Teaching English in China

[dtommy79]

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience in teaching English in China?

Do yo need any special training other than a teaching degree? How about visa and this kind of stuff?

[arizona]

Hi there!

I have been a part time English teacher in China- I was in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. I know there are some schools who help you get a visa. I even knew  some people who were allocated apartments to stay. It all depends on the school/ company you are dealing with. I hope this helps!

[BWL]

Yes, it really depends on the institution. Sometimes all it takes is to be a foreigner! Chinese people assume all foreigners are English-speaking Americans so even Europeans whose first language is not English may find it relatively easy to get a stint there.

If you do get an attachment or temporary position, it could be an amazing experience!

[nonsiccus]

I haven't done so myself, but I have had several friends do so. Their accounts really vary, so like the poster above mentions, your mileage may vary depending on the agency you go through.

For one of them, a female, she said she had an awful time. It was a learning experience and all, but at the end of it she said that she has wished she hadn't gone. She attributed this mostly to the conditions that she had to endure, as well as the general isolation since there were very few english speakers with her.

My other friend is male, and ended up in a larger city. He said he had an absolute blast as his school would go on frequent outings and there were many english speakers with him.

A bit of a gamble it seems.

[linguaholic]

Two years ago I was studying Chinese in Nanjing, China (南京）。

I have been living on campus of 南京大学 for some months and in this time I have seen so many foreigners engaging in teaching activities. There were so many chinese students that were looking for (native) English speakers, you wouldn't believe....Even me, (as non-native speaker of English) I got asked very frequently about teaching English to chinese students/children. Sometimes when simply hanging out in the city, some Chinese people would approach me and ask me if I could teach their children  :frozen:

So if you ask me, it is very very easy to find a job as an English teacher in China, at least in cities like Nanjing (it might be more difficult in Beijing and Shanghai of course).

What really surprised me is that the salary many foreigners got from teaching English as pretty decent as well. For a simple job it seemed to be pretty common to get something like 80-100 yuan an hour. A friend of mine (half asian, half british) even got some VIP teaching jobs and she earned about 300 yuan or more for just one hour. In a city like Nanjing, where the cost of living is very low, earning 80-100 yuan an hour is pretty good.

I would like to mention here that most of the foreigners that were teaching English in Nanjing at that time, they did NOT have a working visa/permit. So generally speaking, they were working on an illegal basis. However, nobody seemed to care about it. I have many many friends that have been teaching English all over China and there as well, teaching English without a working Visa seems to be no problem at all.

[BWL]

Yes, I noticed this as well when I was in Henan on an assignment two years ago. The locals were very eager to learn English. As I'm of Chinese descent and obviously look Chinese, people were just shocked that I spoke English like a waiguoren! There were many students at the local universities looking to practise their English with us all the time! I think many Chinese realise that in this era of globalisation, knowing a foreign language is a invaluable asset!

[pcgamer]

Yes, I noticed this as well when I was in Henan on an assignment two years ago. The locals were very eager to learn English. As I'm of Chinese descent and obviously look Chinese, people were just shocked that I spoke English like a waiguoren! There were many students at the local universities looking to practise their English with us all the time! I think many Chinese realise that in this era of globalisation, knowing a foreign language is a invaluable asset!

I have met with some Chinese people while playing WoW and League of Legends (yes I have played WoW), and their English was incomprehensible to say the least. Of course, people would be surprised to see you speak like a waiguoren. But times are changing now and more people are eager to master the international language which connects us all.

[Squizzle]

Hi,

Does anyone have any experience in teaching English in China?

Do yo need any special training other than a teaching degree? How about visa and this kind of stuff?

Hi, im actually teaching English in China at the moment. (To be fair im more of a teachers assistant, but i do the same stuff as a normal teacher would do. Plan lessons and etc. )

Degree wise, i would say if you're actually looking to be a fully qualified teacher, you would have to have some experience teaching + a teaching degree as well as a CELTA qualification.

Visa wise, that depends on how long you want to stay in china.

[Beverly]

My ex bf taught in China for 6 months and all he was required to have was TEFL certificate which he actually earned online. They took care of all his expenses from visa, place to live, and some school or courses actually took you to sight seeing every weekend.

I'd suggest to always apply online instead of going there right away and tried to hunt the job. It's harder. When you applied online and they accepted you,you'd have to sign a contract for at least a year to work for them. As I said,they'd take care of your work visa and provided a place to live.

When my ex was teaching in EF (English First) ,He met someone who was in his early 20s and has been teaching English since he graduated high school. He has been to many places from Europe to Asia. He used teaching English abroad as a way to also travel while earning money.

[mareebaybay]

I always wonder how foreign countries learned English. I wondered just how difficult it was for people of different language, to learn my Native language. Seeing as how it is so difficult for us to learn new languages.

[Beverly]

I always wonder how foreign countries learned English. I wondered just how difficult it was for people of different language, to learn my Native language. Seeing as how it is so difficult for us to learn new languages.

English is actually part of our curriculum in where I come from. Back when I was in elementary school,they let you choose which language you wanted to learn as your second language ,I remember my auntie actually picked Japanese. It got removed and for a while the only language that was taught is English. Nowadays, some schools started to add Mandarin in the curriculum as well but this is why a lot of us learnt English in my country. Since it's part of our curriculum,we have to have good grade so when I got a big fat F, my parents put me in an English course to help me improve.

Nowadays you can actually go to a school where English is the first language used in the school. All the teachers speak English and all the subjects from math to chemistry or biology are taught in English. A lot of the teachers are also foreigners. The big catch? It's considered a 'high class' school where it's so expensive that only the rich can probably afford it.

[mareebaybay]

Teaching a foreign language in another country would require a level of education. I don't think you could just be anyone, and teach children another language. That is definitely something that is worth looking into.

[Wufnu]

I taught English in China for 1 year in southern China and mathematics/physics/statistics for 1 year in middle China.  Really, all you need is a degree (any 4 year will do) and a TEFL certificate (or equivalent).  If you're not a licensed teacher in your home country, you will make much less than others but, strictly speaking, a teaching certificate isn't required. 

You can get jobs with less than a degree and TEFL certification but you won't be technically legal and you will earn very little money.  Technically, you must have at least a 4 year degree to become a foreign expert in China.  However, many schools have good relations with their local government offices and can get you the proper paperwork no matter what qualifications you may lack. 

If your degree is in a STEM major, I would teach a STEM subject instead.  You will earn much, much more money.  If you're a licensed teacher, of anything, in your home country then you should definitely limit yourself to international schools.  They earn lots of money and are treated very well. 

If you can go, I recommend it.  Always watch out for yourself.  Don't let people take advantage of you, especially your employer.  It was a great adventure for me.  Plus, I met my wife there!