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| Question: | What is a Foreign Expert |
| Answer: | If you have a master's degree or Ph.D., then you already are a foreign expert. Foreign experts get extras like higher salaries and return airfare. Sometimes your organization will pay for you to ship things to and from the school. Depanding on the schools relationship with the local government, sadly almost anyone can qualify to be a 'foreign expert' However, BESI selects teacher delegates that are qualified and meet Chinas Foreign Expert Standards. |
| Question: | 合同形式是怎么样的？ |
| Answer: | BESI 负责提供学校和教师之间的合同 BESI 负责提供学校和BESI之间的合同 BESI的合同是严格按照国家外专局标准制定，并根据BESI多年经验略作修改的合同，能够充分保障学校和外籍教师双方的权利，BESI 将承诺作为学校和教师之间的保证人。 |
| Question: | 老师来自何处？ |
| Answer: | 教师大多来自美国，英国，澳大利亚，新西兰；我们有能力招收来自世界各地的教师；我们能够根据你最大的需求招收教师。 |
| Question: | 怎么样获得外籍教师？ |
| Answer: | 步骤为： 1 学校提供相关资质证书，证明学校具有聘任外籍教师的能力。资格证书必须以传真件或者电子邮件扫描件形式提供。 2 学校必须把学校具体信息，教师宿舍环境，学校环境以文字或者照片的形式发送到info@besinessesi.com或者进行在线注册。 3 在确定学校具有聘任外教能力后，BESI将和学校签署一份合作协议，同时BESI 将向学校提供合适外籍教师人选。 4 学校确认外籍教师人选后，将向BESI支付机票费定金4000元（该定金多还少补，尾款在教师到达后支付。 5 BESI收到机票定金后立即确认机票，并将尽量根据学校需求安排外籍教师抵华时间。 6 学校接收外籍教师，并在一周之内支付机票费余额和介绍费 7 BESI 将提供机票费及介绍费发票 |
| Question: | 什么是学期项目？ |
| Answer: | 指在BESI.LLC的协助下，通过BESI.LLC的帮助建立起一整套标准外教教学体系并且提供为学校提供一个合适的外籍教师人选。 |
| Question: | What are my chances of getting the teaching position? |
| Answer: | If you meet all the application qualifications stated in our program application procedures, and pass our interview process your application will NOT be rejected. We don't have limits on the number of teachers we accept. We accept applicants based on qualifications. Rejection can occur for the following reasons: 1. If an applicant doesn't speak native fluency English or has a speech problem. 2. If an applicant comes from a country where we do not participate. 3. Deceptive or fraudulent statements. |
| Question: | I will be graduating from a University in middle May this year, will I still be able to apply to the program and be accepted for the fall placement this year? |
| Answer: | Yes. You can apply before your graduation to start the application process if you expect to obtain your bachelor degree before departure for China. A bachelor degree is a must for the teaching position to be approved by the State Bureau of Foreign Experts in China |
| Question: | When would I be notified of my acceptance? |
| Answer: | Applicants are notified of their acceptance within one week after their phone interview. You can initiate a phone interview with us ANYTIME, monday - friday from 8am - 10pm. Saturday 8am-12pm. (860) 974-9988 |
| Question: | What about alternative lifestyles in China? Gay, Lesbian? |
| Answer: | China is undergoing a revolution of sorts. Our suggestion is to purchase a book; 'lonely planet guide' to locate places that are conducive to your lifestyle and interests. We do not discriminate in these matters. Use your best judgement and prudance. |
| Question: | What is BESI, Business English Solutions, International? |
| Answer: | Business English Solutions International, LLC is a company that provides turnkey Business English Solutions. We host corporate seminars, train and consult with businesses how to live and conduct business negotiations in mainland China. We invite scholars to lecture on specialized topics. We build relationships, foster and promote international business, education, and cultural awareness. We offer opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students to teach abroad while receiving language and culture classes. |
| Question: | Why Should I Choose JourneyEast? |
| Answer: | JourneyEast is a program of Business English Solutions International, LLC. We do much more than job placement or offering Summer Language & Culture Programs. Many of us here at JourneyEast understand how important it is for students to have affordable opportunities that maintain a high program quality consistent with expectations. We're a watchdog against exploitation of both schools to teachers, and would be teachers to schools. We actively design and promote market research. We offer features such as guest lecturers and this years special feature; Filming of Alternate Routes Travel Show. Our program is growing and we invite you to grow with us. Compare our prices with our competition, you will find no one offers the same value or number of features.. |
| Question: | Can the on-line TEFL training and the certificate be used upon my return to the United States for teaching purposes in the public school system? |
| Answer: | The certificate you will receive upon completion of the on-line TEFL training program is a "Teach in China TEFL Certificate". It can be helpful for ESL and other teaching jobs, but it's not the TEFL certificate required for the U.S. public school system. |
| Question: | What about taking children abroad? |
| Answer: | With a legal job you can usually obtain a resident's visa for your children, though again you may have difficulty in supporting income. There would also be the question of their education, which in some cases would prove exorbitantly expensive. |
