Shanghai Teaching Experience, Shanghai Work Experience

Raffles Lasalle Shanghai

Andy says:

You will work long hours for little personal reward or recognition. You MUST work a nine hour day. They have a questionable evaluation system and even more questionable curriculum.
The people in charge of you know nothing about ESL teaching and do not really care if students are learning or not as long as the wheels keep turning.
The rules and systems and policies, such as they are, will change on a daily basis. Your contract is worthless.If you are sick, you must teach the classes you missed upon your return.
Oh yeah, each class is four hours long. Look before you leap man or the water may just be too deep.

They pay on time. Every time. You get a legal work visa and all other necessary paperwork. Your colleagues are generally wonderful.The students are sweet (if somewhat unenthusiastic about English)

This is not an English school. They use the HEADWAY text books. I will say no more.
The Singaporean entrepreneurs who pride themselves on running this pseudo educational institution care ONLY about money.

Shanghai Normal University, English First Shanghai (EF Shanghai) Shanghai Shanghai

nativespeaker1 says:

Foreign teachers at Shanghai Normal University–even relative oldtimers–were given only one-semester contracts this past September. The reason now seems to have emerged: the school on Guilin Lu in south Shanghai has contracted with corporate English First to run its one-year mandatory oral English course for third-year students. It appears that English First not only will supply the curriculum and supervision but also will have an HR function in determining what teachers will be rehired for the spring semester . . . And, of course, who won¡ät be rehired.

TEFL Jobs Consulting Ltd Company (TEFL.CC)

Dos says:
I agree with the post about TEFL CC. We hired a teacher using them and an agent. The school paid the agent his fees but the agent then wouldn’t pay the teacher his salary.
The school withheld further payment that was requested, as he had failed to pay the teacher. Don’t use!

CHEERY ENGLISH

Richard says:
The company likes to tell “white” lies and will bend the contract rules. They also made me work extra hours, more than stated in my contract, and I was NEVER paid for these extra hours!
They are not legally licensed to hire foreigners, so instead of getting us our Z visas like they are supposed to, they instead make us pay extra money for other documents so they can just extend the visa. They wont and they cant get teachers a foreign expert certificate because they are not a legal company.
Not worth the time, PLEASE, when working in China, make sure the company or school has a OVERSEAS EMPLOYMENT LICENSE.

Michaelangello says:

This company is just a middleman. They are not legally licensed to hire foreigners and they do not follow contract. They will bend the rules and not pay you correctly. You will not be paid for overtime or for covering other teachers. If you are a substitute teacher, they will not pay you for it, rather they will tell you to collect the money from the other teacher you worked for!
The do not follow contract and will cheat you if they can. They go through many Chinese and Foreign teachers quickly because of their dishonest ways.

English First Shanghai (EF Shanghai) // Shanghai Shanghai

Anonymous says:

I clear almost 9,000 rmb a month and my contract is 30 ach (40 mins each) any more has to be mutually agreed and is paid overtime.
Half my flight money has been paid and the rest will be at the end of my contract.
Accomodation is satisfactory without being luxurious!
I average about 27 ach a week and don¡ät have to come in when not working.

Enlighten / Enlightenment Consultants // Shanghai Shanghai

Steve says:

I have just received a phone call from Enlighten / Enlightenment Consultants this afternoon (the company that I work for) saying that they are firing me and I have to leave my accomodation by tomorrow.
All through last term I was on time for every lesson and didn’t have 1 single day sick leave.I also did o/t each week at Kindergarten’s to help them out and to boost my poor wages.

Gold Apple Bilingual School // Shanghai Shanghai

Kris says:
My experience at Shanghai Gold Apple Bilingual School was good at times and bad at others. The pay was relatively low yet they always pay on time. There was a travel bonus which was nice and they paid for my round trip ticket from the U.S. They paid for travel visas and work visas. Accomodations and meals were free. Accomodations were not fabulous in terms of a kitchen but we did have heat and AC. The children were good and other teachers were extremely kind. “The Chinese way” is something I never learned to deal with and ultimately made me decide to leave after one year. Promises by the school for Chinese lessons were not honored. I only had to teach 18 classes a week with most of them 40 minutes and a few 30 minutes. Bring your own teaching materials!!!!!!

Kongjiang High School // Shanghai Shanghai

Daniel says:
- Accommodation - Forget about an apartment or anything like that, even by SH standards of apartment living.
- There is a telephone that will accept calls, but they have steadfastly ignored my requests for a line that calls outside the school to be installed.
- What you agree upon with administration will probably be ignored.