture.
Hell, even I thought about moving to Tai Pei, if it weren't for the salary cut, but if you've got your niche and the tongue, you'll be far more successful.

Hong Kong: I agree with your sentiments. Just spent the whole weekend there. However, it will never be like mainland China, despite, on-paper, the political fusion, the cultural movement will continue to deviate farther and farther away from mainland as the years go by. Secondly, while apartments are expensive (again, on-paper), you can motorbike here freely, which means you can pick out a solid studio farther from the MTRs and still zip around quick.

Singapore: Not small at all. 5 million people. So much going on every week it's mind-boggling and hardly had time or motivation for side-trips. Strong clubbing culture and money to be made, however, it might be hard to distinguish yourself from the others here. Similar to Taiwan, there'd be very little bullshit to deal with. Mainland chinese girls are amazing here. Con: very fake atmosphere, so if you're okay with hanging out with mannequin chicks... well see it for yourself.

Vietnam: I was actually going to recommend central Vietnam. Have you been to Danang / Hoi An? It's very spacious, cheap, amazing weather, incredibly friendly people, and strong motorbike culture. However, the pay would be a bit lower than Taiwan unless you made mad connections. I have a friend from Chicago there who's making 3,000 USD/mo as an engineer and juggling 7 (!) girls after 1 year. Only problem is, you'd have to learn a new (albeit easier) language, throwing away that Mandarin ..

Anyway keep TP on yr list.. if you can make it in Beijing you can make it in most cities.. as for me I'd be moving to California in the long-run so can't sympathize with long-term/family advice..
.

Post: #649

(10-28-2016 11:17 AM)Tweezy Wrote:  RLT,

You mean you are around kids "virtually"?

I am having a hard time conceptualizing someone teaching a bunch of little kids virtually.

I can see older one on one or small group.

Can you break down this in detail? How is the setup? Class sizes? Student ages? What do you teach? Materials? Curriculum? Prep time? Managerial oversight? How do you get paid?

It is a one on one class. You can see the student the student can see you similar to skype. There is also a shared power point which makes up the material of the class. They update the correct power point for you.

Prep time, maybe a little to get the hang of it but after a few weeks it has been 0 for me.

Honestly I was a bit more skeptical at first. Though I am really coming around to the concept, I might even go so far to say that it could be more effective than teaching in person.

You are paid once monthly by wire. I just got my first payment last week. The company is 'big league'.

The downside is that a lot of the children are very young between 4-12. Every student I've had over 8 is awesome, the 4 year olds can be little more hit or miss (most of them are nice though). You have to enjoy children to do this job, if you do it is way better than teaching at some shit institute working twice as much and getting paid half.

Any other questions feel free to ask away. If you are considering applying PM me.

Post: #650

In terms of managerial oversight you have a couple evaluations. A teacher watches the playback of your class and assesses your ability. I heard they can also check in on your classes if you receive complaints exc.

If you have any issues you can submit an inquiry. They always seem to apply within 24 hours.

Other than that your pretty free, definitely better than a 9-5 or 90% of language schools.