聘外易

I have been teaching at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE)   上海对外经贸大  for six years full-time.  I taught English to undergraduates with numerous majors. These include:   Business English, Information Management, E-Commerce, Law, International Business and Economy, International Investment, Financial Management, Finance, Finance Banking, International Accounting, Tourism Management, Business Administration, International Economic Law, International Business and Trade, Statistics, Auditing, French and Japanese. 

As well, I was involved in exams for post graduate students studying translation/interpretation. Also from time-to-time I was asked by the university to improve the English level of several managers at a time from Shanghai area companies. (For example Baosteel).

It’s true all the students can speak some English. But their proficiency level can vary quite a bit from major to major. Most students possess a basic level of spoken English. But unfortunately, most have insufficient vocabulary, and a low level of listening and understanding. Ninety per cent also cannot write an English sentence with proper grammar.  Therefore, their communication abilities with people in other countries,  with different cultures is quite poor.  One advantage of teaching  to so many different majors is that I am able to use many business topics/themes to improve their total English level.  It is part of my teaching philosophy to always to use techniques that the student can find useful or relate to easily.

With Chinese culture and most Asian cultures   it is necessary meet with students in my office to check on their language progress. Most students speak little or not at all during regular class time. But the same students are more willing to speak to me individually in my office.  (In class they fear making mistakes which leads to embarrassment . (In China it is called by another name: fear of losing face or mianzi).

Teachers at SUIBE plan and write all their own lessons and exams. Teaching at this University for 6 years has been extremely helpful in learning which teaching techniques to use in specific situations. Shanghai’s English language level is definitely higher than other areas in China. But even in Shanghai, the English level will vary substantially from student to student and from class to class (even with the same major).

One must be aware SUIBE it is not a national university (under Beijing control). Rather it is under Shanghai municipal control. Therefore, little is known of it’s high reputation outside of Shanghai or even China. It is unfortunate because most graduates have a relatively easier time finding their first full-time job in Shanghai because of the wide choice of business-related majors offered by SUIBE .  The great majority of universities in China do have some sort of Business Faculty, - but do not concentrate solely on business themes compared to SUIBE.

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METEN is a Chinese-owned English-training centre operating only in China. It is more or less copies the structure and organization of foreign-owned English language training centers.  The teachers follow the plan written by Meten for each specific level from Beginner to Expert Level.

This was a part-time teaching position. Little or no lesson planning is required from foreign teachers. The cost of a contract, signed by the student is very expensive.  Unfortunately, as with numerous  language training centers the student (no matter what the level) is forced to adapt to the Meten plan/program.  The Meten plan does not adapt to the individual needs of the student.

 Each student is usually allowed to fail their class only once. (For example Beginners’ level has about 20 classes). In effect each student graduates automatically to the next level (greater degree of difficulty), - whether she/he is ready or not.

Suzhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture苏州农业职业技术学院

in Jiangsu Province was a college where  the majority of students came from within this province. I taught there full-time for one year.

Teachers did plan their own English lessons and exams. However, because the general English level in Suzhou (and the whole of Jiangsu Province) is very low, an individual teacher is extremely limited in what he/she can achieve to raise it.

It did offer some business majors, for example, Tourism Management. This was because Suzhou is known as a major  tourist destination for foreign tourists.

Web International, Suzhou  is as the name suggests an internationally-owned English training center. The teachers’ functions and training center organization is the same as Meten English training mentioned above.

I taught there full-time for one year.

English language training centers are the same whether owned internationally or domestically. There are interested in quantity not quality. For them having the students pass through their program as quickly as possible is a priority. Their emphasis is on having a large volume of students at all times so as to make the maximum profit. Unfortunately, they do not give good value for the money because they seldom help the student increase their general English ability to a significant level.  Also they do not  

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concentrate on improving writing ability at all.

Usually the typical student one finds in a training center already employed. Their motivation is to improve their English to enable them to get a job promotion or a job with another company with a higher salary/wage. In reality, this rarely happens. Often this teacher will meet the students after they have completed the course. They are still in the same job (with rare exceptions) with the same wage as they were before they took the training.

Mr. Chen was the Production Manager at Raken Suzhou.  This was a part-time position. Raken was a joint venture between a Taiwan company and Korean LG. In many ways Mr. Chen was your typical Taiwan manager in regards to English ability.

He possessed adequate listening and understanding ability, - but poor vocabulary and pronunciation. He had only basic English writing ability. Since he was Taiwanese he was knowledgeable of international business practices, methods, marketing and business theory (especially in America).

He contracted me to primarily improve his pronunciation and secondary to improve his vocabulary. He felt that was sufficient. I planned two lessons per week ;  taking place either after working hours or on Saturdays for a little over one and half years.

I would have continued the training for a longer period but unfortunately I accepted a new position in Shanghai with SUIBE.  This prevented me from having a flexible travelling schedule to suit the needs of Mr. Chen.

Mengshan Middle School and No. 2 Experimental Primary School (both located in Jingshan District of Shanghai)

At Mengshan Middle School I was the only foreign teacher. I taught all the Grade 6 and Grade 7 classes. (Total  750 stuents). Principal Zhou was the headmaster of this middle school.

At No.2 Experimental Primary School I taught grades 1 to 3  (Total 80 students). I never did meet the the Principal/Headmaster of the school, - so I never knew the person’s name.

Bachelor degree.

加拿大外教，本科，现在马来西亚， 多年的教学经验，16年2月份到岗，申请大学。