Ajay Shringi discusses the benefits of getting certified when teaching in China.

China is one of those places that has always led a very sheltered life. It has, for a very long time, held on to its native traditions and cultures, guarding it jealously from outside influences. But, if there’s one thing about the Chinese, it’s their fierce competitiveness. They just cannot abide to be second best. As a result, the country has been seeing a continual period of industrial and financial boom. But that has not prevented the Chinese from looking for more. In fact, the emerging middle class is hungrier than ever before to make their impact on the world.

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In the last few years, the Internet has been causing a mini-revolution in China. In IT, the Chinese have found one more bastion which they have been actively cultivating and expanding. It is in the context of this technological globalization that the importance of English dawned on the Chinese. They understood that in order to have the edge in the era of the Internet, they just cannot afford to ignore English. Not just that, most of the demands for cyber activity came from European markets and the American markets. That made English a necessity for survival in cyberspace.

All these factors have contributed to people from the middle class developing an intense craving to learn English and impart quality English training to their children. They are even willing to provide expensive private tuition to their children so they can be equipped to handle the needs that arise in the future.

Due to this unabated eagerness to learn English, many academic institutes are having a difficult time filling vacancies for English teachers. Thus, they turn to foreign recruitment agencies to fill the posts. Mind you, most of these institutes want native speakers and are therefore turning to markets in the US and UK.

As a direct result of the demand, many institutes are now offering TESOL courses in China itself. By taking a course located in China, students have many advantages. First, they are able to see the way of life in China firsthand even while they study. Thus, they are able to break through the cultural barrier much before they are ready to hunt for a job. Students can also explore various job options independently while they reside in China.

Most centers have their institutes in Beijing itself. Beijing is a huge melting pot of culture and politics. The living environment is good despite what the media seeks to tell you. It is a large city with all the modern conveniences that people look for.

TESOL certification can help students find attractive job opportunities in China.

About the Author

The author is involved in International TESOL Teacher Training, an organisation that provides high quality tesol China certification courses.

Groshan Fabiola gives a brief intro into teaching English Asian style.

Teaching English in Asia has become very popular among native English speakers from the United States and Canada. These are in fact the residents generally preferred by Asian employers in their numerous job offerings for teachers of English as a second language. Employment anywhere abroad is not guaranteed with just a strong knowledge of English, despite the fact that this language has become international over the past years. However, teaching is Asia is possible with nothing but the solid knowledge that most native English speakers possess. The only prerequisite is a university degree in any subject, but there are times when a lot of enthusiasm will do.

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Teaching in Asia is possible both in public and in private language institutions, as well as self employed. The problem with the privately-run institutions is that their main focus is maximization of profits, which makes educational standards rather low. This makes work as a private tutor more lucrative. However, this type of employment requires considerable market experiences, as well as suitable premises for your work.

Teaching in Asia comes with many advantages, and many of those who apply for an ESL job in Korea, China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, etc. mostly appreciate salaries and the possibility of increasing their income through private tutoring. The change of scenery is also regarded as interesting, though there are times when the resistance to innovation makes local people have a rather racist attitude. But new arrivals are likely to face problems anywhere around the world, and teaching in Asia is no exception. However, these obstacles can be overcome with tact and perseverance.

Those with no experience whatsoever are most likely to find that teaching in Asia comes with a big challenge, which is getting shy students to speak in class. But this is again an obstacle that can be overcome, because teachers all over the world are faced with this problem, and the most efficient solution seems to be making your classes fun and encouraging students the vocabulary the already possess, however limited.

Teaching in Asia has experienced a remarkable explosion in the past few years, with China demanding a constant flow of native speakers from Western countries. China is the hungriest Asian nation as far as the English language is concerned. There are many ESL job postings for China on the Internet, because the demand for English instructors is a huge one, with more and more people wishing to provide their children with a good education and send them for private tuition.

Requirements for teaching in Asia are not very stringent. A university degree often suffices and teaching experience is seldom required, as this counts for higher training levels. Each of the Asian countries eager to bring in native speakers of English as instructors has its own advantages. For instance, in Japan considerable financial rewards can come with this type of employment, but the competition is fierce. In Indonesia, foreign teachers who are willing to sign a contract and have experience in teaching English as a second language can get up to ten times the local salary. In Korea, the competition for ESL jobs is not as acute as in Japan, and with the demand outstripping the supply by far, getting a job as a teacher in this country is quite easy.

Regardless of the difficulties that may occur, which are not specific of these nations but of working and living in a foreign country, teaching in Asia can turn out to be a pleasant and unforgettable experience if you make an educated choice.

About the author

If you are looking for more information about ESL jobs or to learn about teaching in Asia, Groshan Fabiola suggests visiting TEFL jobs.

David Stevens

Demand for native English teachers in China is growing ever strongly as the country continues its development at a rapid speed. There is a lot of demand for English teaching in China now, not just in the major cities but in smaller cities and in the countryside.

There are many reasons why you may decide to teach English in China, such as the desire to learn the Chinese language, an interest in the Chinese culture or to earn money.

Teaching in China is not generally a way to make a lot of money but you will earn a salary that allows you to live a very comfortable lifestyle and even save some money as well. If you want to save a reasonable amount of money, you will probably need to work overtime. A standard full-time contract in China is usually a maximum of 25 hours a week, so this is definitely possible. In the major cities, there is a huge potential to work overtime if desired as there are so many people wanting to learn English.

