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ESL TEACHER NEEDED IN SHANGHAI

Date updated：Oct 6，2016

Employer：Longman schools, Shanghai

Qualifications

·A genuine interest in children, teaching, and professional development

·Open-minded, an adventurous spirit, and professional flexibility

·4-year bachelor's degree from an accredited university

·Native English speaker

·Passport issued by the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand

·Two years post bachelor degree teaching experience preferred

·Internationally recognized TEFL, CELTA, or TESOL certification

·Experience traveling internationally and / or working abroad preferred

Responsibilities

·Planning and delivering lessons to learners (ages 3.15)

·Using electronic media and courseware to teach English efficiently and effectively

·Evaluating student progress and providing ongoing guidance for improvement

·Participating in social activities with students organized by your school

·Maintaining regular office hours

Employment package

·Salaries：13,000rmb-16,000rmb per month (depending on experience)

·6,000 rmb sign on bonus (after probation — a time of training and testing when you start a new job)

·10，000rmb Accommodation Assistance Loan (overseas applicants only)

·2,000rmb relocation allowance (overseas applicants only)

·16 teaching hours and 10 office hours per week

·2 Day off per week

·Paid overtime for teaching

·Paid holiday & paid Chinese public holiday

·15-month Z working visa (foreign expert certificate)

·5000rmb flight allowance (paid upon contract completion)

·Comprehensive health Insurance & accident Insurance

·Accommodation assistant

·On-going professional teacher development and training program

·15 month contract (including 3 month's probation)

    You use her as a shoulder to cry on. She texts you back with casual jokes. But she, Xiaoice, is only a virtual chatbot（虚拟聊天机器人）.

    Xiaoice, Microsoft's latest artificial intelligence robot, was briefly released in 2014, and returned to WeChat in 2015, where she became a big hit. Millions of young Chinese now exchange messages with her daily, The New York Times reported. On WeChat, Xiaoice is an official account. After following it, users can start text-based conversations with Xiaoice.

    “Her incredible learning ability was why people loved to talk with Xiaoice,” Liu Jinchang, a researcher at High-tech Research and Development Center under the Ministry of Science and Technology, told China Daily. Apart from her ability to identify photos and send emojis（表情符号） in conversations, Xiaoice gains 45 percent of her knowledge from interacting with users, China Daily reported.

    Chatbot programs first appeared in the mid-1960s in the US. Driven by top tech companies, they are becoming smarter and more common. For instance, IBM's latest artificial intelligence program served as an academic consultant at Australia's Deakin University, answering students' questions about course schedules and financial aid. Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa have been used as voice assistants who can read news, play music and even make jokes for their users.

    These programs are expected to move beyond smartphones, into televisions, cars and living rooms, The New York Times pointed out. However, it may take decades before scientists develop a “Samantha”, the advanced chatbot seen in the fiction film Her. In the film, Samantha has a romantic relationship with her user played by US actor Joaquin Phoenix. Many viewers were enthusiastic about this fantasy of virtual soul mates.

    I grew up in a troubled home in the 1970s, on the outskirts of downtown Orlando, Florida. Not far away, a three-story house attracted my eyes.

    It was nothing like the one I lived in with my mother, a small dark place with rules about befriending others. “Don't. Never, ever talk to anyone,” my mother said.

    One day, in sixth grade, a black-haired woman was introduced to our class: Mrs. Reese. Reese explained that she was starting Spanish Club. She invited anyone interested in learning Spanish language and culture to stay after school.

    I could not take my eyes off her bracelets(手镯) and shining rings. The bell rang, and to my shock, no one went up to Mrs. Reese. I was under strict orders to go straight home. But that day, I stayed. I asked Mrs. Reese when the club started.

    “We could begin right now if you like,” she said with a smile. I felt beautiful. That day I learned that the house of my dreams was her house. I learned how to answer questions about my age and my favorite food in Spanish. And I learned, “Do you want to come over tomorrow for cooking lessons?”

    I wanted to say “Yes”, but Mom's words held me back.

I begged my mother all summer and into fall, well after Spanish Club had dissolved. I wept at night sometimes, so worried that Mrs. Reese and her family would move away.

    At some point, I managed to wear my mother down and one Saturday afternoon. I rode out to Mrs. Reese's house.

    The details of that afternoon are marked in my mind: We had tea. She painted my toenails red. We made a garlicky picadillo. We spoke in Spanish. In Spanish, my voice was loud and romantic. This is the real me! I remember thinking.

    My mother never permitted me another visit to Mrs. Reese's house. But four decades later, I still remember that day and the life she showed me, proof of a possible future.

    When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Sometimes she said I was thin. Sometimes she said I was lazy. Other times she said I wasn't a good student. And still other times she said I talked too much, and so on. I tried to put up with her.

    At last, I became very angry with her. With tears in my eyes, I ran to my father, who listened to me quietly and asked, "Are the things she said true or false? Mary, haven't you ever wondered what you're really like? Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that agree with her comments. Pay no attention to the things she said that don't concern you."

    I did as he told me. Much to my surprise, I discovered that over half the things were true. I brought the list back to my dad. He refused to take it. "That's just for you," he said. "You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be helpful to you. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you think is right."

    Many years have passed. The situation often appears in my mind. In our life we often meet with some trouble and we often go to someone and ask for advice. Some advice you will treasure all your life!

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