Aihua

Hello, my name is Marco.  I grew up in The Netherlands and my family comes from South Africa. I grew up in a small village near the Belgium border. I graduated from The Language and Culture University in Beijing with a degree in Chinese language and Culture and am busy in a masters program for International Politics at the same university. In 2009 I was awarded an Excellent Foreign Student Scholarship by the Chinese government.  I have been working at Aihua since Spring 2003.

I really enjoy traveling, I have Been to Egypt, and traveled a little in Europe, as well as extensively in Asia and South East Asia. Besides traveling I enjoy reading, sight seeing, and going to the Gym.

I have been living in Beijing for eight years now; and the city has changed quite a bit. The city is working hard to become a cosmopolitan city, and in the city center you can get anything you can get in any other big city around the world. Public transport works well and with the subway you can get almost anywhere in town.

Personally I like living in Shijingshan, the district where the head office of Aihua is located. It is more relaxed than the City center and close to the mountains, which can make a nice get away on your days off, and things also tend  to be cheaper than in the city center. People are quite friendly and helpful. I have lived in the same area for quite a while now and made some nice friendships, it is always nice to have dinner with friends after work in a newly discovered restaurant. Also a lot of Aihua’s students live around here and so every now and then you will run into them, having a chat with outside of the classroom environment can be very refreshing. As Beijing is trying to develop itself as a cosmopolitan city more and more cultural events are organized in the city attending all of them can be a fulltime job in its own. All in all, Beijing has something for everyone.

I have spent almost 4 years in Beijing, now, and I am on my 3rd English language school. I spent some time with EF English First, kid’s schools, but felt compelled to leave to safeguard my sanity and integrity. I am now with an Irish – Chinese school called Ai Hua and although they pay less than EF English First, I can honestly say that I am MUCH happier here. Having worked in other schools and spoken to many English teachers in China I have come to the conclusion that it’s never going to be perfect, but here at Ai Hua, it’s pretty good. Dr David Cotter, the boss, is Irish and is head of the foreign management team. He is a decent and upright man and still believes in honour, a value I find lacking in many people these days. If David shakes your hand on an agreement reached then you can be sure that was said, will be done.

This year is Ai Hua school’s 10th birthday, a testament to its tenacity in the world of “English Language Schools”. Many come and many go but Ai Hua is still here and showing no signs of weakness. In fact, having just opened a new branch in the neighbouring district of HaiDian, we are going from strength to strength. Most of our classes are at our school in GuCheng (ShiJingShan district) although we also go out to some of the neighbouring public schools to supplement their own on-site English classes. The school is not a “Posh” fancy school but an honest, decent one offering a valuable service to the local community. Many of our students’ parents work at the local market selling produce and are not in a position to pay the fees commanded by top end of the market schools. The kind of schools so business and money oriented that the students and the teachers often get trampled in the stampede towards more and more cash, resulting in a very high turnover of teachers. That is not to say we are a charity, the wages are good here with the added bonus of feeling that you are part of a family and not just a number on the Human Resources person’s list of people to pay.

Life at Aihua:
Teaching English in a foreign country to many is an experience and adventure that will never be forgotten. Although like anything in life nothing is too easy. Teaching English to children or adults takes work, effort and determination. When adjusting to a new job, new experience and new challenge what helps all individuals is the people and support you receive along the way. Teaching and working at Aihua in many ways is like being part of a family. The only choice you have is, are you going to become part of that family or not? You and your teaching assistant or study advisor are a team and you together want to help all the children in your class enjoy themselves as well as improve their English skills. As a new teacher you will be given training on a regular basis and have a group of teachers who are always whiling to help out or offer suggestions. When the week starts everyone at the school will be busy and focused on getting through the week successfully. Aihua is not just a training school it’s also a business so there are many things having to be done on a regular basis in order for the school to succeed and run smoothly. As a foreigner teacher you are one piece of the pie which helps the school to become whole. If you need something or help from classes to your apartment life you must speak up. Don’t be afraid to ask for help even when people look extremely busy.
Getting settled in and learning about how to survive in Beijing will be given when you first arrive. The school will help get you settled into an apartment, set up your bank account and show you how everything works or assign someone to show you around.  There will be regular teacher meetings from management which after you have been here for over a month or so you can use to mention any problems you are having or any help you may need. There is a staff member who is the contact person for all the foreign staff to go to when they need something fixed or an emergency occurs.
There with any job in a foreign country at times miss communication can occur. Remember to be patient and understanding and recognize there are cultural differences which will surprise you. Consider this part of the adventure and learning experience.
Have fun and soak it up for all it’s worth.

Andrew is from Hessle in the UK.  He studied Chemistry at Aberdeen University and had a paper published. He has travelled around the UK and to China and Japan.  He is currently learning Chinese.  His interests include, playing music, listening to music, playing computer games and watching DVD’s.  He also likes reading books and writing stories.

