So it’s March 2016 already. You may be sick of hearing such comments but the very real problem I have had is that I haven’t put up more than one post per month over the last few months. I’d love to say that I’ll change and that this year will be different but, honestly, I don’t foresee things changing all that much. Busy with courses and, when I’m not busy, I’m either reading or trying to get to the gym. Worse yet, I’ve noticed that the internet doesn’t work as well when it’s really windy outside (as it has been lately) and so that just adds yet another aggravation. Anyway, my point is, time flies.
I read in the news that North Dakota is reeling from the fall in the price of oil. Since the price of oil collapsed in 2014, mines and rigs have been scaling back production and now workers are leaving for greener pastures. The main reason why this at all caught my attention is because it was exactly two years ago around this time that some folks were urging / suggesting that I apply for jobs in the mining industry. But they weren’t hiring. And it was exactly four years ago that I found out rather harshly that the Australian mining industry wasn’t doing so well and, instead, opted to work my way through Australia on farms. All throughout people encouraged me to apply to an industry that I knew from first-hand experience wasn’t hiring just anybody. They needed people with advanced degrees in subjects I didn’t take. And so, here I am, four and two years later respectively, teaching in China. And I have nothing wrong with that.
All that being said, I do hope those folks affected by the collapse in oil are able to find appropriate work for themselves.
That did get me thinking, however, about the possible future of teaching English here in China. You see, 20 years ago Japan was the place to go for folks who wanted to work and travel and find an “easy job” such as teaching English. About 10 years ago it was South Korea. But now it’s China. And China does still need English teachers (not just English teachers but from all sorts of disciplines).
So how long will this “boom” in teaching English last in China? I’d give it five years, give or take a few. Why? Mainly because in 2022 Beijing will host the Winter Olympics and up until that time there will be a great emphasis in learning from native speakers. After that, however, I suspect that a) there will be more Chinese-born but foreign-taught English teachers that can do the job and, b) there will be either a surplus of teachers already in the country or, simply, demand will drop.
Moreover, something does make me a little concerned. The Hong Kong and Shanghai indexes haven’t been doing so well for the last year or so yet a lot of my students are economics or business majors. My concern is that something similar to 2008 will happen either in the West or here in China and that could mean that we’ll then have a very-educated-yet-unemployed Chinese workforce. Of course, since I have done a bit of travelling and worked my fair share of jobs completely related to my degree(s), I do urge my students to develop a second skill and to not be afraid to do jobs that don’t necessarily match their educational skill set. Oh, and I do suggest that they learn how to teach Chinese, it may become a useful skill someday.
Of course, those are just my ideas.
Anyway, it’s back to school over here in Beijing. I started out with a 20-hour course load and then just yesterday was given a few more hours. I don’t mind the boost to my paycheque but there goes my nice and relaxing semester. From now on I’m going to stop saying that my next semester will be “nice and relaxing” and instead say it will be asinine crazy chaotic… and then maybe it won’t. In anyway, it’s not too bad as I am now much more familiar with the course work and what’s needed to both encourage the students and make my own life simple.
With that, let’s hope I post again before the end of March!