| Question: | Are there limits to class discussion, topics that are barred? |
| Answer: | It depends on how old your students will be and what level class you will be teaching. We recommend measuring what your students interests are. You can design these interests into the curriculum. Your job is more to inspire these students to learn English. There may be some topics that are taboo such as Falun Gong and issues with Taiwan or Tibetan independence. You can inquire of your Chinese host what subjects may be inappropriate. Generally, Chinese students are very curious about the foreign teachers perceptions of popular culture and world events. |
| Question: | But I Don't Know No Grammar! |
| Answer: | It seems like everyone's biggest worry about teaching English abroad is the fact that though they are native English speakers, they cannot remember the difference between an indirect object and a dangling participle. "It's not the crucial thing, but the students will always be asking grammar questions, and you do need to know the answers to keep the respect of your students," says Nancy Tulare of the School of Teaching ESL. Steve Jackson, from the NOVA program that sends teachers to Japan, agrees that the grammar fear is valid, and is something a prospective teacher should at least refresh beforehand. International students have often studied English grammar extensively and can grill you on it with questions. But Jackson says, "It's still not the prime importance when teaching a conversational language class, students are more concerned with function." |
| Question: | How do I teach students if I don't speak their language? |
| Answer: | The second greatest fear of new teachers is "How do I teach students if I don't speak their language?" Though that's a good question, it's certainly not a deterrent for a prospective teacher. As a native speaker, you are most likely a "prized commodity" as a teacher, and it's quite unlikely that the school would waste your conversational abilities with students at the beginning level. Tulare explains that "it's often a situation where native speakers teach at the intermediate and higher levels, but there are techniques for working with beginners in English language, such as pictures, and repetition, in English only, from the very beginning." |
| Question: | What about dress codes for teachers? |
| Answer: | As far as the teacher's dress code goes, for women, are pants and a sweater acceptable or do you have to get more corporate? Is a skirt above the knee acceptable? Pants and a sweater is fine. In winter few Chinese women wear skirts or dresses—a(at least this is true in the north). The Chinese are modest in their dress and you should be too. A dress above the knee would make you seem very young, and it may be harder to get the proper respect from your students. Students in universities are between 19 and 24 years old. |
| Question: | Is there Internet Access? Phone Access? |
| Answer: | Most schools have internet access and phone access. Phone cards and instructions on how to use them will be provided either prior to the trip or shortly after arrival. One should take note that phone cards are regional, which means they work in one province or another but not both. If a school does not have internet access, there should be a internet cafe nearby. This information should be provided in your orientation package. |
| Question: | Should I be worried about crime? |
| Answer: | The penalty in China for violent crime is often death and the penalty for drug possession is severe. Because of this China has a very low violent crime rate. Pick pockets thrive in commercial areas particularly at airports, bus, and train terminals. We suggest traveling in groups whenever possible until you are familiar with your surroundings. If you haven't already done so, consider purchasing a MoneyBelt to protect your assets. 1.) Reported Criminal offenses per 100,000 people US 5,374 China 128 2.) Murder Rate per 100,000 people US 9.0 China 0.2 3.) Burglary Rate per 100,000 people US 1,041.8 China 45.2 |
| Question: | Which courses will be taught by the teachers? |
| Answer: | Well, it depends on which school you choose. You may be asked to teach any of the following subjects: oral English, Written English, Western Culture, American literature, Linguistics, Teaching Methodology , English for special purposes such as Business English, Secretary English, English Idioms and etc. Some universities may have high requirements like Accounting, Auditing, Marketing, Finance and Economics. |
| Question: | What is ESL? Tell me about the Acronyms. |
| Answer: | EFL - English as a Foreign Language :: ESL - English as a Second Language :: ESOL - English to Speakers of Other Languages :: TESL - Teaching ESL :: TEFL - Teaching EFL :: TESOL - Teaching ESOL :: |
| Question: | Is Chinese Hard To Learn? |
