A teachers job is more than just teaching classes. You may be called a teacher in a training centre but you are not you are a trainer. The difference is that you don't need and are not required to use essential skills that a teacher would need such as classroom management, building a student-teacher relationship, ... Full Comment>>

How many hostels have you stayed in? Sure, I've had some bad experiences but as a whole it's genuinely pretty good. Honestly better than a lot of European countries. Full Comment>>

Chinese hostels are genuinely really good. In some countries I would recommend staying away from the hostels but not in China. Full Comment>>

Almost everyone I know who have ACTUAL success in China can't speak a word of Chinese. Whether that is English teachers who have managed to climb up the wage ladder to 30-40k/m in just a few years or exporters or manufacturers or restaurant and bar owners. Not one can speak any Chinese. Amazing really. Maybe while ... Full Comment>>

Shenzhen is a boom town what rules apply there are not universally true for all of China. Full Comment>>

When it comes to public toilets give me a squat toilet anyday. I would never plonk my arse on a conventional public toilet and would probably end up hovering over the bowl trying to hit the target. With a squat toilet I never have to worry about this. Perfect. Obviously in the home I like a conventional toilet. Full Comment>>

I always get overly offended when people call British food bad. Especially Chinese and especially when they have never been to Britain. I remember one person who had been to Britain told me that all there was were hamburgers??? I was like where the hell did you eat? Another only ate Chinese food in Britain. Chinese ... Full Comment>>

He isn't saying that you will see 5000 years of history everywhere. That's kinda his point. He's saying that people will use it for an excuse for their behavior even if what they are doing has nothing to do with their history. It is a very stereotypical article but stereotypes often reflect reality. Having been here ... Full Comment>>

I've grown weary of this conversation so I will try not to keep feeding you. However I need to clarify a couple of things and then I am done. I hope... The only reason I mentioned my friend was because you believe that I am against minorities having jobs. My friend is actually British but as British to you means ... Full Comment>>

I'm not accountable for other people's actions. It really is as simple as that. You're not using the words "you", "we" or "some" in the way that you claim. I never professed to be almighty in my knowledge of English. Actually I've spent most of my life not living in the UK so I don't ... Full Comment>>

You're right it was a long winded reply. I was just intrigued by some of the comments made so decided to use google to fact check. BTW you can do that you know. Just type it in your search engine you will find it. Firstly I never voted my 'PM' into power. I've never voted for the conservatives and I never will. ... Full Comment>>

Those that already work here will just get grandfathered in. This will only apply to the new teachers coming to China. In theory it could raise the game of those that do get grandfathered as they will then find themselves being compared to qualified teachers. So in theory it has the potential to raise standards. Full Comment>>

You're talking BS mate and what you're saying doesn't reflect on what was said or the world at all. You see everything as a race issue when it isn't. Economy has a much bigger play in all this. Think about it seriously... Without claiming everything is racism. Which I know may be hard for you to do. Who said they ... Full Comment>>

True, they can't be used as the only form of learning or teaching. They still have a place in language learning though. Full Comment>>

Can you speak a foreign language? Memorization and flash cards do have a place in language learning. If they didn't then language learning software like Rossetta Stone, Memrise, Duolingo and Primsleur wouldn't be so popular. The only real difference is that these apps or programs employ spaced repetition and not just... Full Comment>>

Probably get the death sentence. Full Comment>>

The problem is simple and that isn't with the students or the teachers. The problem is at the top. There is a reason that schools that teach foreign curricula like Cambridge secondary are obtaining the highest grades in China. It's simply because the schools who teach these are run by forward thinking and open ... Full Comment>>

If what you're doing sounds like Thatcherism then maybe you should stop. Full Comment>>

She was an old flame. Full Comment>>

As a British person. Pants means underwear. So I clicked on this article thinking "What the hell! Is he driving around with his wang out?" Then when it said he was wearing boxer shorts I felt betrayed by the article. Slightly harsh punishment. Wearing boxers is like wearing shorts. Having said that though ... Full Comment>>

When was the last time that you was in an abattoir? Not much shooting goes on trust me. Full Comment>>

Also if you ever took the time to look beyond your own ignorance then you would find that this person is neither a man or American. The author is a Chinese woman! Full Comment>>

It's a blog. Have you never read a blog before? They are written from the authors perspective and tend to be like diaries, you can write whatever you want into them. Full Comment>>

Have you actually tried negotiating with the schools about this. I haven't been here anywhere near as long as you have but I have always found that schools are willing to negotiate. Full Comment>>

There are many laws that private tutoring breaks. Earning without paying tax is against the law. To pay tax you need to declare that you are self-employed. If you are a foreigner and self-employed in China then you need a business licence. Also an agent provided visa will mean that you are hired by that agent. These ... Full Comment>>