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The Chinese schools prefer native speakers from a select few countries, namely the US, UK, South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Discriminatory as this may be, it also means that the Chinese are leaving out a sizeable chunk of capable English-speakers who were unfortunate enough not be born in the above countries.

The location of your school is important. There is more to China than just Beijing and Shanghai. A fair number of cities are quite well developed and can certainly provide you with a wonderful peek into the heart of China.

Decide on the city you wish to teach in. Narrow down your search to a specific region or city in which to start job-hunting. Your decision may be influenced by factors such as weather, money-earning potential, or personal preference, and a little bit of in-depth research into the area will serve you well. Weather may seem like a minor factor, but when you consider the temperatures in northern China often dip as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius, such factors suddenly become a bit more important!

Although most schools in China would not negotiate, there is no reason why you should settle for anything less than RMB 4000. A school or university which offers you less than this is really trying to cut corners and should be avoided. Dont be persuaded by claims that the average salary of the Chinese teacher is only half of yours. Maybe true, but then the average Chinese teacher has not left his country.

Before leaving, make sure you have arranged all the correct vaccinations, visas, insurance, documentation, and certificates for your employer. A good idea is to scan copies of your passport, visas, and certificates into a computer at home and store a copy in your email account, so that you always have a copy if you lose the originals. Emailing a copy to a friend or relative before departure is useful too.

Teaching English in China is a great adventure and for many teaching English abroad will become a profession with great opportunities around Asia and around the world.

About the author

David Stevens is involved in a website that provides opportunities for paid English Teaching in China and paid gap year English Teaching in China.

Gregory Mavrides explodes the myths on teaching English in China.

Teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in China is big business. Reports indicate that EFL is a 10-billion yuan (USD $1.4 billion) business and that the industry made a 700 million yuan (USD $9,800,000) profit in Beijing alone. It is estimated that of the 37 billion yuan derived annually from book sales in China, EFL-related materials constituted no less than 25 percent of the total market (Qiang and Wolff, 2004, p. 1). This ever-growing market of English language education in China has resulted in a massive recruitment drive of approximately 100,000 foreign teachers per year (People’s Daily Online, 2006) and, in 2006, it was estimated that more than 150,000 foreign experts were employed in China, recruited primarily from Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and the United States (China Daily, 2006).

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With so much money at stake, the Internet has experienced a burgeoning of China EFL-related websites all vying for the prospective foreign teacher’s attention and, ultimately, business. A Google search on the terms “teaching English in China” returns over 6.4 million results of websites run by Chinese recruiters, private English language schools, and veteran foreign teachers hoping to get in on all the action.

All these sites have one thing in common: They all glamorize teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) as a viable way to travel abroad and experience all the exotic mysteries and adventure China has to offer. Virtually every native English speaker with white skin between the ages of 18 and 60 is provided with “expert advice” about where and how to apply, and is presented with enticing advertisements for jobs, guides, manuals, travel gear and books, and just about anything else the traffic will bear.

The truth of the matter is that although some Westerners actually thrive as foreign English teachers in China, most do not. Obviously, if everyone who ventured off to China to teach oral English decided to stay, the need and competition for new recruits every year wouldn’t be as great and fierce as they currently are.

This article presents essential information that every prospective Westerner should carefully consider before making the life-altering decision to move to China for the purpose of teaching English as a foreign language. It is written by an American doctor and professor of psychology who has lived and worked in China since August 2003, and it contains valuable information adapted from the comprehensive Foreign Teachers’ Guide to Living and Teaching in China, written by the same author.

The Question of English in China

While the need for proficient English language skills among China’s 1.3 billion people might appear obvious to some, in reality, it is a highly debatable issue.

Chinese is the most commonly spoken language in the world today. It is estimated that there are 873 million native speakers of Chinese as opposed to only 343 million native speakers of English (NVTC, 2007). The vast majority of Chinese will never utter even one word of English after passing their comprehensive English examinations and graduating from college. A few will need to read materials written in English as part of their job function and far fewer than that will occasionally need to send an e-mail in English, but most will never need English to function effectively in their day-to-day lives—and Chinese students know this.

There is a small percentage of Chinese students, particularly those who come from affluent families, who have dreams of studying abroad and they will need a relatively high level of English language skills if they are to succeed. A few have aspirations of working at the front desk of an international 5-star hotel and others hope to find employment in jointly-owned Western-Chinese companies that may require the daily use of English—but most will return to their second and third tier cities working for the government or private Chinese enterprises where virtually no one uses or can communicate in English.

What most prospective foreign teachers do not realize is that English as a foreign language holds a very low position within China’s educational system. Students who score well on their national college entrance exam (the Gao Kao) will be assigned to or choose majors in the hard sciences or technological fields that support China’s 1978 economic reform movement referred to as the Four Modernizations, i.e., agriculture, industry, technology and defense. Fields of study in the humanities, including foreign language, are assigned to those students who scored too poorly on the college entrance exam to be admitted into the far more lucrative and desirable academic majors.