| Answer: | Chinese characters can be difficult (although learning to recognize characters is easier than memorizing how to write them). But spoken Chinese is easier to learn than you might think. Chinese grammar is very simple. English speakers sometimes complain that languages like Spanish have a complicated grammar (masculine and feminine genders, verb conjugations, etc). Well, Chinese speakers complain that way about English. Make sure you start off by practising pronunciation, because a bad pronunciation is hard to correct later. And make sure to get your tones right! |
| Question: | How do you write Chinese words using English letters? |
| Answer: | Over the years, people have invented various ways to write Chinese words using letters. These transliteration systems include Yale, Wade-Giles, GR, and pinyin. Pinyin is the official alphabetical system used in mainland China, and it's taught to schoolchildren there (but most people are more comfortable using Chinese characters, and many would be hard-pressed to write even their own names in pinyin). Most Western news organizations started using pinyin in the early 1980s: Peking became Beijing, and Mao Tse-tung became Mao Zedong. Officially, pinyin includes accent marks on some vowels to indicate tones. Also, apostrophes are sometimes needed to separate syllables (as in the Chinese city Xi'an), and the letter u sometimes takes an umlaut (two dots on top). In practice, all of these are usually omitted, causing confusion about pinyin pronunciation. The four tones in Mandarin are indicated with accent marks. Q and X are pronounced "sort of" like "ch" and "sh" respectively. ZH is pronounced like "j" (as in "just"). C is pronounced "ts" (but CH is pronounced like you'd expect). IAN is usually pronounced "yen" (as in Tian'anmen Square). |
| Question: | How are Chinese names constructed? |
| Answer: | In Chinese, people's names are written surname first, and given name last. Chinese leader Jiang Zemin is Mr. Jiang, not Mr. Zemin. Sometimes Chinese people give their names in reverse order in English. Most Chinese surnames consist of a single Chinese character, but a few have two. There are only a few hundred surnames in use, so lots of people have the same last name. See the Surnames page of Animated Chinese Characters for a list of common Chinese surnames. Most Chinese given names consist of one or two Chinese characters. Parents sometimes pick very unusual or creative names for children, rather than relying on a more or less standard set of common first names as in English. |
| Question: | Do we need to know any Chinese Language? |
| Answer: | Knowledge of Chinese is helpful but not required. Each participant will receive intensive Chinese language lessons during the stay in camp. |
| Question: | Can I teach in China for college credit? |
| Answer: | Yes, it is possible to gain college 4-9 credits while teaching in our program. They must first be approved by a faculty advisor in your department as either a Independent Study or Internship. Independent studies typically require you to submit a proposal of intent detailing how the study applies to your learning interests. The department head may also be required to sign off on your proposal. |
| Question: | Should I Register With US Embassy While in China? |
| Answer: | If you're going to be in China for any extended period of time, please register with your embassy. Registration is to your advantage in that it will enable the embassy to locate you in case of a family emergency, and helps keep us better informed of the number and location of American citizens in the event of a large-scale emergency. The embassy is required by law to keep any information you give them completely confidential,and will release it ONLY when authorized by you to do so. |
| Question: | Is there much pollution? |
| Answer: | It depends on the location. China is developing quickly, therefore some of the tradeoffs to a better economy include externalities. Highways are noisy, exhaust fumes abundant. But this is typical of most urban areas. There are many beautiful places in the country that are very clean, and beautiful. China is converting many of its older coal fired electric plants over to alternative power.. Coal plants generate a lot of pollution but remain the most popular source of energy. |
| Question: | What is expected of me? (Summer) |
| Answer: | ou are expected to have fun, treat your fellow travelers and our Chinese hosts with respect and courtesy. Be a sincere student of Chinese culture and befriend your students. They are the key to a comfortable assimilation into Chinese culture they will help you adapt to the differences. Resolve issues and problems in a friendly manner. Use your group leader to resolve issues with the school. Act in a safe responsible fashion and show up to class on time. |
| Question: | What are the average monthly expenses for an English teacher? |
| Answer: | The average monthly expense is about 1500 yuan. It varies from city to city. Most of our teachers can save enough from their salary to do some travel during the school break and holidays. You are able to live comfortably on the salary as your host school provides your accommodations; your major expenses will only include food and daily necessities. |
| Question: | Is there bottled water? Is it good water? |
