[etni] Live and learn in China
- From: "Ask Etni" <ask@xxxxxxxx>
- To: "Etni" <etni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 08:37:55 +0200
Live and learn in China
China Daily - June 6, 2007
BEIJING, Jun 6 -- Soon after Amy Johnson graduated with a degree in
education, she left Louisiana to teach English in a small town in Harbin, in
Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. It seemed like a good way to use
her degree, live in a foreign country and make a living at the same time.
Her motivation to settle in China was simple: live in a rich culture with an
ancient history and strong economy. But while the 24-year-old's degree gave
her an edge in the classroom, this isn't necessarily the case for the
endless stream of foreigners flocking to China as English teachers.
"I think it's probably the easiest job for a foreigner to get, especially
since everyone in Beijing is trying to learn English with the Olympics
coming," said Johnson, who now teaches at Telford Bilingual and
International Kindergarten in Beijing. "Even if I quit my job today, I think
I could find another job at the end of the day."
The wide availability of jobs across China usually means that anyone - even
those without teaching experience, training or a degree in a related field -
could find a school or recruiter to make them an offer. Consequently, some
foreign language experts and observers believe the industry is in critical
need of government intervention to impose a minimum standard for foreign
English teachers. The goal, they say, is to revamp the qualification process
so that foreigners aren't hired solely because they're native English
speakers.
(To read the whole article, go to -
http://www.etni.org/news/in_china.htm )
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