The bottom line is that most students simply do not see a clear association between proficient English language skills and direct future benefits. They look at their very successful fathers and the vast majority of China’s national political leaders who cannot speak a single word of English and wonder why they have to take extra classes in oral English with a foreign teacher when they are already studying English with Chinese teachers who, unlike their Western counterparts, can actually help them pass their proficiency exams.

If English as an academic discipline is so devalued in China and if the actual need for English language skills is questionable at best, why then does China need so many foreign English teachers?

The De-professionalization of English Teaching in China

The nearly insatiable need for foreign English teachers in China can be explained by two phenomena: one involving the public sector and the other involving the private sector. First, China’s Ministry of Education promulgated a highly contested and bitterly resented national requirement that states all students of foreign language must be exposed to a native speaker. However, China’s national labor laws prohibit any employer from hiring a foreigner for a position that can be filled by a Chinese national. So, in order to reconcile the two conflicting policies, the teaching of English in China was compartmentalized into two broad areas: professional and lay. The professional certified Chinese English teachers are assigned courses in grammar, reading, and writing, and the lay uncertified and often less educated foreign teachers help facilitate the practice of speaking and listening skills. Thus, although the State Administration for Foreign Expert Affairs (SAFEA) recommends a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and two years of field-related work experience, in reality, the vast majority of foreign English teachers in China have neither, because neither are necessary to help students practice their speaking and listening skills. The truth of the matter is any native speaker who is friendly, extremely patient, and enjoys children can do it successfully.

The second explanation lies in the fact that private English language schools absolutely need white faces in the school in order to attract customers. Despite the highly debatable reality of the situation, Chinese parents (as well as most foreign English teachers) firmly believe that good English language skills will afford their children both an academic and financial advantage later on in life. Consequently, many will drag their children to private English language schools when they are as young as four-years old, often at great personal financial sacrifice. In order to attract Westerners into China, school owners must offer their foreign teachers up to four times what they are paying their certified Chinese teachers, and the added business expense is hardly appreciated. There isn’t one Chinese school owner or administrator who wouldn’t immediately replace every single one of his culturally-alien and costly foreign English teachers with a much less expensive and, often, better educated Chinese English teacher if he knew doing so wouldn’t cost him his business.

The Truth About Housing and the Myth of the “Comfortable” Salary

China maintains something of a schizophrenogenic relationship with its foreign English teachers. On one hand they are needed to satisfy a national educational requirement or to stay in business. On the other hand, they are deeply resented for it. This resentment is expressed in a variety of ways, both obvious and subtle.

In the vast majority of cases, the housing afforded to foreign English teachers is inferior even by middle-class Chinese standards. It is typically an 800 sq. ft. (or smaller) apartment that is usually in varying states of disrepair, undecorated, starkly furnished with a cheap, rock-hard “mattress,” and a 2-range countertop propane gas stove and a mini-refrigerator for a kitchen. The bathroom consists of a Western toilet, a cold-water sink with a water heater and shower head attached to the wall that is often not separated from the rest of the bathroom inside a shower stall. Requests for repairs or necessary improvements are almost always ignored or endlessly delayed in the hope that the foreign teacher will simply incur the expenses himself.

Outside of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, salaries for foreign teachers typically range from RMB3,800 to 6,000 (US$551 to $870) with an average of about 4500 yuan (US$653) per month for 14 to 20 hours of face-to-face teaching per week (depending on qualifications, location and school type). The reality is that this salary can only be considered as adequate, as opposed to comfortable, if the foreign teacher is able to live like a Chinese. Those who buy amenities like cell phones and Western DVD players, choose to eat at 4- and 5-star hotel restaurants for a culinary respite from cheap Chinese food, and otherwise try to replicate a quality of life they enjoyed back home will not be able to do so on 4500 yuan per month. The vast majority of foreign English teachers in China engage in outside part-time contract work in order to supplement their base monthly incomes.

So, Is There Any Good News?

In the context of students who, for the most part, could accurately be described as unmotivated to learn English, an educational role that is devalued and de-professionalized, managerial and collegial environments that are dismissive and resentful, and a remuneration package that is just barely adequate, does it make sense for anyone to teach English in China? Actually, as it turns out, it does for those who comprise one of two specific sociodemographic groups and go into it well-informed and with their eyes wide open.

Westerners who report the greatest degree of satisfaction with their decision to teach English in China comprise recent college graduates who are seeking a short-term adventure before resuming their normal lives back home and early retirees who already enjoyed a successful career, have some money in the bank, and are looking to stretch their savings and pensions in an Asian country. Those who report the least amount of satisfaction as foreign English teachers in China are Westerners between the ages of 30 to 50 who moved to China as a perceived forced choice as a result of having mismanaged their lives back home.

Western professors on sabbatical and certified primary and secondary school teachers—who are looking for a short-term teaching assignment—should only consider Project 211 universities and international schools, respectively.

Having just written this, there are some middle-aged Westerners who are able to beat the odds and do, in fact, carve out lives for themselves that are better now in China than they were before. Typically these are men who managed to acclimate to the vast cultural differences relatively quickly, married a Chinese national, can speak some Chinese, and now consider China to be their new home.

This article is just a brief preview of just some of the essential information contained in the comprehensive Foreign Teachers’ Guide to Living and Teaching in China. If you are seriously considering moving to China to teach English, you owe it to yourself to read that guide.

