Is It Easy to Teach English in China

Teach Abroad

9 Insider Tips for Teaching English in China

If you're preparing to teach English language in Cathay, here'south some must-know tips to gear up you upward for success.

Communist china is a great place to embark on your teaching journey away. It's a vibrant country total of bustling cities and serene river towns, plus an enthusiasm for the English linguistic communication, making it both a rewarding and popular identify to teach abroad.

With a high need for English teachers, you should have no problem finding a task -- simply there are some tips and tricks you just won't learn from Google searches. Which is why after didactics English language in China for several years now, I desire to share with you nine insider tips to help you brand the most of your time teaching abroad in China.

1. Get TEFL certified

To work as a legal full-fourth dimension teacher in Prc and reach a work visa and residence permit, you lot must have a university diploma and either a TEFL certificate or two years of professional teaching experience. While many teachers circumvent this law by teaching as a side job, you'll need to get the legal road if you want a piece of work visa and residence permit.

Many companies will also pay for your TEFL, which tin potentially assistance save y'all money. Withal, if you arrive in China with a TEFL certificate already in hand, you'll detect a much higher paying job. In a fashion, the "gratuitous TEFL" isn't really free, because y'all're "paying" for it by receiving a lower salary. Yous may brand more money in the long run getting your TEFL on your own before you lot go.

Looking to get TEFL certified? Explore TEFL Courses in Mainland china.

ii. For the best jobs, utilise a recruiter

The ii master types of teaching jobs in China are through ESL academies and public schools. It's much easier to become a task at an ESL academy, mainly because you can find these jobs online earlier you lot arrive in Cathay.

If you're looking at working for a large company like Disney English or English First, you tin easily find reviews online (right hither at Go Overseas, in fact!) and go a practiced impression of your bacon, benefits, and working atmospheric condition before you become.

Yet, public schools tin be more of a hit or miss, and the best way to detect a chore teaching at a public school in China is to use a recruiter.

While in that location are a few swell schools that annunciate online, you won't know what kind of school you're applying to until after you arrive -- which may be too late. Yous don't want to make it in Cathay only to find your school is in the middle of nowhere, or doesn't have the facilities information technology promised you.

Save yourself the hassle and gamble past using a recruiter, or finding a job independently once you lot're already in China. Besides, the bacon will be college if you lot work with a recruiter.

Explore some of these meridian-reviewed recruiters

three. Professional Teachers: Consider teaching at a private school

Do you have a bit of experience or a pedagogy certification from dwelling house? Y'all may be qualified to teach at a private or international school. Many of these schools have listings online, and yous'll be able to apply for them from your dwelling land.

By and large speaking, these schools also have higher salaries and adept conditions for teachers, merely they demand higher qualifications as a result.

4. Know the difference between ESL academy and public school jobs

At an ESL academy, you'll be teaching many classes to small numbers of students. A typical schedule includes five classes a day, starting in the mid afternoon and ending well subsequently dinnertime. ESL teachers also tend to work on the weekends, since this is when well-nigh students have time off.

At an ESL school, you may teach students anywhere from iii years onetime to adults taking business English classes. Y'all'll also be paid a bit more at these jobs than y'all would at a public school.

At a public school, a typical schedule is 7:30am-iv:00pm. Yous'll teach classes of xxx to l students, and each grade should concluding around 40 minutes. You'll typically exist teaching an oral English grade to a large portion of the school.

Many foreign public schoolhouse English teachers teach upwards of 500 students. Some even teach as many as one,000 students because they'll teach each class once every two weeks. Y'all can expect to teach nigh 20 to 25 classes a week, while spending your spare time in the office lesson planning.

For the full low downwardly on conditions and bounty, read our guide to salary expectations for teaching English in China.

5. You can however manage without speaking Chinese right away

Fifty-fifty though learning a new linguistic communication will help you immensely with integrating and getting effectually while living anywhere abroad, information technology's easier said than washed to completely learn a new language. In my experience, I've learned it is possible to survive in Cathay your kickoff few weeks without speaking Chinese.

Standard mandarin Chinese is a skill you'll want to bring back home, and there are plenty of Chinese linguistic communication schools in every major city in China. Even so, the Chinese linguistic communication is very difficult to acquire, and arriving in Red china without speaking whatever Chinese tin can exist intimidating. Even if you choose to learn Chinese, y'all may however exist intimidated about those beginning few weeks or months.

