User profile: octobersky

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Forums > Study > Mandarin Schools in Kunming

Does anyone have experience with Kunming Mandarin schools? I want to know if they teach the Beijing dialect or a local variety there. Thanks.

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Forums > Living in Kunming > The importance of TEFL

miealex, I think experience counts for more than a TEFL, but if you've been teaching for nine years already, why not get a TEFL/CELTA and be done with it?

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Forums > Living in Kunming > Any EFL teachers working at a Kunming Uni?

Trying to network and get the scoop on how and what to do. I'm in America and would like to start applying soon. Any information would greatly be appreciated. I see the jobs posted in the Classifieds section, but having a contact is much better imo.

About me: B.A. in English Lit, TEFL certified, currently working on Masters in ESL.

Thank you!

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Forums > Living in Kunming > English Teaching Jobs in Classifieds

Michael2015, that explains quite a bit. Thank you. I would love to work for Kunming University. I am serious about teaching long term in Kunming. I just want to complete my TEFL so that I do right by my students.

Tigertiger, is your username a reference to William Blake’s “Tyger Tyger”? I don't mind a placement service if it gets me somewhere decent, relatively.

Napolean, well, let’s hope I will be as lucky as you.

Liumingke1234, are you Asian American or an Asian Westerner by chance? I am Asian, 42. So I’m a bit concerned about my chances. I’m hoping a B.A. in English Literature, TEFL, professionalism, and an effing positive attitude will get me by. I’m not coming looking for a beach rave.

Vicar, I don’t have my two years yet. Is that in stone? Do I need to hit up Vietnam first?

Wow, thanks everyone for your comprehensive replies. I am not quite ready for China just yet. Just started my TEFL program and doing some English tutoring jobs right now. My target is to find a job in Kunming 6 months from now. I worked in I.T. for the last 20 years, did my time in the corporate. Looking for a change from the cubicle life. I do have another reason for moving to Kunming, which is to collect folktales from Hmong tribes. I am of Miao (Hmong) decent, removed from China by a few countries and a few centuries.

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Why call it witchcraft? That's a bit unfair. If you're speaking about animal sacrifice, all civilizations had animal sacrifice at one point. As civilizations progressed they just learned to hide their sacrifices better. Animal sacrifice still goes on today; they're just hidden from public view. We all know what goes on behind locked doors in poultry and cattle farms. Nowadays it's all about profit, and less about culture and one's connection to nature. As for Christianity being a tool for hope, why not help tribes find hope in themselves, in their own stories—to help them stand with dignity in their own truths. That is a more beautiful, a more noble kind of hope. To give hope in one hand and while erasing their identity in another is a poisoned chalice with a long, ugly history. It's mental and cultural colonialism. Next thing you know, they'll be naming their kids John, Luke, Mary, and Paul, etc. Why should stories from a barren desert that's across the world dictate the lives of tribal people in Southern China? Introductory reading on Christian colonialism: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_and_colonialism

Peter99, thanks for the Samual Pollard tip.

I am of Miao decent. I can tell you that religion comes from culture, from stories held sacred, carried on the backs of elders over mountains and centuries. Although it's true that culture changes, it should be organic, a natural evolution to experiences with the lived environment. Anyone interested in these things, I highly recommend Wade Davis' book "The Wayfinders" as well as his "Dreams from endangered cultures" TED Talk.

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