China Work

8/18/2019 China Work

1/12

1

TEFL JOBS IN CHINA A Guide to Teaching English in China


2/12

2


K U N M I N G

S H A N

G H A I

B E I J I N

G


3/12

3

If the 20th Century wasan American Century,then the 21st looks setto belong to China.But rather than makingeveryone else learnChinese, they’ve

decided to learn English!Which is great news for TEFL teachers.There are an estimated 400 million peoplelearning English in China, so the demandfor English teachers is huge!

TEFL Jobs in China: A Little BackgroundChina has well and truly opened its doors to the world and people are arriving in the

country in search of TEFL jobs in their thousands. The restrictive bureaucracy of the

past has lessened and getting the relevant work permits and nding a job and a place to

stay can be pretty straightforward.

The huge demand for TEFL teachers means getting a TEFL job in China isn’t usually

much of a problem. Many employers do not require you to have a college degree and

many more will accept native English speakers

with no TEFL training and no previous TEFL

experience. However, many students are

looking to achieve a very high level of English

in order to attain the Cambridge Prociency

standard that is needed to study abroad.

So even though you may be able to land

yourself a TEFL job in China without much

training, if you aren’t up to scratch youwon’t keep it for long. So it’s really worth

taking a TEFL course before you go.


4/12

4


Opportunities forTEFL Teachers

TEFL jobs in China can be

found in any number of different

settings, from state schools andkindergartens to one on one tuition

and private language schools. In recent

years the demand for business English

classes has increased massively. This

is due to employers demanding higher

levels of English from their employees in an attempt take

advantage of the huge growth that the Chinese economy has seen in

the last few years. If you hope to work in universities, you’ll probably need a degree

and an accredited TEFL course.

Most foreign teachers are employed in either Beijing or Shanghai, but there are

opportunities across the country, and the more remote the town or city, the less

competition there will be. Put simply, many English teaching positions go unlled in

China, because the there are many more jobs than there are people to ll them.

As with all TEFL markets, the higher your level of TEFL certication, the better chance

you have of landing the best jobs. Our EDI CertTEFL is our highest level of certication,and the UK Government’s accreditation of it as a Level 5 qualication puts it on an

equivalent level with both the CELTA and Trinity certicates. All of which means our EDI

CertTEFL graduates will be eligible for the best paid jobs with the best schools in China.

Our Top Three TEFL Destinations There are opportunities to teach English in pretty much every town and city in the

country. We’ve chosen the three cities below because they’re open to

Westerners, they’re great places to spend some time andbecause there are loads of TEFL jobs!

Beijing

Beijing is a bit of an obvious choice really. The capital city is home

to around 22 million people with more people streaming in from

rural areas and smaller towns and cities every day. It is one of the

key centers for international business and the demand for TEFL

teachers is high. It is also a relatively easy place for Westerners to

live in and there is a signicant ex-pat community that will help you

settle in.


5/12

5

Shanghai

Shanghai was opened up to international

trade back in 1842 by the Treaty of

Nanking, and it hasn’t looked back since.

The city now boasts the world’s largest

cargo port and is considered to be themost important nancial and commercial

center in mainland China. These factors,

allied to the fact that it has also become

something of a tourist destination in recent

years, have fuelled a huge demand for English

teachers. Especially those with experience of,

or certication in, teaching business English.

Kunming

Kunming is the capital of the southeastern province of Yunnan. As capital, the city is

the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of the province and home

to all the key economic, cultural, and educational institutions. It is also home to the

headquarters of many of Yunnan’s biggest businesses. All these factors combine to

create a huge demand for English teachers. Kunming is regarded by many as one of the

more pleasant Chinese cities to live in. Its location high in the mountains on the shores of

Lake Dian give it a mild climate: cool dry winters with mild days and crisp nights, and

long, warm summers that are much cooler than down in the lowlands.

Show Me the Money! Wages and Cost of Living in China Wages

Obviously that depends on your level of training and experience, but with a

respected TEFL qualication and little or no previous experience you can expect

to earn around 3,500RMB a month (£330 or US$500). That would rise to nearer

9,000RMB (£850 or US$1300) for more experienced teachers.

Cost of Living

Unless you choose to rent a penthouse apartment in the coolest part of downtown Hong

Kong, Beijing or Shanghai, China is a very cheap place to live. By eating in the same

places that the locals eat, using public transport and avoiding overpriced foreign goods,you can live well on a English teacher’s salary.


6/12

6


Accommodation

The type of accommodation available in China ranges

from pretty swish if you’re working in more Westernised

urban areas (think big cities and the better university

campuses) to pretty basic. Many employers provide

free or subsidised accommodation as part of thecontract. Wherever you live in China, one thing will

remain constant: don’t expect the usual Western-

style toilet, in pretty much all of Asia the squat toilet

is the norm. Don’t worry you’ll get used to it pretty

quickly.

