Raoul's China Saloon (V5.0) Beta
The Teachers' Lounge => School Reviews and Experiences (ON-TOPIC) => Topic started by: Spikecity on August 13, 2008, 06:13:31 PM
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This school was previously EF Harbin but decided that they didn't need pay the franchise fee to EF and have tried to go it alone thinking that all the students and teachers would stay - Dumb Idea I
They then fired many teachers leaving them stranded with no work - Dumb thing to do to foreigners.
They then demoted their DOS and brought in a newcomer to the position to do some damage control - Dumb - even Dumber is why the previous DOS stayed at the new school.
This school is now struggling to get any teachers at all and what they do get are the dregs that can't get work anywhere else.
A definate school to stay away from!!!
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Hola!
Foreign native English speakers who take this crap should be kicked in the head. This is the reason that salaries are low across the board because people will take this.
I have worked for language schools and they suck. The last one I worked for had me in on Saturday from 10 in the morning to 9 o'clock at night, then had me come in on Sunday morning for 1.5 hours. Then before a holiday, the boss would work us 6 days a week. Classes packed full of kids (20-25) with me making 88 RMB an hour (in 2002). That bitch got the goldmine, I got the shaft.
Newbies, if you want to come to China for one year, look at the Universities first. Then the local public schools. There are PLENTY of jobs available that pays at least 100/hr in the countryside and up to 150 plus in the cities. Do some research online. What is really good about a government position is not the pay (it's not great) but the time. You do not work weekends, you dont work in the evenings. There is not the pressures of making (someone else) money.
DO NOT ACCEPT a full-time contract in a school. Simple as that.
Senor
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DO NOT ACCEPT a full-time contract in a school. Simple as that.
The advice here is arguable until you get to that last bit; this is a bit extreme and unrealistic as general advice. Full-time contracts, of one kind or another, are the NORM...and are also about the only way most people can get the all-important Work Permit and Residence Permit.
Most private English "training centers" DO suck...but a few don't. Or at least they don't suck to such an intolerable level.
Teaching in a public school or uni has its downsides sometimes, too.
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Having been to Harbin many times and having friends still there I could see what bull they are trying to spread. Something they also don't tell you in Harbin is that the language schools both private and public have a lock down on the teachers and don't allow them to work part time on the side. I don't know what I would be doing if I couldn't work part time on the side, I make a decent wage from my college but not enough to save on and certainly not enough to go on occasional trips from time to time.
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DO NOT ACCEPT a full-time contract in a school. Simple as that.
The advice here is arguable until you get to that last bit; this is a bit extreme and unrealistic as general advice. Full-time contracts, of one kind or another, are the NORM...and are also about the only way most people can get the all-important Work Permit and Residence Permit.
Most private English "training centers" DO suck...but a few don't. Or at least they don't suck to such an intolerable level.
Teaching in a public school or uni has its downsides sometimes, too.
I work for one of those Private Language Centres and I am busy but not unreasonably so. I am happy here. The combination of Chinese and Canadian ownership is ideal. As long as I am in Harbin I will work for my school. I know I could go elsewhere for more money but happiness can't be measured in $$$
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Is that your school linked under your avatar?
I never knew Ellis Island was Canadian. th_af
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Is that your school linked under your avatar?
I never knew Ellis Island was Canadian. th_af
Huh?
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http://www.sunshinehrb.com
You said it was co-owned by a Canadian. The site's graphic slideshow emphasizes such Canadian landmarks as the statue of liberty and Ellis Island.
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Haha. I forgot about that. It is partially owned like I said but it is a franchise of a larger language company whose name has American references in it. I'd rather not name the whole thing as I don't want to appear to be pushing my school on others. Good eye! bfbfbfbfbf
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Good eye indeed, but veering offtopic ......
