Many cities like that in China. Just crap.

Web is a well known chain of shit training centres in China that has been around for years.

Owned and managed by a bunch or crooks, liars, fools, idiots.

Keep away from these disgusting scumbags!

20-25 classes per week may sound manageable to many people with an excellent work ethic but...

That ultimately could be depriving you of 10-15 hours of far more lucrative private tutoring work away from your main job that you could be doing instead. Don't let them monopolise your time. Some training centres are even rumoured to give teachers all those hours, to prevent them from earning that 'f**k you money' on the side, thus tightening their grip upon them. The happiest teachers that I see at private training centres are usually the part-timers, basically because they can earn more per hour and the 'school'/business has relatively little control over them.

Even if you don't choose to have multiple sources of income in China, time is a precious thing and you can't buy it back.

However, I would disagree with Silverboy slightly about the shortage issue. Many greedy and dishonest schools are turning to teachers from non-native speaking countries that will accept dodgy visas, lower pay and worse working conditions. Sadly, this means that many native speakers are going to be priced out of the market in certain regions. But he is definitely correct about your improved negotiating position to an extent; if a school wants to stay legal and market themselves based upon having the real deal, you've become a far more precious resource than you once was.

But as I should say to everybody on this board, be less generous and be more realistic. These working relationships are often not so reciprocal. Many a more lefty kind of person on this board thinks that by kissing the arse of every single person in China, they will be rewarded handsomely. Trust me, it doesn't work like that. Get whatever you can out of them, fight for yourself.

20-25 classes per week? How long are the classes? 40-45 mins or one hour in duration? I suspect more than an hour at a training centre.

Anything more than 16- 18 classes per week longer than 40 mins and you are being exploited IMO. What is the salary? If it's under 14,000 a month you really are being taken as a fool and are a victim of exploitation.

Mellow course takers is one thing, sound methodology another. Praising or criticizing a school one should provide more details than what you have offered. The "20-25 classes per week" seems a handful of work for a real teacher who usually gets 10-15 lessons weekly.

For the sake of all FTs reading on the board, would you be kind enough to shed light on how the school expects FTs to participate in the students academic development, how it supports its foreign employees and what techniques it uses to evaluate them? Moreover, can you enlighten all on what course structure and material the chain uses, or expects FTs to work with, so that we know why the franchised centers are to be reckoned with as "the best" in the game?

Last but not least, private centers may have all sorts of walk-ins that may be at quite different level of English and perhaps in another age group, and so they may divide those clients into varieties of courses/classes. Anyone interested to read about schools like this one should know how Web International separates its students into classes that FTs teach. I don't think a FT should just have to deal with nice but also with capable students to learn the academic program to be given.

In the end, teaching is a difficult profession which may be corrupt by money and/or demands. Having a job is one thing, doing it is another.

Web is a Teaching Agency with a dodgy looking franchise too.
http://www.webi.com.cn/en/about/question.aspx

And Brainwashing too
"....As a result, this can increase the generation of changes inside the brain and cause changes from short-term to long term memory...."
http://www.webi.com.cn/en/Philosophy/index.aspx

Jobs at Web...Full of Bull Ordure with little detail...
http://www.webi.com.cn/en/web_job.aspx

A suitable candidate for the bulldozers I think..

I just started at Web in Taicang and I am already regretting my decision. First, everything I was promised when I interviewed was immediately taken off the table. For example, I was told by the manager Abbey Web would give me a housing allowance of RMB 2000. When I arrived it mysteriously changed to RMB 1500, which isn't enough to cover a decent apartment in Taicang. Next, I was told that Web would loan me the entire initially cost for an apartment (which is typically three months up front + one month security deposit + agent's fee of 1/2 a month's rent), but when I arrived Abbey began asking me how much money I had in my account. I asked her why she needed to know. She advised me that Web would only loan me the amount IT would determine I'd need. Right before I arrived, some other poor sap started. They told him the same thing about the rent. He made the mistake of telling them how much he had. Web offered to loan him just enough to cover the lease. He asked, "how am I going to eat during this time?" They then allowed him to keep RMB 1500 to get him through the next 32 days. For my predecessor, this had a snowball effect, as they botched his visa and sent him to HK. They initially covered the airfare, and told him to bring back receipts for reimbursement. The poor guy spent every last cent he had get his visa. When he returned, not only did they refuse to reimburse him, but they charged him for the airfare. The following month, they tried to send him back to HK for his Z visa without any of the required paperwork. He asked about the paperwork and they said they would mail it to him. He advised them that he wouldn't get on the plane unless the company advanced him the costs of the trip. This was reasonable as they again claimed they'd reimburse it. The refused and told him he'd been paid RMB 4300 so he should have at least RMB 3000 left over to spend. The added that after he exhausted all of his funds they'd consider loaning him additional funds as they saw fit. The guy ultimately walked, but seeing what he went through, and the enormous financial toll it took on him, I think I'll follow him once I line something else up. This place is horrible.

Web International English is the lowest quality employer I've worked for in my life. Instead of making this turn into a big rant I want to keep it objective.

Here's a list of what Web International English doesn't provide for employees:

A legal work visa.

A break on taxes - employees are charged 1180 RMB for "taxes" each month, but are not legally working.

Promotion - The only position available is teacher, and yearly bonuses are meager. There is no senior teacher or Westerner in management.

Pick up at the airport.

Housing.

Help finding housing.

Help negotiating a lease + commissions with Chinese speaking property management groups.

Housing while you find an apartment.

Help finding temporary housing.

Health insurance.

Help going to a see a doctor if you are ill.

A list of English speaking doctors.

Toilets. Employees share public squat/trough toilets with a food court/subway station.

Privacy in any capacity. Glass walls in all rooms. The teacher's room also has a glass wall. students are free to come in as they please. You are expected to entertain at all times.

Personal space - There are two large tables, each has ten computers on it. The room is shared with 10-20 employees. If you stretch you will hit the person next to you.

Working computers - Pirated Windows/Office all in Chinese, crawl speed internet, Chinese pop-up advertisements every ten-twenty minutes while using any program.

Wifi - There is wifi but the owner uses it exclusively, students and staff are not allowed to have the password.

Western holidays off - You will work Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve, New Years, Easter, and for Yanks Thanksgivings.

Chinese holidays - You have less holiday time than your Chinese students (to their amazement).

Teaching materials - We have literally two supplementary books at our locations: Market Leaders Int. half is in Chinese.

Mandarin Lessons.

Tea or coffee.

If you are thinking about teaching in China do not teach for Web International English.