English language vs Covid-19

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English language vs Covid-19
« on: April 24, 2020, 04:33:11 PM »
A few weeks ago I started seeing want ads pop up again and I thought, well, good luck, who's gonna come to an English teaching job now? Aside from international travel restrictions (and bans on foreign passport holders entering China), yo, pandemic in da house right now!

But hiring season's right around the corner, and the job's start September-ish, so.... people will still come? To get up close and personal with a classroom full of vectors? To live among the people and enjoy the unique culture?

Who's even knows if they're working at all next academic year?


And the thing about "online" is, turns out, not that many people have adequate hardware


As a subsidiary of "globalization", what's going to happen to this industry?
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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2020, 07:22:12 PM »
Until the current visa restrictions are revised, only those FT's inside of China will be available.  If anyone's looking for an in-country change of scenery, it's not the worst time to put some feelers out for your dream location.
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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2020, 09:47:37 PM »
As far as English teaching is concerned, every time I've thought normal capitalism was going to produce some boon, nope. Shortages of teachers does not raise salaries, for instance. Pessimism tells me a lack of incoming newbs probably will be offset by obstructive local bureaucracy creating health measures, fear of "imported cases" aka foreigners who are already here and haven't left the country in years, and a general decline in the value attached to English language education anyway.

There might be some aspects of the industry were normal supply and demand economics isn't redirected by some other force, but I do wonder if they won't be even more fast and loose than before. Being foreign in a country that never really did like foreigners and now also has a lot of genuine skin in the game of world pandemic politics... one might worry.

Haven't seen anything directly around me to justify any specific worry, but just because I'm Black Sabbath doesn't mean I'm not paranoid
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kitano

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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2020, 05:54:04 AM »
I left my job in March to come home and now I kind of wish I'd stayed

I have an offer for September and they said that they will want me to work online for them if the borders are still a situation when I'm meant to come. That would be very cool, I'm thinking of a dream scenario where I upload a lesson a week for the courses that I have and collect a salary while working somewhere else part time, but I won't believe it until I see it


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Nolefan

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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2020, 08:22:26 AM »

If you have the financial means to hold off for a few months, i think September is gonna be a gold rush for teachers, especially in international schools.

It might be a great time to get that certification for those that can.

Lots of private schools will close most likely, new ones will replace them.
Lots of teachers would have relocated and replacements needed.

that's how i see this going.
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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #5 on: May 06, 2020, 02:47:51 AM »
Normally by now I would have been back in a classroom two months ago. the only special thing about this week would have been the change it marked from 2pm afternoon starts to 2:30pm. This year though...

Well, there's some possibility irl classes will *not* start next week. They were sorta supposed to but some asymptomatic people appeared in town a while back and plans have been informally put on hold.

I think I'd like it if things really did move to "online". I mean for real. Not just crippled irl lessons sent over wires. But actual lessons structured around what's possible (and not possible) by virtue of the change in medium. It'd be interesting to try anyway. And it likely would make me more mobile as a resident.

I'm thinking probably a real jump won't be made. Online - when it's not mandated by institutions as a way of paying labour once then copying a thousand times - puts too much power in labour's hands.

Which I guess means people will still want warm bodies in classrooms.

But teaching is still too suckballs of a profession to mean actual supply and demand works the way we think it should. I'll be kind of shocked if even this crisis makes a real change in the way teaching works in China. It'll continue to shrink, is all.


but actually, I don't really know. The only sense I'm getting right now is everyone's still holding their breath.
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CWL

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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2020, 04:56:44 AM »

If you have the financial means to hold off for a few months, i think September is gonna be a gold rush for teachers, especially in international schools.

It might be a great time to get that certification for those that can.

Absolutely!

I am currently teaching my university classes online and wouldn't mind continuing to do so next year.  However, I might slide back into an international school if all is looking good. 

Patience, in combination with a teaching certificate, could pay off.

Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2020, 02:56:23 PM »
fwiw, I notice China's entry policy currently says you can't get in unless

- holding diplomatic, service, courtesy or C visas
- coming to China for necessary economic, trade, scientific or technological activities       
- have a visas issued on or after 28 March 2020

Do teaching positions count as "necessary economic activities"? I don't know.

I also am wondering what new requirement is it that visas issued before march 28 do not now satisfy.
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CWL

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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2020, 04:13:03 PM »
Out of curiosity last Monday, I called several visa agents to find out if working or tourist visas were being issued by the consulate in San Francisco.  I was told that no working or tourist visas were being issued.  Also, the agents had no idea as to when service would resume.  I was further informed by one agent that only passports and special circumstances emergency visas were being processed.