Notes

- China Daily. (2006, April 4). Number of foreigners working in China soars. People’s Daily Online. Retrieved November 14, 2007 from http://english.people.com.cn/200604/04/eng20060404_255781.html

- National Virtual Translation Center (2008). Languages of the World. Retrieved January 23, 2009 from http:// www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/november/worldlanguages.htm.

- People’s Daily (2006, May 23). China to recruit foreign experts through Internet. People’s Daily Online. Retrieved February 23, 2008 from http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200605/23/eng20060523_267892.html

- Qiang, N. & Wolff, M. (2004). EFL/ESL Teaching in China: Questions, Questions, Questions. Paper presented at the Sixth International Symposium on Applied Linguistics and Language.

About the author

Dr. Gregory Mavrides is an American psychoanalyst who has been working in China as a professor and mental health consultant since August 2003. He is the author of the comprehensive Foreign Teachers’ Guide to Living and Teaching in China.

By Timothy Green

Teaching English in China won’t get you rich, but it’s guaranteed to provide you with an exceptional opportunity to experience the Chinese culture, to travel, make friends, learn some Mandarin, and also provide you with a means to live abroad for an extended length of time. Interested? If you’re between the ages of 18 and 60, in relatively good health, flexible and adventurous, the prospects of landing a teaching job will be, in most cases, easier than you would think.

Presently, there are over 400 million Chinese learning English due to the government’s push to make English its second language. Universities, colleges, grade schools through high schools all have their English departments, and they are always in search of native English speakers to add to their faculty. In addition, there are legions of privately owned English language institutions continuously on the lookout for hiring English teachers for either daytime or evening courses. And finally, China hosts nearly a hundred international schools that serve the expatriate communities, and English is the language of choice at most of these schools.

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Before you pack your bags and catch the next freighter to Shanghai, it would be prudent to investigate your full options online. Pay and benefits widely differ, depending upon as many factors as toiletries you’ll be tucking into your duffel bag. Salaries range from US $300. per month at small colleges and peak at $30,000-40,000 per year at international schools, depending upon your experience and teaching certifications. Almost all of the schools provide their foreign English teachers with tax free salaries, free accommodations, airfares, and basic health insurance. Teaching contracts range from 3 months to 2 years.

Why the huge range in salaries and benefits? It largely depends upon the type of school in which you are seeking employment. It also depends upon your qualifications and skills.

The cream of teaching prospects in China would be the international schools. Most of them were established during the past ten years and were founded by western corporations desiring to offer their expatriate employees a school for their children to attend as they are living abroad. International schools allow families to continue living together when one or both parents are asked to come to China in order to further their employer’s business interests. Conversely, the presence of international schools make that city an attractive prospect for investment by foreign companies seeking to locate and invest in China.

Typically, parents of children in international schools are technical, general or financial managers who remain overseas for 2-5 years. The international schools allow the children of these families to reintegrate without difficulty into their home country education system. Many of the schools offer an American, Australian or British education.

Most of these schools offer a great salary and benefit package, a comfortable apartment that is rent-free, and flight and shipping reimbursements. For the most part, salaries are competitive with what teachers would earn at home, yet due to the low cost of living in China and the exclusion of tax deductions, teachers can live very well! International schools seek professional educators with teaching certificates and experience; some prefer teaching couples, but that varies. Husband and wife teams can easily sock away one of the spouse’s full earnings and even more, all the while experiencing travel and adventure.

If you’re a licensed teacher looking for good pay and professional growth, I encourage you to investigate online the numerous international schools in China and query their headmasters as to what teaching positions will be open in the near future. But don’t wait until spring to begin searching. Most international schools expect their teachers to notify them in January regarding contract signing for the following year. A director of an international school will most likely know what positions need to be filled for the next school year already in January of the current year.

If you’re interested in teaching at an international school, there are several organizations that screen and recommend candidates to teach abroad. You should register with one or more of these organizations. They will process your application materials and present your credentials to schools with opportunities to teach in China. Generally a candidate wishing to teach abroad registers with the agency and completes a series of forms, which, together with confidential recommendations from former supervisors, make up the candidate’s file. These files may be forwarded to schools that require candidates for specific positions teaching overseas.

Throughout the year, these organizations host recruitment fairs for teaching overseas in various parts of the world, which bring together the schools and the candidates for several days of interviewing. Once registered, the candidate who wants to teach abroad has the option to attend one or more of the recruitment fairs being held by the agency. These may be attended by as few as 20 international schools or as many as 120. The ratio of candidates to schools can be anywhere from 1:3 to 1:6, although in recent years the number of candidates has dwindled while the number of schools in attendance has increased – all good news for the international candidate interested in teaching in China or elsewhere.

These job fairs are usually intense, three-day events where the agency will match the needs of the schools to candidates’ qualifications for teaching abroad. If a specific school is interested in your candidacy, you will be called for an interview. One clear advantage in attending a recruitment fair is that most candidates manage to be interviewed by representatives of at least three or four overseas schools. Moreover, many schools fill a significant portion of their international teaching jobs with candidates they have interviewed at a recruitment fair.

If you’re not a licensed teacher, there are still many opportunities for landing a job teaching in China. As mentioned before, Chinese schools are always seeking native English speakers, and having few or no credentials usually isn’t a set-back. Again, many schools will provide you with a comfortable apartment, health insurance, a tax-free salary, and a reimbursed plane ticket.

