Teaching jobs offered in China
By Jackie Faye Burton
Published: Friday, March 19, 2004
The Chinese Culture Center is offering 800 teaching positions in China but have received only 300 applications.
The Chinese Culture Center, a nonprofit organization in Columbia with a mission to introduce Chinese culture to Americans, is offering a program for college students to teach English in China. The job comes with a salary and a rent-free apartment as well as a foreign experts certificate to offer to prospective employers.
Students of all majors are welcome to apply, but must be a native English speaker, have an associate degree by the time of departure and be between the ages of 21 to 65. Barbara Derrick, chairwoman of Chinese Culture Center PTO, said the program is a great chance for graduates to see China.
"It is a unique opportunity as Asia is changing so fast and the graduates would be able to see this transformation first hand," Derrick said.
The center will sponsor a job seminar April 10 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in room 202 of the Humanities building. There will be guest speakers who have taught English in China and people to answer questions.
Charles Alber, USC Chinese program director and professor, traveled to China when the program was first established.
"It is important that South Carolinians recognize the change China has gone through and continues to go through," he said. "China is growing by leaps and bounds and is very much a civilized country."
In 2003 the center was able to help the S.C. Department of Education sign an Educational Exchange Memorandum of Understanding with the Educational Department of the Chinese Embassy in the United States. The center also helped Richland School District One start the first Chinese Program in the state.
But officials at the center want to accomplish more. Their goals for 2004 include recruiting more native English speakers to teach English in China, inviting Chinese business and educational groups to visit the United States and building a new Activity Center.
To depart for China in June or August, the application deadline is April 15.
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