Working as an English teacher in China

English proficiency

The level of language proficiency must be at least B1 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

This point is very important, because building a successful career will only work if you have excellent knowledge of English, and also have the skills to teach others.

It is necessary to know the grammar carefully:

• English tenses, when and how they are used, their agreement.
• Stable phraseological units, professional clichés.
• Rules for the use of articles, etc.

Your vocabulary should be sufficient to be able to freely conduct a lesson in English, explain the rules, maintain a dialogue with students, colleagues and administration.

Of course, if you teach English to children, then a conversational level is enough, without delving into the rules. But if you choose to work as a teacher in a more adult audience, then of course you must know the language thoroughly.

Moral readiness for change

In China, as a rule, they strive to conclude an agreement with English teachers for a period of at least two years, and this is an excellent experience in all respects. Getting a job is associated with a radical change of scenery, leaving the comfort zone, constant practice of English, gaining real work experience, travel and new knowledge.

A secondary benefit can be the creation of your own channel or blog, in which you will describe in stages everything that you do, what difficulties you encounter and how you overcome them. If you take into account the large number of people who want to move and work abroad, your profile will attract attention, new subscribers, and over time will provide an opportunity for additional earnings.

Obtaining a TEFL / TESOL certificate

In order to become an English teacher in China, you need to take a special online course, after which you receive a Teaching English as a Foreign Language / Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages ​​certificate, which confirms your competence as a first-class teacher.

This point is important, because without this certificate for a teaching position in China, as well as in another country, it is impossible to get a job. The minimum requirement is a 120 hour course, but it's worth noting that you'll have a better chance of getting a job as a teacher if you choose a 150 or 250 hour course.

In China, TEFL is more welcome than TESOL, as English is a foreign language for Chinese students. The TEFL certificate is your personal license to teach English abroad, and at the same time confirms a high level of language proficiency.

An analysis of the salaries of English teachers in China

How much does an English teacher in China earn? The standard is $2500.

But there are many variations. Often, wages depend on the number of working hours. Many teachers combine several jobs and teach for several hours a week in different institutions: kindergartens, schools, educational centers. In this case, the payment per hour is higher than with a monthly salary.

But this is usually done by experienced teachers who have mastered and know the job search algorithm in China. If you are traveling for the first time, then find a job with monthly pay, and when you understand the peculiarities of the Chinese education system, if you wish, you can increase your earnings with the help of a second job or students.

Finding True Job Reviews

You should not listen to those who claim that only native speakers are invited to teach English in China.

This is absolutely not the case, and thousands of English teachers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia and other non-English speaking countries, who have been successfully working in China for a long time, are proof of this. You can find more real testimonials from those who received the certificate and how it affected their work here.

Of course, recruiters try to find native English speakers for teaching positions, but every school has a budget that often doesn't pay for Native Speakers.

Another advantage is that non-English speaking English teachers have learned it themselves, so they are able to present the language to others in a clear and understandable way. Therefore, we advise you to cast aside all doubts and uncertainty about the fact that you are not an English lord or an American cowboy, because the most important thing is knowledge of English and teaching techniques.

Learn the culture of China

Before planning a trip, find out all the dates of the holidays. This matters, since with official employment, all holidays are paid. Holidays are very popular in China. Usually there are about two weeks of rest in October, as well as a long rest for the Chinese New Year. But it's so nice to get money when instead of work - rest.

You can also specify your national holidays on which you are prohibited from working for religious reasons: Christmas or Easter.

Study the menu and options for a bite to navigate the prices and not go hungry. It is also worth paying attention to street etiquette and the rules of conduct in cafes and public transport. To do this, you should find several Russian-language YouTube channels, in which those who moved to China share their experiences and interesting remarks.

It will be useful to know what exchange rate is considered acceptable.

Determine the age group and the desired place of work

There are those who can present themselves as an English teacher only for children. Other teachers have no idea how to deal with children and only want to pass on language skills to adults.

You must make this choice yourself. Of course, the chances of finding a good job as a teacher increase if you are a versatile teacher. And you know how to effectively teach English to all age groups. By the way, in each of the TEFL / TESOL course packages there are special sections about teaching people of different ages and professions.

In order to feel confident in any workplace: in kindergarten, at school, in college or in a private lesson, it is important to understand what methods and techniques you will use to teach your student. Courses that have modules dedicated to teaching the language to different age categories are a must-have for novice teachers.

Before signing a long-term contract, you need to understand whether you can cope with the task, whether your future students are the right age for you, and whether you have the necessary teaching methods . Otherwise, in your free time, you will have to additionally study pedagogical technologies in order to improve the quality of the lesson.

TEFL/TESOL courses are also useful because they include a mandatory section on lesson planning. By learning how to plan a lesson, you will be able to plan your lessons a month in advance and will know what to prepare for before class.

Make a plan of conversation with the administration of the school where you will work

Before you sign a contract, be sure to check with your employer in China if he plans to get a work visa before you arrive, or if you will do it yourself when you arrive.

There are cases when the employer insists on a trial period and offers to get a tourist visa first, and after the expiration of the period - a work one. This is a fundamental point, and we recommend that you look for a suitable vacancy until all the conditions completely suit you.

No one is immune from unforeseen circumstances when a visa is never issued. In this case, the applicant is faced with a choice: return home or continue working unofficially, constantly renewing tourist or business visas, leaving every month for nearby countries, such as Hong Kong. This is an illegal activity, so you can get a big fine this way.

This can cause a number of inconveniences, so feel free to ask questions to the employer, and also remember that you can try yourself as an online teacher for international students. Equally important is the fact that some teacher certification courses provide access to a job database with many offers.

In the event that you have agreed on official employment, then you will need to order translation and apostille services for documents. This applies not only to identity documents, but also to a diploma of higher education.

It is impossible to get a job as an English teacher in China without at least a bachelor's degree. The direction of the specialty does not have to be pedagogical - certification courses for teachers will be enough.

They also require a certificate of non-conviction. It usually takes about 3 weeks to receive it, faster receipt is paid additionally, so keep this in mind when you apply for a position. As in other countries, for official employment in China, you will also need a medical certificate of health. A full medical examination with tests is carried out directly in a medical institution in China.

It should be clarified whether the costs of paperwork are reimbursed by the employer.

Feel free to ask questions and find out more

Before you move, it is worth asking in detail about the conditions of your work with a potential boss.

In addition, you can independently study the information using video blogs about working as a teacher, where they talk about how to choose an apartment, how much it costs, all the nuances about brokers, and the peculiarities of life in Asian countries.

You can read articles and conversations on forums about the mentality of the Chinese, the features of education and culture. You should definitely “monitor” information about travel opportunities, because flights to Asian countries are very cheap. Read about the price level, what you can afford teaching English.

It will also be important to look for good courses that offer many services, such as help with the TEFL / TESOL exam, writing a letter of recommendation, or specialized pedagogical literature as a gift. The most important characteristic is the comparison of courses by price. Very often, the cost of the course is overpriced and varies between $400-500. Be on the lookout for offers on the market, because some organizations offer the same certification services at a more interesting price - from $129.

In addition, if you are still in search, we recommend that you be interested in all possible bonuses:

• assistance in finding a job after graduation,
• tips for writing a resume
• access to the database with vacancies,
• the presence of a curator, tutor or trainer who can explain to you the working moments in the learning process.