You may choose to make arrangements through a language and culture exchange program that acts as a recruiting agency and offers training, travel assistance and networking opportunities. Your teaching salary would fall between 3,000 to 6,000. RMB ($350.-$700. USD) per month, depending upon your education and experience, which would put your earnings far above the average Chinese teacher’s salary of 1,000. RMB ($120. USD) per month. With your basics covered, such as accommodations and medical insurance, you can live fairly comfortably if you shy away from western restaurants and shopping at pricey department stores.

For the do-it-yourselfers out there, you may wish to already be in China while you’re looking for a teaching position. Bring application materials with you. You can enter China with an “L” Tourist Visa. These 3 month visas can often be obtained via a travel agency or through a Chinese Embassy or Consulate and usually cost between $30. to $50. USD. Since you’re buying a tourist visa, it is advised that you don’t mention that you will be working in China. Once you have secured a teaching position, the school or university will exchange your tourist visa for a “Z” one year working visa and a Residence Permit and take care of the necessary paperwork.

Before you hit the pavement in search of a teaching gig in China, it’s best you understand the fundamentals of the Chinese education system. There are major differences in education between government and private schools and they may or may not effect your decision as to where you wish to seek employment.

The first and most important distinction between government and private schools and education institutions is that the best institutions that attract the brightest Chinese students are nearly always government owned and operated. In China, there is often a great deal of prestige attached to attending the best government schools, colleges and universities. Private schools and institutions, on the other hand, cater to China’s new rich. They are generally perceived in China as being for students who have the money but not necessarily the brains.

Government teaching jobs give you quite a lot of flexibility, and usually only require you to teach fifteen to twenty hours per week; private schools have less bureaucracy and may offer better benefits and performance incentives. The next most important distinction between government and private schools is that teaching contracts usually stipulate in one form or another that extra private teaching and tutoring is not allowed, but the fact remains that there is a chronic shortage of quality English teachers in China, and if a foreign teacher wants to engage in private teaching outside of his or her existing duties, there is not much a school can and will do about it.

I believe I’ve covered the basics; the bottom line is this: If you are a foreign teacher in China, even if your wage is only 3000 RMB per month, you are still making almost triple the monthly wage of the average Chinese teacher. Plus you have your accommodations, health coverage and flights paid for. Combined with the low cost of living, it is easy to make and save money and have a great experience teaching in China.

About the author

Timothy Green is the co-author of SPEAK E-Z CHINESE In Phonetic English. You can find fun and easy Mandarin lessons, as well as great travel and culture tips about China at The Cathay Cafe.

If you’re thinking of taking a job teaching English in China, there are a number of points you need to consider. Admittedly, this is a wide topic (indeed, entire books have been, are being, written, about it). This understood, a summary of some oft-overlooked points can be of great help.

City versus Countryside

Strangely enough, this basic consideration of location is usually completely ignored by the newbie to China job-hunting. Well, before you sign away a year of your life, you’d better give this fundamental choice a good think.

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Living in one of China’s major cities (e.g., Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin) will provide you with the insights and conveniences of modern China. Here you have a fast-paced, at times chaotic, market-based economy. For the foreigner who would like some knowledge of how the best of Chinese business is conducted, this is the place. If, on the other hand, you would just like to see something of this country and not have too tough of a time of it, again, head for the bright lights.

The rural areas of China, however, and particularly the interior, offer a far more traditional perspective. In all likelihood, farming will be the base economy, some regional dialect will be spoken, and many old beliefs and customs will still be in practice.

Type of School

Basically speaking, there are two English teaching possibilities for foreigners in China: 1) public universities, and 2) privately-owned “language schools”. While not exactly dichotomous, these two options are nonetheless about as different as mist and mast.

Working for a bona fide university will entail a teaching load of 16-18 hours per week, a minimum salary of 4000 RMB monthly, with a rent-free apartment to yourself. You will be expected to teach the range of college courses (i.e., conversation, reading, writing, and culture). The students will be at least 18 years old and acceptably prepared and motivated for the usual four year stint. In short, the atmosphere is, more or less, of the academic type you’d expect.

The “language school” is, however, very much a course of a different color. All of your classes will be conversational English, with 90% of the students grade and high school age. The desire to learn and the general ability will vary widely. Foreign teachers are given around 25 classroom hours per week with a monthly pay of 7000 RMB (or more). The accommodations are often dorm-style: several separate bedrooms with a common bath and kitchen located in one apartment. If you don’t mind a busy pace and working with kids, I’ve heard it’s ok.

I must here insert a warning: some of the “language schools” are indeed disreputable, cheating students and employees alike. Before signing a contract with one of these businesses, I would certainly recommend that you carefully investigate its background and contact one or more of the foreigners working there.

And now a second general warning: any reputable Chinese school serious about hiring you must arrange for your working-visa permit before you come to China. Here’s what happens: after signing and returning (with various documents) the contract they have sent you, they will now send you, via snail-mail, an official “letter of acceptance” from their local government offices; this, with your passport and other documents, you will now send to the Chinese embassy in your home country; after a couple or so weeks this will be sent back to you with a Z-visa stamp allowing you to work within China for one year for said school.