Living in Beijing

Wheels hit tarmac after a long haul flight. Airport security passes in a blur of forms and passport stamps. Bags picked up off the carousel. People waiting bundle luggage into a car.

You’ve made it.

Driving down the EXPRY.
You’re in China, you’ve made it to Beijing.

Tiredness fades as new experiences assault the senses. Strange cars coughing out black smoke, bricks piled so high on the back they look like they could fall any moment. Timber on another truck loosely tied together.
A voice laughs. “Welcome to China”

After a few days, the local area starts to become familiar, buildings become landmarks. Getting stared at becomes less unnerving. You’ve a little Chinese under your belt. It’s time to brave the supermarket. Only, nothing’s where you expect it to be, it’s there, after a head scratch and a search it’s time to brave the checkout. Returning home goods in hand you feel a sense of accomplishment. “I did that!”

Five months into your stay, the streets of Shijingshan are your streets. The local restaurant knows your order before you ask. The shop owner will tell you “没有百事可乐”, letting you know the same bottle of coke you buy everyday isn’t available today. And together you’ll laugh.

The weather is warm the sun is shining. The trees are green and the flowers are blooming. It’s your day. What are you going to do? Where are you going to go? Explore the cities many treasures, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, visit the great lake at the Summer Palace or visit the modern downtown district and go shopping. So much to see and so much to do each place filling the senses with something new.

A year later. Everything is so familiar.

It’s home.

What is Aihua?
Straight to the point Aihua is a school, we teach English, but there is more to Aihua than just a school. We provide a unique opportunity to learn English through active and fun classes. What makes me most proud about teaching here is its affiliation with Ireland and sharing the culture of both china and my home country.

Work and life in Aihua
Work hard and play hard, I think this saying aptly describes working with Aihua. On a typical week you will find your self trekking out to the public schools to teach the students English. This is a unique opportunity to really see a part of Chinese culture that you might never have seen before. Some of the public schools that I teach at are my favourite students and I look forward to teaching there every week. On Saturday and Sunday we teach in the Aihua campus and for a nice change the students come to us. They will be your most busy days but the staff picnic in classroom six is always fun. Who cooked what and who has resorted to dehydrated noodles again.

The thing that is truly unique about Aihua is its standards, for every class we are expected to have a lesson plan, pictures, text book and any extra things we wanted to prepare. There are weekly meetings informing us of upcoming events and extra office hours and every second week we have teacher training. While to some people this might seem a bit daunting but I find this a great comfort and moral boost. In this school you are treated like a real teacher and expected to reach the standards that the school asks of you.

Living in Beijing
There is so much to see and do in Beijing, this city is like two worlds, you can walk the streets of Soho and marvel at the modern and the streamlined buildings or see ancient temples and beautiful streets filled with culture and beauty. There is also the random and strange side of Beijing which I love the most. Never a day goes by when you don’t see something that just makes you stop and laugh or catch flies.

The thing that I find to be the most unique about this city is the seasons. Sure it’s a basic thing all places have seasons but there is something about the extreme difference that you can find here that can keep you on your toes. Its spring at the moment and the air is filled with what I can only describe as floating cotton and blossom leaves. It reminds me of a scene in a romantic movie, a Chinese one of course. In a month or so it will be summer which means the night time is the only civilised and cool time to go out with friends. That means spicy street food and cold beers with neon lights as your illumination.

Then comes autumn its starting to get colder and the shops are filled with electric blankets and space heaters. Your co workers will tell you to drink lots of hot water or better yet some Chinese tea. The leaves cover the streets and the street sweepers use home made brushes to clear the footpaths. I almost wish they wouldn’t, the sound of those leaves reminds me of my childhood. Winter is bitterly cold but by this time the heating comes on for all homes in Beijing and your apartment will be cosy and warm. If you’re really lucky and wake up early on a snowy day you can see the city covered in a fresh white blanket of snow. Then comes the end of the year where you get to celebrate the biggest Chinese festival the New Year. The fireworks last for weeks and some people get to see them up close from their balconies. Just don’t singe your eyebrows when you are recording it.

If you chose to live in Beijing you are not just living in any city, here there are so many worlds. Old and new, beautiful and chaotic, spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Hello my name is  James. I am 27 years old and I am from British Columbia, which is on the west coast of Canada. I grew up in a small city of about 10,000 people near the Rocky Mountains called Nelson.  After graduating from high school I traversed  back and forth across the country to go to Carleton University which is in the nation’s capital city, Ottawa.  I received a  Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a concentration in Psychology in 2006 and then took additional courses at the Justice Institute of British Columbia in adult probation officer training. I enjoy traveling to Mexico as much as possible and have usually been able to find myself there for at least one or two weeks a year for the last 15 years. I enjoy flying four line sport kites, playing video games, going out for dinner, and staying current on all of the newest movies and TV shows.  A secret goal of mine for before I’m 30 is to save enough money that I can go on a 1 week adventure tourism trip to Mexico to swim with great white sharks(with me “safely” inside a shark cage of course) .

