Aston Recruiting

I recently finished teaching with Aston English school in Dalian. I rank my year with Aston as one of the best of my life. The school is a highly professional American owned training school with in house Western managment. At times l found the teaching to be rather demanding however the support i received and excellent curriculum provided by Aston always made me feel comfortable. The students were a pleasure to teach and the schools Chinese staff were very helpful and did their very best to make me feel welcome. The salary provided by Aston may not be the highest when compared to other English schools, however they provide good accommodation and take care of the whole visa process. Before teaching with Aston l worked for a few other English schools that failed to honour the contract and had very little interest in taking care of their teachers. I always felt that Aston greatly cared about my comfort and happiness which is a rareity with many current training schools in China.

Dalian is a highly modern Chinese city that offers plenty of entertainment. The thing that l greatly liked about Dalian was the fact that l could easily live a Western lifestlye when it suited me. Due to a large number of fellow expats residing in the city, as well as several western bars and restaurants. Although at the same time l could completly submerge myself in Chinese culture and the language.

I highly reccommend Dalian Aston English to all.

Before working at Aston, I worked for a Chinese company which paid me very little and had me working on the wrong visa. When I realised the seriousness - and potential fines involved with working under a business visa - I immediately sought legitimate employment elsewhere. That was when I discovered Aston. Although Aston was not the highest paying institute, it was a very fair company which made sure I was given the correct paperwork (Z-Visa and Foreign Expert Certificate) and the staff care that I received was second to none.

I was given a very nice, clean apartment and a tour of the city (something which I didn't receive from the previous company), as well as attending an introduction dinner with all the other Aston teachers in the city.

All new teachers were given complete training by an experienced and enthusiastic teacher trainer; and on-going training and support was given throughout the duration of my time at Aston.

The work load was fair, with only 20 teaching hours and 3 office hours a week, (compared to the 25 teaching hours and 15 office hours a week at my previous job) and a generous amount of holiday was given, as well as 3 days off a week.

The fact that Aston is an American ran school, meant that there was a fellow foreigner always on hand to help, and advice and support was given when needed.

Although my time at Aston was fairly brief, It was thoroughly beneficial and made my experience in China all the more enjoyable.

Aston seems to have a good structure, but yet they still seem to have problems.

Schools that tend to be franchises and the general local management in the schools is bad.

Bad communication, last minute changes to schedule, trying to pressure you into working more hours and making promises of paying overtime but when you are leaving they try get out of paying you.

They are are always trying to either do you out of money or trick you into working more hours.

HR is non-existent when you try to ask for support or advice on how to handle these situations. So they leave you to fend for yourself.

One of the worst experiences I've ever had.

I taught in Jinan with Aston on my first international job. The interview was pleasant and professional. The expediting of the letter of invitation and passport were done to specifications. When I arrived the only thing that wasn't told to me as a beginning traveller is the time change and layover times. I would have preferred the school to have a contact person with the airline to make the transition smooth. The people were kind and loving yet with concern of curriculum and teaching props, the school were fine. The apartment left much to be desired very hot without air-conditioning and very cold with out heaters on. The floor heating is not enough and too expensive. All and all the schools administration took great care of me and kept me in safety with concern during my off days.
I would prefer that the teachers had more input to each semester and changes that could assist the children, but I guess you can't have everything. The hours of work are great for me and the area is a mixture of city life and traditional people. Aston is well worth the chance for beginners, intermediates and those looking to advance.

Great people, by and large. A decent, coherent teaching philosophy and teaching materials, though the intermediate to advanced books are way too difficult for students and lead to a lot of frustration. Salary, not amazing but if you are in a small city, enough to save money while you work (Assuming you are not a raving alcoholic). Schedule, not too strenuous even with the 28 hour contract, as long as you can plan lessons quickly. Living conditions... well it's China. Apartments will vary a great deal from city to city. However, the school allows you do take a housing stipend and rent a better apartment if you want. Overall, a very decent organization.