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And I'm not clear if they mean Harbin has the OLDest beer in China, which must be terribly skunky by now, or the COLDest beer in China, which means they just stored it outside. agagagagag
Harbin beer is the oldest brewery in China, founded in 1900, and it truly is a decent beer, way better than Tsing dao. Qing Dao, I have not tried them all of course but it is the best I have tried in China. You can get cold beer in the summer. But not in the winter, go figure.
As far as Top International, I have been in Harbin 5 years and never heard of it. The best salary I ever received in Harbin was at a "joint venture" or perhaps what I have seen referred to here as a foundation school. Paid in Canadian dollars, 2100 a month, at that time it was over 14,000 a month. Have never seen anything come close to that since.
I like Harbin, even though I think there is very little night life beyond the brain numbing Disco Dirge.
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I realize this is a post in 2008, but just to mention I just received that same advertisement recently. I noticed the hours required and thought it was a bit much! I asked a few questions and the answers confirmed what I was thinking, on top of the hours they want you to travel to different schools for lessons, and the accommodations appeared more like a dorm.
Sigh... I realize most of you are all BA ex-cetera qualified, however I am still short a few courses to have mine, and have been looking to travel and teach for a year to pay down my student loan (a very slight bit) but more so to take a little break (getting burnt out) Point being I think this is getting more and more impossible for me to bother considering. bqbqbqbqbq
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I just got an email from this school. Still want 40 hours per week and not much seems to have changed from what the others have said previously... bibibibibi
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A former co-worker just left there due to the work load and the half arsed ( even by Chinese standards) management of the place.
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Not too surprising, really...but we're veering firmly into "Info on Schools" info instead of discussing its ad, as we should be doing in this area. asasasasas
If you wanna talk about conditions at this school, that's great!
Just start a topic about it in the right place. bibibibibi
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Pruned from what's supposed to be a Dodgy Ad thread. llllllllll
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I will only say a generalized statement about the learning centers in Harbin and that is read the fine print. Every place will have its pro's and con's, you just have to weigh them out and balance them for yourself. What one person may find as a pro, another person may find as a con. It all varies from person to person so what works for one person may not always work for the next five people. I know employees at all of the language centers and universities in Harbin and each of them have their good things and bad things to say about their place of employment. To each their own..........
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Welcome to the Saloon Shakemyspear! Thanks for posting your experience with Harbin. Why don't you introduce yourself over in the Champagne Cabana? agagagagag
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I interviewed at this school just before my contract ended with another language mill...I MEAN....school in Harbin and it seemed a little fly by the edge of your seat in the way that they did things. One day they didn't want to offer me a contract since I still had 6 weeks of my other one left and then the next day I get an email from the DOS offering me one. I was just like WTF!? I am now teaching at a different language mill in southern China and trust me, they ALL have their problems! I am really leaning towards returning back home and finishing my BA and then returning to China afterwords so I can get out of the language mills. Not to say that they don't have their good points too, but the negative points surely outweigh the positive ones. I am one for structure, discipline, communication, and having fun...not just having fun, so these language mills may be great for the students since they just have fun fun fun, but for the teacher like me that expects a more regulated workplace it is not so much fun. In fact, I just witnessed a kid pistol whip another kid with a toy gun this past weekend and nothing happened!? WTF!!! Gotta love when Chinese staff interfere!
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Hey all,
Just a little update on Top International in Harbin- they no longer have the dorms- you pick your own apartment. They give you a housing stipend and they help you find your own place. They are also under new management, which I've had a pretty positive experience with during my time here! I would recommend working here, it has a good vibe (sounds like a lot has changed at this school since the change in management). I like that I have a lot of freedom of creativity/innovation when it comes to planning my lessons at Top. It may not be the best place to work if you are that into teaching kids though.
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typo correction: may not be the best place to work if you are NOT that into teaching kids though.
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Hi
When you make a typing mistake or want to change something you have posted, you can go back and modify the post.
If you look at the top of the post where it gives the name you will see a list on the right hand side. You will see "Quote" "Modify" "Remove" etc. Just click on the "Modify" and you can go back into the message and make any changes you want bjbjbjbjbj agagagagag agagagagag