ESL and Literature Instructors, China University of Geosciences Beijing

Job Description

The CHINA UNIVERSITY OF GEOSCIENCES (BEIJING) is looking for three new instructors for the 2022-23 academic year, to fill positions in its Department (officially: School) of Foreign Languages:

(1) A literature instructor (with suitable MA or MFA) also able to handle EFL duties

(2) Two EFL instructors also interested in teaching culture-oriented courses

We are looking for responsible, well-educated and resourceful native speakers of English. Given current work permit rules in Beijing, they should hold a passport from the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand.

Candidates need, at a minimum, solid undergraduate training. In the case of the instructor for courses in English literature at the BA and MA levels, appropriate postgraduate training is necessary, or equivalent experience. Some experience of teaching, tutoring or training is also desirable.

The EFL instructors we hire should hold a good BA in English literature or related field in the humanities or in the social sciences (eg creative writing, classics, history, anthropology, linguistics, sociology, political economy, communication, area studies with literary content).

Important: CELTA or reputable TEFL certification (120 hours) is needed to obtain a Chinese work permit unless the candidate has three years of teaching experience. An MA is helpful but definitely not required for the EFL posts.

SALARY

The base salary for teachers is currently 7500 yuan per month. Staff will receive 8000 yuan per month if they have a relevant master’s degree. Teachers who stay on after the first year receive a 10% hike in salary for the first four renewals, using the newest base salary.

HOUSING

All foreign instructors are housed in individual furnished flats on campus, provided without charge by the university; utilities are also covered. Walking time to all classrooms is 10-15 minutes. We have no off-campus operations.

TIMETABLE

The teaching load for foreign instructors is 14 classroom hours or less per week, in keeping with guidelines issued by the Beijing Foreign Experts Bureau. It is very rare for any instructor to be asked to take additional hours.

OUR PROGRAM

The EFL teaching program emphasizes educated colloquial English, academic English, and Western culture; in certain EFL courses attention is paid to the English of scientific discussion, though not of a highly technical sort. Our literature courses are lecture-based at the undergraduate level, but at the MA level these give way, where possible, to seminars emphasizing close reading and active student participation.

Interested candidates should read this job announcement carefully and submit a CV and appropriate letter to Prof. WD White at wdwhite@cugb.edu.cn. It seems likely that the pandemic will continue to impact international recruitment, so we are interested above all in applicants who are already inside the PRC or in East Asia. But we will certainly consider strong applicants from outside the area.

For 40 years we have had a very strong foreign staff: intellectually committed teachers who enjoy the challenges of teaching in China. We want teachers who take their students seriously and regard the classroom as an observatory for exploring contemporary Chinese culture and society.

Historically we have a high staff retention rate, with many teachers staying for two to five years.

THE UNIVERSITY

The CHINA UNIVERSITY OF GEOSCIENCES, BEIJING (中国地质大学北京 Zhongguo Dizhi Daxue Beijing or Dida) is a medium-sized government university located on a quiet, leafy, pleasant campus in Beijing’s Haidian district...

[Detailed university, teaching, contract, housing, etc. descriptions omitted for brevity in this extraction, but included in full in original text]

Application

Submit the following documents through CUJ online application (recommended). You can also send them by email to Prof. William D. White at wdwhite@cugb.edu.cn:

• a CV/résumé and
• a no-nonsense letter outlining your reasons for wanting to teach in China, or to teach in Beijing if you are already in the PRC