Here’s the scam: Just come over to China now on a tourist-visa, and then we will have the working-visa arranged later…

Not only is this illegal (you could be fined and then deported), but, I can assure you, these people are not serious about hiring you. It’s simply a con-game to use naive foreigners cheaply.

The Horse’s Mouth

So, having done your internet research, you’ve e-mailed resumes to, say, 30 prospective schools. Let’s hope that about 10 come back with a positive response; now, cut this down to the best five. From here you’ll want to set-up phone interviews with the foreign affairs liaison person, the foreign affairs director, and the dean of the English department. All of these people should not only be willing but be glad to speak to you. Having a list of definite questions ready may be helpful.

With this formality completed, it’s time for the down and dirty: you’d like to speak to one or two of their current, or at least former, foreign teachers. No legitimate school will balk at this, and the better ones will welcome it.

Parthian Shot

The majority of first-time foreign teachers in China have a pleasant experience; occasionally, however, serious problems arise. All, or most, of the foul-ups can however be avoided by simply getting accurate information at the start, and then taking the time to sift the wheat from the chaff. As mentioned, there are many good books available on teaching in China; I’d read two or three.

The entire procedure pays off when you finally touch down, and someone from your new school greets you with, “Welcome to China!”

About the author

Robert T. Tuohey was born in 1961, Danbury, Connecticut. He has studied psychology at the State University of New York in Albany (1988), and California Coast University in Santa Ana (1993). In the U.S. Bob worked in the field of mental health; for the past ten years, he has lived abroad (in Japan and China) teaching English at the tertiary level. His current position is Foreign Expert in the Languages Department of Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Shanxi, PRC.

Bob’s published works include an introductory textbook on English literature (From Beowulf to Joyce, Taiyuan University Press, 2001), numerous short stories (try, for example, Botkin’s Resignation, Top Ten Tell-Tale Signs of Chess Addiction, or szirine.com), his home page, and his quarterly chess column on forgotten players of the Royal Game.

In his spare time, Bob plays chess, practices martial arts, and tries his hand at a bit of blues guitar. His e-mail is [email protected]

All across the globe, many individuals have seen a pressing need to learn the English language. This is due to reasons which vary for different people. There are some who want to learn the language because it is used by most onlines sites. On the other hand, there are some individuals who are interested with the celebrities of Hollywood. They want to learn how to speak English, so that they will be able to understand celebrity news. There are also some people who want to make their travel to the USA easy, while there are some who are interested with the politics of the country. However, the most well known reason would be easier communication with business clients.

There are various countries which are searching for foreign degree holders to teach English language to their students. Among these is China wherein ESL schools are located all over the mainland. If you want teach english you can apply at an ESL center in Zhenjiang. This language school is owned by an American, and it provides teaching jobs all throughout the country. You will work full time for 25 hours each week, with a monthly salary of 6,000 to 7,000RMB.

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Even if you are far from your home, you have no reason to worry about where you are going to stay. The school will provide you with a fully-furnished room. What is more, you will be offered with an air ticket allowance. If you want to teach English in China, you have to be a native speaker of the language. You have to be a resident within countries like Canada; United States; United Kingdom; New Zealand; and Australia. You also need an associate degree or bachelor’s degree for you to qualify for the position.

Other than being a native English speaker and a degree, you are required to submit the following along with your e-mailed application letter:

* a copy of your diploma
* your resume
* a clear recent photo
* a certification copy of TESOL or TEFL
* a passport copy
* your phone number
* your credentials

If you want to teach English and would like to know more regarding an opportunity to teach English in China, you can log on to www.esljob.org as well as www.esljobchina.org.

About the author

Beverly Maniago has earned her AB Mass Communication major in Journalism. She loves writing articles and web content. Being a full time writer, she produces quality articles and press releases for different clients and companies.

An article in which Tom Carter relates his experiences of teaching in Asia’s largest country

Having little luck finding an attractive job offer in the U.S. in 2004, I decided to take my skills where they were wanted – abroad.

Enticed by the “Teach English in China – No Experience Necessary” ads saturating the online classifieds, I emailed my resume with one hand and packed my bags with the other. I had no idea what to expect, but then, the great unknown can be what makes a job like teaching English in the People’s Republic so appealing.

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As the world’s largest economy opens to foreign investment, education has become one of China’s thriving sectors. Confucius probably wouldn’t stand for it, but he wasn’t wearing pinstripe suits and driving a shiny black sedan. The country may be Communist in theory, but the renminbi – Chinese currency – is emperor.

A Chinese adage says that the best advice is often born from the most challenging experiences. After three years helping the sons and daughters of Han learn English, I’ve had my share. Westerners looking to teach in China may want to consider the following before packing their bags.

Some foreign English teachers may be shanghaied at least once during their time in China. Baiting unsuspecting Westerners to China with false promises of a high salary, deluxe apartment, airfare reimbursement, visa or other incentives is a common online scam. Blame it on temptation. Often Chinese laws are too fluid and relationships (”guanxi” in Mandarin) with authorities too intimate, leaving some foreigners with little protection against scams.

The moment I arrived in the Middle Kingdom I had what some seasoned expatriates call “the complete Chinese experience.” The “school” that had accepted my application turned out to be a nickel-and-dime operation run out of an apartment by a guy in his bathrobe. I’d come half way around the world for a job and found myself out of work.