Tips to survive your showtime few weeks

• Research all of your destinations and the history of them alee of time.
• Download an offline translator app like Pleco.
• Carry a business card with your domicile address in Chinese characters.
• Eat at restaurants that employ flick menus.

Although it is possible to alive and travel in China without speaking the language, information technology'due south still highly encouraged to attempt and learn the languages of the countries you visit and live in. Learning a few bones phrases will make your life easier, and it volition bring a smile to the face of Chinese locals.

Explore language schools in China

6. Smaller cities offer a more immersive feel

At that place are and so many cities in People's republic of china to cull from, so it tin can exist hard to decide which cities are the all-time for teaching English. Beijing and Shanghai are popular education destinations, but there'due south other lesser-known cities that are also worth exploring.

The cheapest mode to get around China is by long-distance train. You can get just about anywhere in People's republic of china with $lxx USD and 24 hours.

Places like Hangzhou, Nanjing, Xi'an and Chengdu are slap-up places to teach English abroad. Living in a second-tier city, you'll be able to fully immerse yourself in Chinese culture, while also staying connected to a vibrant expatriate community. You'll also find less contest for jobs, which is a major plus!

7. Know how to travel around People's republic of china on a budget

Every bit a teacher you'll want to travel around People's republic of china during your breaks. You lot can hike the Nifty Wall, watch the sunset over the Bund, or concur a panda in Chengdu. But what is the best style to travel around China without spending all of your hard earned salary?

The cheapest way to get around Communist china is past long-distance railroad train. You lot tin can go just almost anywhere in Cathay with $seventy USD and 24 hours. Chinese long-distance trains have sleeper berths, making the long journey comfortable. Exist sure to volume a "hard-sleeper", which is a three-bunk bed.

Pressed for time? Bank check out Chinese budget flights. Carriers Elong and Ctrip routinely offer affordable flights effectually Red china, and you can check both these budget sites by using Skyscanner. Yous may even find a flight that'due south the same toll as the railroad train! In addition, Chinese flights always permit y'all cheque a bag for free, and usually provide a repast.

viii. Pack the right items!

When moving to China for a year or more, it's hard to know what to pack. Will y'all exist able to detect your favorite brand of moisturizer? Does information technology even matter if you have to go with another make for awhile? While your packing list for teaching abroad will be unique to you, here are some broad practice's and don'ts for packing for a year (or more!) in Mainland china.

Definitely Exercise Pack:

• Enough casual clothing for a year
• Anti-perspirant deodorant
• Sunscreen
• Hand-sanitizer
• A warm coat (even the Due south gets chilly without heat in the wintertime!)
• A laptop and flash drive (an essential for your lesson plans!)
• A adept camera
• An unlocked smartphone
• Items such as tampons and beauty products, since they're more expensive in Red china

Definitely DON'T Pack:

• Bones toiletries, like shampoo and conditioner (It'll exist easier to buy them in China!)
• Formal wear
• Dwelling house goods (similar pots, pans, etc.)
• Stationary, books, and pens
• Toilet paper (you can buy inexpensive tissues in Red china)
• Expensive clothing or jewelry

9. Prepare for a different work civilization

China has a much different workplace culture than most Western countries.

While moving beyond the world can exist a bit of an adjustment, a yr educational activity in China will exist an experience you'll never forget!

You may have to be more flexible with your piece of work schedule than you're used to. Your classes may experience frequent schedule changes with little warning, or you could be expected to participate in activities that are new and unfamiliar to you.

While this can exist frustrating at times, it's important to recollect that we're guests in their land and a major part of educational activity overseas is learning to adapt chop-chop.

My biggest advice? Learn to relax, go with the flow, and never make plans too far in advance.

separator_solid

---

Pedagogy in Cathay is an unforgettable experience!

Overall, China is a swell identify to live abroad and teach. Take this time to connect with excited and passionate students, explore a vastly different culture, and learn the world's virtually in-demand linguistic communication all while supporting yourself with a keen job.

While moving across the world can be a bit of an adjustment, a year teaching in China will be an experience you lot'll never forget!

New teaching jobs in China

edmondonlaceing1982.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.gooverseas.com/blog/inside-tips-for-teaching-english-in-china

Share this post