Flight Reimbursement

The chances of your employers paying for your ights up front arepretty slim. But if you negotiate your contract well, there is a chance that

the cost of your ights will be paid back as an end of contract bonus.

Taxes

The amount of tax you pay really depends on where you’re working and how much you

earn. If you’re earning a tiny wage, you could pay no tax at all. But as a rule of thumb you

should expect to pay somewhere between 5% and 10%.

Potential to Save Money

If you land a good job you could save

US$500 or £320 or more a month.

However, foreign exchange in China is

tightly controlled, so make sure you

negotiate a clause in your contract

that allows you to convert this money

to your home currency. Otherwiseyou’ll just have to empty your bank

account at the end of your contract

and spend all your money traveling

around the country, seeing all the

World Heritage sites, traveling the

Silk Route, taking the ice-train

to Lhasa, having a peek at the

Forbidden City and generally

having a great time!


7/12

7

How Much TEFL Training isRecommended?Most schools in Brazil will want to see that you’ve done at least 120

hours of TEFL study either online, in the classroom, or a mixture of

both, especially if you don’t have previous teaching experience. These courses will all qualify you to teach in China:

★ http://www.onlinete.com/te-courses/edi-certte.html

★ http://www.onlinete.com/te-courses/combined-te-courses-120.html

★ http://www.onlinete.com/te-courses/combined-te-courses-140.html

★ http://www.onlinete.com/te-courses/online-te-course-120.html

It’s also worth knowing that you can upgrade any of our shorter courses up to our top

level EDI CertTEFL at any time.

Common Teaching ConditionsConditions can vary depending on where you’re teaching and who

you work for. So if it’s possible, negotiate your working conditions

and timetable with your employers before accepting a contract. In

general you should expect to teach for around 15-25 hours per

week, but classes can be big (sometimes with over 50 students)

and you’ll need to set aside time for extra-curricular commitments

such as marking.

Anything to Be Wary of?Due to foreigners keeping their options open by accepting multiple

jobs, many language institutes have found themselves withouta teacher and have begun to hire two or more teachers for each

position. For this reason, once you’ve found work independently, it is

important to keep in touch with your employer until your arrival, or you

could nd yourself without a job! Other than that, just be careful what you

order at your local restaurant!


8/12

8


Working and VisasFinding TEFL Jobs fromHome

If you choose to go it alone,

you’ll need to search the web foropportunities (a great place to start is the i-to-i TEFL

Jobs Board), then send a copy of your resume, along

with a photograph and any references. Most recruiters

will then interview successful candidates by phone. If

you’re a rst time TEFL teacher and feel you need a

little support, take a look at supported programs like

our Teach in China Internship where you’ll be well

looked after by our partners in China.

Finding TEFL Jobs in China

China is a relatively easy place to nd work, especially if you have an accredited TEFL

certicate. If you’re willing to venture outside of Beijing, the lack of competition could

make your search even easier. Just be sure that your savings will cover your rst few

weeks without a job, or you’ll be back home quicker than expected! If you do plan to

just turn up and nd work while you’re in China, it’s worth arriving in August so you can

nd work for the start of term in September or in April when job fairs take place in both

Beijing and Hangzhou. Take a look at www.chinajob.com for more information.

Job Interviews

The Chinese value enthusiasm and professionalism in their English teachers, so make

sure you’re enthusiastic and speak clearly and precisely. They also liked their TEFL

teachers well dressed and respectable looking – so don’t turn up in jeans and a t-shirt

looking like you just got off the sleeper train from Beijing!

Getting Your Visa

Even though the reins of communism have been loosened a little in recent years, it’s sill

fair to say that getting caught without the right paperwork is not a good plan. In fact, in

many places an ofcial health check and registration with the local police is mandatory.

To teach English legally in China you’ll need to have a Z visa. To get this you’ll need a

visa invitation letter from your employer. Once you have your invitation letter you can

apply for your visa at your local embassy. Your employer should guide you through the

visa application process.


9/12

9

If you’re going to look for work while you’re in the country, you’ll need to enter on a

tourist (L) visa, then once you’ve landed a job, the school will issue you with a visa

invitation letter and you can apply for a Z visa – also know as a Alien Residence Permit.

Either way, DO NOT try to work in China without the relevant visas - it will not end well!

Requirements for a Working Visa:★ In good health (possible health check required)

★ Passport

★ A job offer

Useful Linkswww.onlinete.com/jobs

www.eslcafe.comwww.eslbase.com

www.te.com

www.te.net

www.eslemployment.com

www.middlekingdomlife.com/guide

www.cathayteacher.com

www.abroadchina.org

www.teachabroadchina.com

www.chinajob.com

Useful BooksTeaching English Abroad by Susan Grifth

This is something of a Bible for TEFLers and will give you all the info

you’ll need to get started.


10/12

10


Notes


11/12

11


12/12

12


China Work

Documents

Transcript of China Work