Eagle Language Center

Hi all.

So I'm looking at a sample contract from Eagle Language Center. Visas, etc. all seem in order. However, no health/dental insurance is offered. Is that standard or should I be a little cautious here ?
Also, the e-mail sent by the recruiter seems to list two pay scales- "How much can I get the salary? A salary of up to 4,200RMB per month for a native English speaker." and "What is my total pay? For 100 teaching hours a month, you will get a salary of at least 6300-8300RMB, plus a monthly bonus of 100--500RMB." Assuming that the latter applies, the salary offered for 100 hours of teaching (6300-8300 RMB/mo.) would have the apartment fee deducted (800RMB/mo.), leaving 5500-7500 RMB. And since this would be my first, real teaching gig (I had spent a summer teaching a few years prior) and no TEFL cert. (altho I do have the uni degree), I'd be expecting the lower end of the pay scale. And there's no internet. Opinions ?
Also, what's your opinion on Changchun ?

Thanks in advance !

Oh. One thing I forgot to ask-

How firm should one be when dealing with the recruiters/schools ? I do believe in a little thing called tact, but I'm just not looking to get stuck with a raw deal here.

A "noob" here looking for advice. Any and all will be much appreciated.

P.S. I'll even send the first caller a Coke...bottled !

First of all, if you have the Uni degree (with or without a TEFL) and some experience, you should expect the top end of the scale.

Second, double-check and make sure that those 100 hours each month are actually 25 teaching hours in  a week, and that you will have at least 2 days off (consecutively is best) each week.

Third - and most importantly - re-check that you are coming on a "Z" visa and that said visa will become a Resident/Foreign Expert Permit, ASAP after you arrive.

Last.  I do hope by "recruiter" you were talking about a person at the school and not a third party.










p.s.  Check out the thread about the "27 Questions" you should ask.

p.p.s.  Welcome to the Saloon, Remy

I don't like the double message on the salary.  "A salary of up to 4200" which could mean less.  And then you have "For 100 teaching hours a month, you will get a salary of at least 6300-8300RMB, plus a monthly bonus of 100--500RMB."  So any month you don't work 100 they can arguably pay you less.  Try to get a fixed monthly salary for a fixed number of hours.  Then have them add that there will be bonuses or overtime for any hours over the fixed amount.  And yes, your experience and your degree should get you the higher end of the scale.

I don't like the no internet, either.  I have to pay for my internet, but it is available.  Find out if that is the case at this school.

Dental insurance is not commonly offered in my experience.  But if they are a legit school, they should provide you with some sort of accident insurance.  This might cover if you were hit by a bus, but any minor medical issues will likely be your responsibility.

Don't sign anything yet.  I live in Changchun and work at the University.  Will get some more info to you later today.

I don't know this particular school.  I do know that it is hard for employers to get FT's in Changchun, and most of the FT's at language mills are not native speakers and/or don't have degrees.  Many are terrible teachers.

That said, there are a lot of bad employers in Changchun.  I've never seen anything as confusing as the salary scale you put in your OP.  If your base salary is 4200, what do you have to do to get that?  And what do you have to do to get the higher amount?  An 800 rmb apartment will be pretty undesirable, and that is before gas, electric, water, etc bills.  It is not the standard deal in CC.  DSL through the phone company is available and costs about 100 per month if you do a year contract.  You have to have a phone installed in your apartment to get it, though.  Some apartments already have phones, others don't. Apartments are normally school provided, usually you pay the utilities.  You want to be sure you have air conditioning.  Winter heat is not an issue, that is automatic and free to you.  I wouldn't be surprised if the school doesn't offer medical insurance, but you need to clarify that.   Dental is not standard.  And don't forget medical evacuation coverage.  CC is the boondocks and you want to get out of here if your taxi gets smashed while passing in the oncoming traffic lane.