I was literally lost in translation. Despair and a desire to return home to Mom set in. But I quickly learned that, commensurate with its sizeable population, China has a profusion of kindergarten, primary, middle and high schools and universities in even the most remote cities. In short order, I wound up with a position and salary more attractive than the one I had originally accepted.

Chinese parents may work night and day to pay for pricey English lessons so that their child can get a head start in this competitive society of 1.3 billion. Unfortunately, academics are not an issue to many of China’s new educational entrepreneurs who put profit before curriculum and quality. Classroom experience and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification is nice, but in many cases a Western face is all a native English speaker needs to land a teaching job in China.

In more reputable schools, most prospective English teachers don’t have it so easy. I endured a weeklong interview process, including a series of teaching demonstrations before 300 stern-looking parents, all while I was still jetlagged and suffering from culture shock. I must have done something right, because I was chosen to teach at a top school in the province.

Being rice-wined and dined by my prospective employer over 30-course banquet dinners did not distract me from negotiating a fair salary. Many foreigners (”laowai”) prefer to live in a cosmopolitan city like Beijing or Shanghai than a small town such as the one I had chosen, and I was able to use this preference as leverage during contract discussions. All deals in China, like the price of fruit at the marketplace, can be negotiated.

Most English teachers in China needn’t speak Mandarin in the classroom. Instead, we instruct students through a process of language immersion and simulation, which in time invariably leads to proficiency. Diligence and a little creativity are all that are really needed, but like performing on stage five times a day, it takes its toll.

Over the next few years, I would meet a number of disappointed young Westerners who came overseas as English teachers expecting to party all night and spend their free time pursuing adventures in the countryside. That, I would tell them, is a lifestyle for tourists, exchange students and embassy brats, not the hardworking teacher.

As a foreign expert English instructor, I’m scheduled for up to 30 classes a week and spend most of my free time planning lessons. I’m up at dawn with the older folks practicing their Tai Chi and not back home until after 10 p.m., about when the migrant construction workers also are getting off work.

I never thought I’d be an educator. I didn’t like most of my teachers when I was a kid. Teachers the world over are typically low paid, overworked and underappreciated. But the fatigue and the hit on my income – compared to what I might earn in the U.S. – are what I pay for being part of a rapidly-changing China. As it turned out, I’m not so bad in front of the chalkboard – I actually like it.

About the author

TOM CARTER is the author of CHINA: Portrait of a People, a definitive 600-page book of photography published in 2007 from Hong Kong publisher Blacksmith Books.

By Mark Dykstra

Its February 24th, 2003, in a 40 degree humid heat, i stepped off the train in Hangzhou City. I gasped for breath, as i dragged my western worldly belongings trying to maintain a fix on where my Teaching Manager was. Void of a teaching certificate, void of speaking any Chinese and having absolutely no teaching experience or confidence, to be able to stand up in front of 10 students, let alone what would become 2000 students at one time, i was at the mercy of the elements of Chinese society. My sleep deprived eyes gazed out as i covered my ears from the speakers above me that blared at 100 decibels. Like a small spaceship in Saturns asteroid belt, i just let the millions of frantic chinese citizens meld around me and i was lost in the fray, however after a miracle of bearing i found my Chinese Manager, (I shall call him Jack) the man himself who was to trust my blaringly ignorant and drastic lack of qualifications, i was whisked into his run down Mazda Coup and taken to the nearest restaurant to feed on the latest of the day live prawns, swimming in Rice Wine, and bouncing about like gipsy moths, hardly able to grasp my chop sticks after my train lagged trip from Guangzhou, i navigated my teeth over the best place i would take my first bite of the struggling and squirming prawn. It was then i realised i was making my first crunching bite into the unknown of what Chinese life was all about.

Having gained some equalibrium if you can call it that, i made my journey to Huzhou City where i would begin my first 6 months teaching assignment at the Huzhou Technical College where Hundreds of students waited patiently for me for my arrival. My pre booked and paid up 3 bedroom apartment was luxurious compared to my flat back home in Auckland and everything was clean and tidy with wide open spaces. I have never felt so dignified and honored to have such new and wonderful decor and fittings that represented China so well. A beautiful, large pane of smoked glass showed the elegant engrained potrait of a Dragon intertwined in a woods seperated the living room and large bedroom. My office itself had the floor area of a 2 bedroom house. Does China really have such fantastic, modern, and lavish western standards built into its current day architecture.? The answer i found was a resounding yes, and what i found as time moved on was this clash of culture with western traditions that China had so intricatly developed in house and apartment design.

I found my life style within China expand dramatically , and i was able to travel first class by air, and by train and to travel by taxi and buy the best food available. It was in many ways better than my flatting life in New Zealand, except for the once in a week delve into my favourite fish and Chips shop and cream lamingtons at the bakery, and not to mention cherries and berry fruit which China dont grow, that i started to pine for home. Not bad for a guy who didnt have School Cert. English and the only certificate i had with me at that time was a Male Modelling Course i passed in Christchurch.

