Who’s teaching China’s next generation?

The influx of foreign teachers into China is both a boon and a problem, reports Chris Dalby from Beijing.A quick scan of the countless online English as a Second Language (ESL) job boards reveals some startling facts. At a glance, it would seem that China is truly opening itself up to the world. What better way to learn and cooperate with other countries than by asking their best and brightest to come and teach here, in China? Schools ……… attempt to attract foreigners – native English-speakers – to come and teach English to the next generation of Chinese. ………….In reality, the number of teaching jobs across China, their constant availability and their seemingly accommodating work conditions, could be said to spell trouble. Since so many schools are competing for a limited supply of incoming teachers, an increasing number of educational institutions are lowering their standards in order to hire their own token ‘wai jiao lao shi’. ………………However, the desire to employ a foreigner, at any cost, can cause problems. As more and more schools are allowed to hire foreign teachers, inevitably an increasing number of under-qualified, untrained individuals are being given jobs. There are now numerous stories of foreign teachers breaking their contracts and disappearing (they are called ‘midnight runners’)……… some foreign teachers are exhibiting in-classroom behaviour that some Chinese educators or parents consider shocking or offensive; ……… By far the most common complaint about foreign teachers is that they have a strong accent or speak too quickly, making it difficult to understand them. [View Full Article]