If you haven't read Raoul's Changchun summary already, start there.  Since he was last here there are many more options for goods.  There are 3 Walmarts, a Chinese chain grocery with good selection, and a City Supermarket with mostly American imported foods like soup, jello, cheese, NZ butter, pasta, etc.  The weather is still cold, except when it's hot in the summer.  The coal haze still lingers over the 7 month winter heating season.  Clothing larger than American women's size 12 is not available.  Sorry, if I had more info on your age, gender and teaching preference I could help more.

The food is ALL VERY SPICY.  This is a problem for me.  For many people it is not.  There is no food item that I really wanted that I have not found.  Finding common household items that you know are made in China can be, let's say, challenging.

I like living in CC.  I don't like heat and I really don't like humidity, so it works for me.  People are almost all considerate and friendly, but few people on the street speak English.  The younger FT crowd spend a lot of time at the bars.  The rest of us are few and far between.  There are very few things to see or do in a tourist sense.

That's the nutshell version.  If you are interested in teaching at the Uni, I think they are still hiring.  Send me a PM and I will try to get you hooked up.  Or, if you have other questions drop me a line.  Sooner is better than later.  I'll be hard to reach after Tuesday (US time) for about a week.

Thanks for the replies. So, I've contacted her about the position, inquiring about the pay, med, and etc. Haven't heard back yet. Not a huge loss.

I am waiting on a few other school right now, one located in Shanghai (which would kick .... yeah). However, the eta on replies, etc. are taking a lot longer than expected (and said). I'm getting that this is a common thing with HR. Mmm...should I contact them about them about info or just wait ?
Also, a school in Linyi and Xinxiang have made offers. The contract for Linyi seems fairly standard and the wikiinfo for linyi seems interesting. However, the offer for pay from both schools is really low - 4000 rmb (linyi) for 16 (50min) teaching hour/wk and 3800 rmb (xinxiang) for 18 (40 min) teaching hours/wk. I believe the person I'm contacting from Linyi is a recruiter (offered contract, etc.) and the one from Xinxiang is from the school. How flexible are they when it comes to negotiating a higher salary and, if applicable, what is a good pay rate/salary I should expect ?

I've wiki'ed and raoul'ed info about Changchun and it seems cool. However, the only thing that makes me hesitate is the thing about coal.

Government Universities are not very flexible about negotiating salaries, but sometimes will negotiate other things.  I was not offered a raise this year after a performance that they acknowledge was superior, "salary freeze for everyone."  However, my direct boss offered an extra vacation, and other small favors.  Jilin University pays 4200 per month on a 9 month contract.  It's miserly, but the apartment and other factors make up for it.

I think in northeastern China 4000 to 4500 is probably the range you can expect.  The cost of living is way below anywhere that I've visited.  Taxi flag-fall is  only 5 rmb, buses are 1 rmb, etc.

The coal heat issue is something that you will face in any northern town with central heat, it's not just Changchun.  It's not a big deal for me, the snow gets dirty, the sky still appears blue on a clear day, but if you leave a window open your whole apartment will be coated in black dust.

I will PM you re: application for JLU.

Wow, you're getting great advice here...all the posts above are right on. Please take it under advisement!

Definitely get the salary thing straight.
4200 is...OK, not great, but kind of a fact of life for a university or public school that will also throw in some housing and benefits.
For a private training center, it's insulting. Chump change, even for a less expensive hinterlands city like Changchun.

How firm should one be when dealing with the recruiters/schools ? I do believe in a little thing called tact, but I'm just not looking to get stuck with a raw deal here.

Bottom line: If any school doesn't give you something close to what you want, walk away. There are lots of other deals out there; don't let yourself get stuck in a bad one. This is one reason to not be in too big a rush to get here...come when it's right, not just some date on the calendar.

If they're a recruiter, you shouldn't be dealing with them at all. Be very firm about telling them to go away. They're bad news and they peddle bad jobs.