Yet, the Chinese School establishment welcomed me with open arms with a student dinner that became a culture concert put on by the students. I was King.! I made my introduction speech in the best simple English i could, spoken so slowly that i was at the limits of remembering what i was going to say next. Then came the dancing with students lining up to dance with me. I was in heaven.!! I never had anyone want to dance with me in New Zealand and to have 20 female students line up to take their turn was incredible. Can i say before i go any further that when you step outside your comfort zone and take on the unknown, little miracles can work their magic and destiny can take its path.

Having got through my first successful introduction i started to plan my english lessons. I had no TESOL ability and i had very limited english ability to teach 14-20 year olds, let alone understand Chinese, yet despite all this i became successful and popular with the students and having gone through the 3 months of the SARS crisis, and deciding aginst returning back to New Zealand despite the advice i got from the New Zealand Enbassy and family back home, i decided to stay. Wearing the white gauze mouth mask was an interesting, yet scary aspect of living in China at that time, and it was of real concern. Then the daily spraying of classrooms with Industrial grade Chlorine, while teaching added to the very interesting life i experienced while inside the Bamboo curtain.

There is so much more i could write about, but my aim is to at least make a few suggestions to those who wish to embark on a Teaching career in China.

1-I learnt that it is NOT important to have TESOL or a teaching Certifiate to teach English in China. It is important however that you have a certificate or qualification to present to a school of a subject, to verify that you have had college or University education.

2-It isnt important to know Chinese, but it does help to learn a little while you are there so you can get through. A student can help you if you pay them something. It isnt a lot of money and in fact you can pay them $100.00 RMB a week and they will be very happy for a couple of hours a week. Try and pick a student or Chinese teacher who knows some english too so they can understand you.

3-The misconception is that all Chinese only know the 1000 different dialects of Chinese and dont know English. In fact there is a large proportion of Chinese who do know basic english, and this is self assuring. Something i learnt to know as time went on.

4-If you have no teaching experience and have never taught english before, start with a small class of 30 students first who have some english understanding. This will build your confidence. Its good if you can meet them before you start at the school.

5-The biggest hurdle you will face is the ability to plan your lessons. This should be done at least a couple of weeks before your classes . This means that you are prepared on whatever the subject matter is. Remember for the 45 minutes that you are required to teach in each class that it doesnt take a lot of time for that class to teach a simple english subject.

6-Keep your subject simple and to the point. Make it a small lesson on a subject and remember to speak slowly and clearly. Some schools or students for that matter prefer American English than UK english, and so this is important to know which style of english the school prefers.

7-If the school has computer audio visual technology like a DVD player or computer screen displays make use of them. Chinese love technology and if you use it they have your attention. Get the students involved and have them participate as much as possible so they get practicle learning.

8-About student attention in the class, it is important in China, that you make yourself understood. You can do this by reflective language techniques that worked for me a lot. You will get the odd boy or girl who will try and disrupt others in their class, and so its really important that you lay out some ground rules if things get “untidy”. Explain that it isnt fair to other s in the class that this behviour is happening and explain in front of the class in slow meaningful terms that if this continues that that boy or girl will have to go outside. By doing this you gain the respect and attention you deserve from others and in 99.9% of the time you will get good results.

9-It is important to have good communication with other Chinese teachers and if you have any issues to go and speak with your school manager.

10-In a good school, correct behaviour is paramount as this impacts on the students learning ability. Its also a culture thing that when you need to administer correction, such as telling the boy or girl to leave the class due to continued disruptive behaviour that this brings about in itself a culture disipline that is seen by others and makes the correction more paramount due to the culture expectations of Chinese students. So in other words they learn quickly that disruptive behaviour is not tolerated.

11-It is a good idea to let the school know of your teaching style and they will most likely want to know your teaching curriculum. If you dont have one, make one up. Its that simple. Just be creative and patient, so they have the assurance that they know what you are doing, even if you feel you dont.

12-The other thing is dress appropriatly for class. Presentation is Communication to your students. They will have respect for you if you dress to the conditions and to a corporate level of dress.

13-Tell your students about your own culture. They are really interested in this. Many have never travelled outside of China and simply do not know what other countries are like. Many will in the future travel, but to tell them something about your own life with photos and video is really special, if you can have the ability to be open to them, they respond well. Remember the rule is to be Creative.

14-If the school has a cafe and the students go there to have Lunch/Dinner, go there and sit with them to have Lunch/Dinner. Dont segregate yourself. Become involved. The same goes when preparing lessons. Go and sit with your fellow Chinese Teachers. Chat with them and learn from them. Many will know english, and over time will become your best friends.

15-Try and avoid political debate. In China there are pockets of Moslem populations and there are Chinese Moslem schools. In one school i nearly had a class riot when an Iraq debate got out of hand, with students who were Moslem and with those who were not, got into a heated debate. Students who are chinese sit sperately from Moslem students in a cafeteria and vice versa. Its quite interesting. However i will give some advice on how to teach in a Moslem school like i did in the Henan Province, in a up and coming article.

In the mean time good luck for those preparing for their first adventure into the unknown, like i did. You will learn things really fast.

About the Author

The author has had extensive Travel experience through out the world and is a free lance writer on international and defence related affairs.

The writer has also wide experience in the Travel Industry having computer and Travel Law qualifications. I currently have my own website for anyone wanting to make bookings to New Zealand on: www.justbookme.com