| Answer: | Bottled water in China is VERY good! Best quality bottled water brand is called "Wa -Ha -Ha" It is available at most street vendors and shopping areas. It costs about 30 cents for one bottle or 2.5 Rmb |
| Question: | I am a vegetarian, will I starve? I eat meat but no vegetables, will I starve? |
| Answer: | The Chinese diet consists of many wonderful treats for the vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike. Presently we have hosted many vegatarians. If you have a special food requirement we cannot promise your demands will be met. However if you explain your needs we will make every effort to ensure that they are met. |
| Question: | I don't like Chinese Food, will I starve? |
| Answer: | You dont like Chinese food? You are applying to the wrong program.. Try Www.JourneyWest.Org The Chinese diet consists of many wonderful treats for the vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike. If you have a special food requirement we cannot promise your demands will be met. However if you explain your needs we will make every effort to ensure that they are met. |
| Question: | What is the food like? |
| Answer: | Food varies from region to region. Most Chinese food is not like what you will find in your local Chinese restaurant. The food in China is quite fresh and delicious. In the summer camps, every effort is made to ensure the quality of food. The cost of food is very cheap. Some places have forks but it is advisable to learn how to use chopsticks. We recommend you practice using chopsticks before the onset of the trip. It is not advisable to eat in or near BUS Stations or at outdoor vendors were food is contaminated by dust and debris from road. |
| Question: | What is involved in the Phone Interview? |
| Answer: | You are responsible to call us for the phone interview. (860) 974-9988 within 48 hours of your online application.. Our phone interviewing attempts to measure your character, accent and prununciation, English skill, attitude and critical thinking ability. COMMON FORMAT: You will be asked several hypothetical questions and a weighted score will be applied to your application in our database. It will then be reviewed by our board of directors. If you pass the phone interview you will be accepted into the program. In some cases we can make a determination within 24-hours. |
| Question: | What is China's drug policy? |
| Answer: | Don't do drugs in China.. Don't buy drugs in China.. Don't bring drugs to China.. Don't do drugs in China! Marijuana grows wild in some places.. There is a death penalty for doing drugs in China. DO NOT DO DRUGS IN CHINA.. |
| Question: | Is there a limit to how long I can teach in China? |
| Answer: | There is a 3 year limit on foreign expert holders teaching consecutive time with any one public university. This "Rule" is ten years old. No "Rule" eminating from Beijing is universally enforced throughout China due to autonomous and semi-autonomous regions and special economic zones which have the right to adopt and implement their own rules. Beijing's edicts are just guidelines except for schools under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education. |
| Question: | What is the best way to learn Chinese? |
| Answer: | You may find that even though your heart is in the right place, most teachers find it difficult to find time to study while actually teaching English. You will find there are more people who want to help you than you know what to do with. Those who come to visit you want to practice their English. The best way is to take a course or get a qualified teacher, rather than a friend, to work with you. By qualified, someone who teaches Chinese professionally, gives assignments, and so on. You may have to pay them, but I guarantee you will learn more than you will from a friend. Again, fees vary depending on which part of the country you are in. I think in smaller cities you can find a teacher for Y40 per houyr, but in Guangzhou it is Y120. |
| Question: | Mandarin or Cantonese? |
| Answer: | Mandarin is standard throughout China, but in the south not everyone can or will use it. Cantonese is the most common language in southern China and in Hong Kong. However, Hong Kong has some Cantonese words only spoken there. Fortunately, everyone can read the same language. |
| Question: | Foreign Expert Certificate |
| Answer: | This is not really a card, actually more of a book, given to most foreigners who are working as teacher in the PRC (foreign expert or not). This can give you discounts on hotels and entrance fees to tourist attractions. The idea is that you pay the same price as Chinese people. Note: Not all hotels give discounts for the foreign expert's card, but it doesn't hurt to ask. |
| Question: | What is the health certificate for? |
