CFTU.Admin:

Off course they are the magnets that keep us all teaching here. Unless of course you work for an upscale private school filled with "Little Emperors" as I did for a year (never again). But what do you like least Sorel and why?

sorrel:

my answer covers both questions

CFTU.Admin:

I take it you work in a public school?  Most private Chinese schools want you develop your own lesson plans.  How would you improve the curriculum where you teach?

harryjohn:

Isn't curriculum different from lesson plans? 

expatlife26:

--

icnif77:

From now on, I want to be paid for moving my up-button!

royceH:

Mate, are you a dickhead or what?

expatlife26:

thank you for bringing us back to a time before the CFTU was a laughing stock

sorrel:

I have to laugh at this comment.

I believe you said that you were not a teacher in china, so here is a few things to think about.

A few of us here on this forum were education professionals or involved in training prior to arriving in China.

I was hired by a uni from my home to prepare students for IELTS, TOEFL and integration into a 'western' education  system, so part of my brief was to transition them into the different style of education. 

The Chinese education system is retarded - and yes i am qualified to make this judgment despite not being fluent in Chinese, and there are others on this site more qualified and experienced than i am to make such a comment.

It produces, for the most part, cheats and people who are barely able to function as adults. People who think they are being clever by pulling one over on non-Chinese who sometimes generous in their time and knowledge.

There are many FT's who fulfill the requirements of many schools who want no more than dancing monkeys. they get what they pay for.

But for those of us who actually give a damn, create thought out lesson plans, put time and effort into the job, many of us are undermined by local staff who have no idea how to use such a professional and/or actively undermine our efforts to save face.

As i said, i was hired to transition students from one system to the other but in my first uni was continually undermined by the staff who were threatened by my efforts. 

One of these staff members was fired for embezzling money that was supposed to be paying the FT's salaries. 

the Chinese government is enthusiastic alright.

Enthusiastic about keeping face, foreigners be damned  - unless they are rich, powerful and connected !

Janosik:

I would never try to deprive you of your laugh but irrespective of you laughing or not let me point out following:

1) I did not write all the foreign teachers are unqualified

2) I was more pointing to the fact that even qualified teacher can hardly succeed with the class of 30+ students

3) The whole system is inefficient and unnecessarily expensive

These were my points.

By the way China is not the only one who fails to implement good and efficient system of teaching foreign languages.

Look at majority European countries. If I am not mistaken so currently probably all EU non English countries implemented obligatory teaching of English already on the primary school level.

But surprise surprise - majority of people in these countries still cannot really speak English (exception is Netherlands and Scandinavia - all others, including Germany as Coin the other day complained about, reach about +/- 20% - and I assume into this number are included even those who can say a bit more than 'Hallo').

But European system has over Chinese one clear advantage - we do not import hundred thousands of native speakers believing this will solve the trouble ...

expatlife26:

Janosik, you should join the CFTU cult

ScotsAlan:

To be fair to Janosik, I think you quote him out of context. Yes his post is confused,probably a BCD. I don't think he is complaining about the ESL profession here in totallity, he is just having a go at the Mcteachers concept, and the Chinese market that demands them. It's the "hem of his garment" way of thinking that so many Chinese have. I know about this concept, because I have a daughter here. Everyone wants to touch her as if English will transport over by magic. For a professional educator, this must be very frustrating.