If they're a school, it depends on what you're negotiating. Figure out what's really important to you, and negotiate hard for it. You have little to lose by negotiating, and MUCH to lose by taking something you're unhappy with in the first place. Meanwhile, don't sweat the small stuff. For example, for most of us it's not hard to set up cheap or free Chinese lessons here...so don't go nuts if the school doesn't offer it. Internet access is cheap; not getting it from the school shouldn't be a deal-breaker. You get the idea.
Be aware that public institutions- middle schools and state unis and so on- have little or no leverage to negotiate salary...they're set by some faceless Bureau and can't often be changed. However, sometimes these schools CAN negotiate offsetting benefits like shorter hours.
Tactful is always good. But you can be very firm on your main goals and still remain tactful, even if you're saying no thanks and pulling away.

I've got a long piece on Changchun in the Library area, and others have added more info. Sounds like Changchun has come a long way since I lived there (They have a City Supermarket  now?!? ), but some base info is still valid. 'Shroomy, if you haven't already updated the Changchun thread...please do!

I don't know this particular school.  I do know that it is hard for employers to get FT's in Changchun, and most of the FT's at language mills are not native speakers and/or don't have degrees.  Many are terrible teachers.

That said, there are a lot of bad employers in Changchun.  I've never seen anything as confusing as the salary scale you put in your OP.  If your base salary is 4200, what do you have to do to get that?  And what do you have to do to get the higher amount?  An 800 rmb apartment will be pretty undesirable, and that is before gas, electric, water, etc bills.  It is not the standard deal in CC.  DSL through the phone company is available and costs about 100 per month if you do a year contract.  You have to have a phone installed in your apartment to get it, though.  Some apartments already have phones, others don't. Apartments are normally school provided, usually you pay the utilities.  You want to be sure you have air conditioning.  Winter heat is not an issue, that is automatic and free to you.  I wouldn't be surprised if the school doesn't offer medical insurance, but you need to clarify that.   Dental is not standard.  And don't forget medical evacuation coverage.  CC is the boondocks and you want to get out of here if your taxi gets smashed while passing in the oncoming traffic lane.

If you haven't read Raoul's Changchun summary already, start there.  Since he was last here there are many more options for goods.  There are 3 Walmarts, a Chinese chain grocery with good selection, and a City Supermarket with mostly American imported foods like soup, jello, cheese, NZ butter, pasta, etc.  The weather is still cold, except when it's hot in the summer.  The coal haze still lingers over the 7 month winter heating season.  Clothing larger than American women's size 12 is not available.  Sorry, if I had more info on your age, gender and teaching preference I could help more.

The food is ALL VERY SPICY.  This is a problem for me.  For many people it is not.  There is no food item that I really wanted that I have not found.  Finding common household items that you know are made in China can be, let's say, challenging.

I like living in CC.  I don't like heat and I really don't like humidity, so it works for me.  People are almost all considerate and friendly, but few people on the street speak English.  The younger FT crowd spend a lot of time at the bars.  The rest of us are few and far between.  There are very few things to see or do in a tourist sense.

That's the nutshell version.  If you are interested in teaching at the Uni, I think they are still hiring.  Send me a PM and I will try to get you hooked up.  Or, if you have other questions drop me a line.  Sooner is better than later.  I'll be hard to reach after Tuesday (US time) for about a week.

Hello Shroomy ! I am a non-native speaker looking for a position in Changchun. I have a bachelor degree and some teaching experience.You mentioned above that there are many non-natives in Changchun, it means there are a few schools which hire non-natives in Changchun. I will higly appreciate if you advice me any of these schools. I spent many days sending emails to such Language schools as Eagle Language Center, Bai Da Wei school etc. but they didn't come back to me with their reply. I am upset now and still hope to find an appropriate position in Changchun. thank you.

Rabbit, sorry I didn't see your post until now.  I left Changchun in October for health reasons.  I can hook you up with the contact to apply at Jilin University if you are still looking for a place.  PM me.