The Second Talk

I met with the guy from Kaplan again, and I had an opportunity to learn more about the program. The program is actually the Sino part of the Sino-US pathways program. This is a unique model for China in that it allows students to complete their first year of studies in China and it does not require them to take the TOEFL or SAT/ACT for admissions. The other three years are completed at Baylor, University of Utah, Northeast University, or the University of Vermont. During their year in China, they are taking credit bearing courses for the first year of uni along with taking EAP courses to improve their English. 

The program begins with two eight week sessions of classes which are intensive English, and then they continue their English study for the rest of the year in China. In the summer, they go to Northeast to do a summer bridge program which is to help them get acclimated to the life in the United States before they begin their sophomore year. 

I found during the interview I was raising questions that they are also looking for the answers to. For example, I wondered how students were selecting their majors, and I was told they have a sort of career advising course that helps them select a suitable major along with the opinions of their parents. 

I asked about how they managed to keep the standards reasonable for the US university. They said that the students need to get certain grades in the EAP and if they get to the US, and the US decides they are not ready then they also get kicked out of the program. He said that they did not lose many students in this way. 

This is only the second year of the program, so the students from this year are just beginning their summer bridge program, and they have good feedback this far. it does raise a lot of questions for me as whether or not this is a good model for recruiting Chinese students. It also raises new ideas to me regarding international education and the level of cooperation that businesses can have with universities and that universities can have with each other. 

I actually believe in what this program is selling and I think it is a great way from students to come from China to the United States. 

What they are looking for me to do is to teach EAP (English for Academic Purposes) as well as teach American Studies (as a contingent faculty member of Northeast University in Boston). In addition, they may also like me to teach the class on Career selection and possibly work with others to develop the curriculum for the EAP courses. In addition to that, there may also be a possibility to promote me to a position of leadership for the EAP faculty. 

This is a job that I feel would be both exciting and challenging. Because it is directly involved with sending students to the US, and I may be teaching a class that relates helping Chinese students choose their majors, so that is getting into the area of advising international students which has been one of my career goals for quite some time. As I see it, this job offers me the opportunity for professional growth that is in the middle of the two paths I am struggling to choose between. That is, do I want to continue with a career in EFL/ESL (which was the reason I applied to a PhD in Michigan State in Second Language Studies) or do I want to go to International Education (and work to help/advise/create programs for educational exchange). This job seems to be a good opportunity to be involved with something that combines my two interests perfectly. I am not ready to completely give up teaching ESL and at the same time, I have always thought I wanted to be involved with international education. 

The company really wants me, and I have been offered summer employment only if it is not possible for me to stay longer. It is so exciting to know that my working experience is really taking me in the direction I would like to go for my career. I really want to translate this work into something I can build upon in the US, and I feel that this job may help me with that transition as well. 

The only problem with this job is that it is located in China. (Actually, I would be able to stay in Shanghai--which also means they want me because Shanghai is perhaps one of the more desirable locations to work). 

My first choice is still to have the PhD funding come through. But the reality is I start to question what they will be able to offer me, and will it be enough to support us until other things get sorted out. 

I asked Buffalo for a timeline as to when I might find out something. I really hope it is soon. I don't want to get any more exciting job offers. It causes too much conflict for me.