Working at Aihua has been a great experience so far. I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to come with the right attitude.  To fit in here you must be a hard-working and self-motivated individual who is coming for the work experience not the travel experience. To put it as plainly as possible, work will take up a large portion of your time and you shouldn’t come thinking you will have lots of free time during the terms. The staff at Aihua put in a great deal of time and effort to deliver a product that is worth the price of admission to the clients.

Everyone at work is fantastic and will always be willing to help you sort out any of your daily life needs. At the campus where I work at the majority of work happens on Saturday, and Sunday, and then there are classes during the week which the hours will vary for each teacher.

To speak to what your lifestyle will be like in Beijing, it should be great. Depending on your needs, you can live on a shoestring budget and save your kuai, or you can live like a rock star. It’s up to you and there are teachers here living each of those lifestyles.

There are lots of shopping markets and malls everywhere and your salary out in Shijingshan will go a long way. Dinner per person at most of the local restaurants is typically less than 25 kuai each. The school itself is situated very close to a subway station which will take you right into the heart of downtown.  This is a temptation that you must watch out for though if you are trying to save your money as downtown Beijing prices are easily 5x that of what you would pay for the same things out in the local area.

All in all, I knew within 2 months that Aihua was going to be a longer term choice for me than just the 1 year contract that I signed up for. How long will I stay you might ask? I don’t know, I stopped thinking about it.

Living in Beijing:
While I have only been here for 8 months I can confidently say that there is a definitely a multicultural feeling to the city. In addition to this there are always local people who are kind and willing to lend a hand. As for entertainment there is a great deal of shows and museums to keep one busy when they are not working. Of course to every city there are positives and negatives; some examples are the overcrowded buses, subways and general pedestrian walk ways. However this can be solved by bringing or purchasing a bike at any of the local shops, I have only recently purchased a bike and I feel that it was an extremely worth wild expense. I am in better shape and I am able to explore the city with greater ease.

Work and life at Aihua:
In my opinion working at Aihua can be a very rewarding experience as long as you make sure to properly prepare and consider each of your classes. The staff I work with are all very capable people who work hard and support me in and out of the classroom. With regards to the life here at Aihua I would say it boils down to what you make of it. The people here are friendly, good hearted and experienced, they try to include all staff foreign and Chinese alike. If a person would like to make friends there are plenty of opportunities to create long lasting friendships; as long as you work hard and are an open-minded person there is no reason not to love the work and the life that Aihua English Academy provides.

What is Aihua:
In my opinion Aihua is the ultimate attempt to bring quality English teaching to as many people in the most efficient and creative way possible. The school has been around long enough to know how to teach English and how do it the right way. There is no doubt that the Management has a singular goal to educate and promote learning to young people regardless of personal capability. With the three campuses all working the school has been able to reach out and help hundreds of children be introduced and enjoy learning English. There is a philosophy here which says that no student should leave Aihua without having an affection for English regardless of what level they leave with. I believe this to be an important part of the Aihua and I strongly believe in this cause.

Life and Work at Aihua:

My ESL teaching career started at Aihua, and I have since taught in many other schools in a few other countries and in the U.S. I’ve been teaching for five years; and I think it says a lot that after 4 years I have returned to China to teach here at Aihua again. The school has grown from its humble roots as a community English school here in Shijingshan to one that spans two full city districts. What is so refreshing is that even despite the growth the school directors, staff, and head teachers continue to be an active part of each branch. There are weekly meetings and training sessions, which illuminate new teaching strategies and allow us teachers the time and space to express concerns and pool ideas to better the quality of our classes. From my experience, training is golden. If you’re at a school that gives you good training, you’re at a place that is investing in you as not only a teacher, but as a professional. Whether your long term goal is to be a teacher or not, you will leave the school with a new sack of professional skills. In Asia, too many ESL schools forgo training for lack of a real teaching mission. Instead, such schools only see green, and don’t really care whether their students truly learn and experience a new language.

Aihua is a straight-shooter. That is to say: they pay on time, the foreign teachers’ assistants are immensely handy, they help you find great apartments, they make the million hassles of getting a Chinese work visa seem relatively less of a hassle. They’ve always been there to answer and assist. In the end it’s up to the individual to use best his/her resource. I think a good rule of thumb for your life and work at Aihua is “seek and you shall find,” but know that they will never undermine your trust, bottom line.

Hannah Pierce-Carlson

ESL instructor