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[Theatre MFA]

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience teaching in Asia???  Especially developing Asia (not Japan.)

What are good resources to search for those jobs?

Do you need to have the language or can you teach in English?  I do speak one Asian language fairly well.

Would love anyones ideas...

[Travelling Jones]

I have taught at a major university in Hong Kong and had a wondeful time.  All courses in my program were conducted in English; however this was not the case in all departments/colleges.  Be aware that even if courses are conducted in English, the level of your students'proficiency can vary greatly.  Speaking at least a few words and phrases in the local lingo will be greatly appreciated by students, staff, and faculty (my attempts to speak Cantonese were an endless source of amusement for my students and office mates).  Students were hard working and respectful, but just as prone to mischief as their Western counterparts!  This position offered expat perks (free housing, subsidized air fare, generous salary, etc.) but many of the rules and expectations were different than they would be in the US or Canada.  For example, faculty were required to work six day weeks, could not cancel classes if something unforseen arose, could not consult on their own time without their chair's permission, which was seldom granted (and were required to turn over a very large part of one's consulting fees to the university if it was given), could not leave the SAR without the administration's permission, and could not "moonlight" or teach an occasional course at other schools.  My advice is (1) to assume that nothing will be the same overseas as it is at home, (2) ask lots of questions before signing the contract, and (3) get everything in writing.

[%sig%]

[independent scholar]

But wasn´t it in Hong Kong where the President of one major university had to resign for intimidating a sociology professsor who was reporting on the unpopularity of the non-democratically elected government? While another university president was frequently in the newspapers for hiring his son and daughter- in -law and squandering money?

In the author´s opinion, does the generous housing allowance and salary compensate for the compromised academic procedures?

[%sig%]

[Travelling Jones]

The sort of events the previous author describes are in no way confined to Hong Kong.  For example, check the Chronicle's records regarding past activities at Albright College in the state of Pennsylvania, USA.  The unfortunate fact is that wrongdoing can happen anywhere, at any time.  I can only report my experiences, which were quite positive.  At no time was I pressured to alter my research agenda, censor findings, etc.  Perhaps you would be more open-minded if you had a bit of cross-cultural experience yourself.

As to the original poster, I would encourage her/him to pursue an interest in teaching abroad.  It can be a great experience, both personally and professionally.

[Lijuan]

Hi,

I am from Asia. I am pretty sure you can teach in China even if you can not speak Chinese.

[Returning to teaching]

Is anyone familiar with the reputation of  the Sinolink Foundation?  I want to return to teaching after 18 years of owning an exporting business.  My market was the Mid-East, not Asia; however, because I am a woman, I don't feel compelled to teach in the Mid-East, especially after my struggles for acceptance in the business world.  I want  to return to teaching English and have an adventure.  There is a current posting on Monster.com.

[%sig%]

[mabeelrc]

Dear Returning,

Take a look at Dave's ESL Cafe (http://www.eslcafe.com/).

[jsinden]

I have been in Taiwan for 3 years and the experience has been good. I read the post from Hong Kong and although the there are a lot of similarities, there is more freedom to do extra work outside of the college/university.
Almost any college or university would hire a native English speaking Ph.D. and work them into their foreign language department. Some of the larger schools have other departments that teach in English.
A person with an MA could find 'part-time' work at a university or perhaps a high school or middle school. But I am not familiar with the K-12 systems.
When I was looking for a job, I found there are many opportunities in China too. They offer a lot of perks but the salary is so much lower that I can save more money in Taiwan even though they seldom offer the extras you get in China.
If you are interested, I would be glad to answer any questions. jsinden@ocit.edu.tw