A US-based education organization plans to recruit about 20
Mandarin-speaking Chinese teachers in southwestern China to meet
growing demand for Chinese courses.
The Sino-American Education Consortium (SAEC) said on Wednesday
the posts were open to both college graduates and experienced
teachers who had passed the Chinese Proficiency Test and the
College English Test.
Those hired would get a three-year contract at primary and high
schools in the state of Georgia, said Song Zhihui, vice chairman of
the southwest branch of the SAEC.
Chinese lessons were growing in popularity in the US and more
schools had started courses, said Song.
"The problem is the US has a great shortage of professional
Chinese teachers," said Song.
Overseas Chinese students generally lacked necessary
qualifications in Chinese language proficiency and teaching
experience, he said.
"Many US schools want to hire teachers in China and that's why
we launched this program," said Song, adding the SAEC would hire
more teachers if the program went well.
The successful applicants were also encouraged to pursue a
masters' degree in education at a US university, and work there
long-term.
The SAEC would hold interviews from May 25 to 28 at the seventh
Western China International Exposition to be held in Chengdu, the
provincial capital.
Established in the US in 1987, the SAEC, formally known as
USA-SINO Teacher Education Consortium, is an international academic
organization to promote the education levels of both countries via
exchanges and cooperation.
(Xinhua News Agency May 11, 2006)
