Yeah. That actually makes it even weirder.
These people aren’t going to let you get away with being a decent human being. There’s always some further accusation to escalate their views.
Which people like you use as a convenient excuse to uplift none.
I’ve met the ones here longer than ten years, and they tend to fall into two groups or a mixture of both groups. The first group is lecherous alcoholics, and the second group is deeply resentful that they’re stuck here due to their Chinese partner, or they know they don’t have any real actionable skills to get a job back home.
It really isn’t surprising why most Chinese people look down on foreign teachers once you get to know what most of them are like.
I’m not saying there are no good foreign teachers here, but they are few and far between.
It’s the private schools that are fucked, employing a bunch of underqualified foreigners. If they’re going to be charging that much, I might as well have my kid in Eton. Then, at least, I’d be getting value for the fees.
Well, Chinese workers should unionize.
Oh, wait a minute…
Been working in China for 12 years in teaching. In some cases this is true but many others, the level of teaching from many Chinese teachers has been so so bad. If I prepared the same amount for my lessons as my Chinese co-workers I’d be fired within a month. The difference is they work longer, and more days, and have to do so many other things which they don’t get paid for so I really don’t blame them.
The teaching style is much different in China compared to the West. Chinese lessons are more like one way communication from the teacher, less group work and such. In kindergartens at least I have heard horror stories of how Chinese teachers behave and teach small children. So no, you cannot just make such generalizations.
If the Chinese teachers are way better and cost way less, the “bosses” shouldn’t be hiring foreign teachers. Your analysis is very one-dimensional.
How on earth is it weird working with someone for 3 years and having them express anger about living in China and wanting to help them see the world outside of China. The fact that I have to give the back story of helping a friend is hella wild. It isn’t weird to want to help someone when I have the money to. She now lives in Europe and we are still friends
Yeah, starting to see that. Oh well though.
No, it’s not. I’m pointing out the obvious fact that being white and a native speaker is more valuable in this country than actual ability to teach.
Chinese teachers are way better and cheaper, but your kid will end up with a weird accent. However, many bilingual grads from international school now also go for teacher roles because of the good pay, so the salary for White teachers will also suffer in the future.
I don’t think we should be working for less than we can get, that’s foolish.
But I agree with your sentiment that we should be sensitive to the inequalities between ourselves (foreign teachers) and the local Chinese teachers. More often than not, the local Chinese teachers are much better teachers than us. But we get paid so much more. We all know why.
But there is an attitude of entitlement that creates more of a divide than there needs to be. Eg. Talking about our salaries or complaining about working by conditions in front of our Chinese colleagues. It’s unnecessary to do things like that. It already pains them. There’s no need to rub it in.
It’s a weird power dynamic.
Like, to some extent I would just feel obligated to do whatever you wanted just because you’re paying for my nice things. If they didn’t feel that way then good for them, but I’d think most people would feel that way
That’s cool. Chinese people have the greatest ability to change that because they both a) hire and b) consume the services of said teachers. No one is forcing their collective hand, yet the practice persists.
It’s also the case that being Chinese and a native speaker of Chinese is more valuable in China than one’s ability to successfully run a sole proprietorship. In fact, it’s illegal for foreigners to do so without special dispensation. At least in the case of teaching, all sides are willing participants making their own decisions.
Yeah, I could get that. Hope she never felt that way. But I never asked anything from her. Just hated how she was treated by our bosses and wanted to help out anyway I could.
You make it sound like all Chinese people, employers and employees alike, have equal power in changing the system.
The system is such that people are driven into desperation. Maybe if there were a real union culture in China (like we have here on Reddit, ironically), there might be some change. Either that or the government would have to step in and force the employers to pay higher salaries.
I actually wonder about the culture and politics involved here. Would the government do such a thing?
And would teachers in China form a Union and go on strike?