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Nolefan

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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2020, 01:14:20 AM »
Out of curiosity last Monday, I called several visa agents to find out if working or tourist visas were being issued by the consulate in San Francisco.  I was told that no working or tourist visas were being issued.  Also, the agents had no idea as to when service would resume.  I was further informed by one agent that only passports and special circumstances emergency visas were being processed.

been like that for a few weeks. No one allowed in the mainland other than citizens and folks with special circumstances. Even if you hold a green card or a resident permit, you cannot fly in for now.
alors régressons fatalement, eternellement. Des débutants, avec la peur comme exutoire à l'ignorance et Alzheimer en prof d'histoire de nos enfances!
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CWL

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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2020, 05:44:53 AM »
been like that for a few weeks. No one allowed in the mainland other than citizens and folks with special circumstances. Even if you hold a green card or a resident permit, you cannot fly in for now.

I understand. However, I wanted to check and see if there was any movement on this end. I have been receiving contact from some international schools, along with international school agencies that have placed me in previous positions concerning openings for the next school year. Very leery of even contemplating the idea at this time. A colleague who signed a contract with an international school back in January for an August start was recently notified that the contract had been canceled.  Lots of scrambling going on.

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Nolefan

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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2020, 12:06:28 PM »

I understand. However, I wanted to check and see if there was any movement on this end. I have been receiving contact from some international schools, along with international school agencies that have placed me in previous positions concerning openings for the next school year. Very leery of even contemplating the idea at this time. A colleague who signed a contract with an international school back in January for an August start was recently notified that the contract had been canceled.  Lots of scrambling going on.

Got a bunch of friends in the same boat and there's no visibility really. 2 are stuck in Thailand so I don't feel too bad for them but their schools asked them to leave Beijing for a bit while things cooled down and then bam!!

Talking to those on the grounds right now, there's a general feeling that everything will start again in September, at least in Beijing. The south might get going sooner.
Maybe consider hedging your bets..
alors régressons fatalement, eternellement. Des débutants, avec la peur comme exutoire à l'ignorance et Alzheimer en prof d'histoire de nos enfances!
- Random food, music and geek tales from the Catania, Sicily: http://ctvibe.com

Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #12 on: May 17, 2020, 05:27:31 PM »
Coming at this with a bit of a broader brush, I saw this recently...

Some analysts warned of the economic impacts of a pandemic like COVID-19. Here's what they think might happen next

Geopolitics and globalisation
They think COVID-19 will probably accelerate the deterioration in US political hegemony and power being shared across more countries, including China.

The race for tech supremacy to spark a new wave of investments
The BAML analysts say COVID-19 has accelerated structural shifts in technology that will change the way governments, workers and consumers behave.

Big Government: A new social contract
The analysts say growing surveillance, inequality and the current inadequacy of some healthcare systems (highlighted by the crisis) will act as a catalyst for political change, deepening the trend for populist politics and increasing the risk of social unrest.

Health becomes the new wealth
They also think governments will appreciate health more as an economic resource.

Under 40? Prepare for pain
They don't have good news for Generation Z (those aged 23 and under) and Millennials (aged between 23 and 39).





So... tech? Good for "online". But international power sharing and more Big Gov? Does English as a lingua franca decline in that scenario? And if the Moomers and Zoomers are in for financial pain, how much "international" study will their kids be enrolled in?
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kitano

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Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2020, 01:33:30 PM »
I have been reading things in England that because universities and students are going to have less money that a lot of courses are just going to be entirely online with no classroom time available, and I just thought 'of course'
I am paranoid and negative, but I do have a feeling that the good times may well be over. I mean, I see that the schools and universities are trying to hire people for September from abroad, but in this new world, I am very aware that my job is a complete luxury.
I'm not saying that EFL teachers are not useful, just that we aren't worth what we earn as university 'professors' teaching 16 hours a week without really being audited or anything ever (and kind of discouraged from doing extra work sometimes)

Re: English language vs Covid-19
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2020, 02:57:41 PM »
Coronavirus: wealthy Chinese families say pandemic has eroded appetite for overseas schooling and investing

A series of interviews with affluent Chinese families find they have had their desire to emigrate, educate their children, or invest abroad damaged by coronavirus
Economic uncertainty, Western responses to the pandemic, as well as rising anti-China sentiment in parts of the world are causing rich Chinese to reconsider plans...



Turns out the coronavirus was a protectionist move. Spread the virus, wall off the rest of the world, make Chinese alternatives more palatable to the Chinese market, profit.
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0