| Answer: | This is required by anyone planning to stay for one year or longer. If you plan to be in China for six months or longer you must get an HIV test done. The results needs to be negative of course. The requirements on the health certificate also include typical blood tests, a chest x-ray, eye test (including color blindness), and an EKG. You need to submit the health certificate with your visa application. It will be returned to you and you should hand carry it to China. Once there, you will turn it in to your Foreign Affairs Office. In the USA the health certificate must be "authenticated". This is fun! You have the doctor sign the form; you have his signature notarized (his office should be able to do this for you); next you take it to your county court house and have the signature of the notary authenticated; next you take or send it to your state's Secretary of State for authentication of the signature of the county representative (in my county it is the Register of Deeds). Last but not least, take or send it to the Secretary of State of the United States of America. Sigh... The last two may charge a small fee. |
| Question: | Do most schools provide private apartments to teachers or might they be shared apartments? |
| Answer: | Mostly, it's a private studio apartment for each teacher. A few schools may have two bedroom apartment that two teachers share. |
| Question: | What about Laundry Service? (SUMMER) |
| Answer: | Laundry service various from one school location to another. For the summer program Laundry service is usually free of charge. It can be daily, every other day, or every week. Some places require you to pay a small fee to have your laundry cleaned. Usually if you are staying in Hotel then you will have to pay small amount of money for this service. The types of laundering also vary. Some service is hand washed by a school worker while other schools offer machine wash service. Hotels almost always offer machine wash service with dry cleaning options and the price is extra. |
| Question: | What shots do I need? How much are they? When Should I get them? |
| Answer: | You should consult with your school infirmary about what shots you should get. Teaching for six wees or six months does not require you to get shots but it is probably a good idea to get Hepatitis A, B, C Shots. Teaching for 1-year or more requirea a pre-trip Physicians Exam, aids test and Hepa A, B, C. If you do not have the physicians exam performed before you leave, it will be done in China. It is non-invasive. |
| Question: | Is there a limit to the amount of money that can be taken out of the country? |
| Answer: | Usually at least 60% of the monthly salary can be changed to $USD. There is no limit to the amount that can be taken out of the country if the earnings are from legal jobs. |
| Question: | How much money should I bring? |
| Answer: | We suggest bringing about $100.00 in American Express Travelers Checks, and about $450 cash spending money. While most people can survive quite happily bringing $400, we recommend bringing between 400-$700. Why cash instead of Traveler Checks? Because it is often difficult in some cases to convert travelers checks or use Credit/ Debit Cards depending on the location of your school. I recommend for everyone traveling abroad to wear and use a money belt or similar device. See our online links page to find online sources where you can purchase travel amenities. |
| Question: | Is there ATM / Credit Card access in China? |
| Answer: | It is often difficult in some cases to convert travelers checks or use Credit/ Debit Cards depending on the location of your school. That is why we emphasize bringing cash. Some places will advertise the MasterCard / Visa logo but you will still not be able to use your card because it is Chinese Network. In larger cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Hangzhou, this is not a problem. Detailed information about the various places where you can use ATM's, Western Union, exchange and obtain cash will be listed in your trip primer package. I suggest setting up an online Western Union account that a family member can access. In the event of a cash emergency your family member in the USA can electronically transfer funds to a nearby Western Union electronically. It never hurts to be prepared or to have a plan B |
| Question: | What is the Exchange rate? |
| Answer: | The exchange rates fluctuate. $1 = 8.3 Chinese Yuan. (Approximate) |
| Question: | Placement Location, Can we Choose? |
| Answer: | we ask that you prepare in your cover letter information on your consideration on the location type (City, Town, Village) and geographical location. (North, South, East, West) or please indicate a specific province. we gaurantee an excellent placement, however, placement decisions rest with the schools and are on a first come first serve basis. Although we encourage you to indicate a preference, we will make a "Best Effort" but there will be no gaurantee on the location unless indicated in writing by us. |
| Question: | Should I be worried about "Communism?" |
| Answer: | No, You should not be worried. This is a topic for acedemic minds to debate with a weight of validity on both sides.. However, we have never had any problems operating these programs in China and we have good relations with the Chinese government departments both in the USA and in China. |