Published: 06 September, 2024 | Last updated:
06 September, 2024
Teaching English in Beijing, China
Report submitted on 15 January, 2021 by Ana Koja.
Teaching English in Beijing, China:
How can teachers find teaching jobs in Beijing, China? We use a website to look for new jobs, but mostly through this App called Wechat. there are groups with new job opportunities almost every day.
The main English teaching jobs available are: Full time English language school positions, part time English language school positions, agencies (send teachers to different locations), teaching at kindergartens / pre-schools, private teaching (not through a school, agency, etc.).
What are the minimum teaching requirements? English proficiency certificate, Bachelor degree ( not necessarily in English or teaching), TESOL certificate, some work experience.
What teaching requirements would you recommend? Good communicating reading and writing skills, above average English, correctness, patience.
What are the levels of payment? – 150 rmb/hr (25usd) for someone who is new to teaching if you work part time.
– 300 rmb/hr ( 50 usd) for someone with many years of experience teaching TEFL or IELTS.
– 10000-20000 rmb/month ( 1500 usd-3000usd) depending on the level of full time job you get (kindergarten, training center, etc.).
How many teaching days a week is normal? 5 days per week.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal? 25-40 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? If you work in a Chinese run kindergarten or school, you get make up days which means working on Saturday in order to get a long weekend. Christmas is a work day. New Years Eve – work day but you get a week off or more in February ( Chinese spring festival).
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Beijing, China to teach English? Be Patient. The management of most schools is not very good. They will work you. Always smile. the children are adorable, smart and funny. Let some things go – its the small things like weather, smog, language, culture that gets to you. If you are able to let some things go, you will do just fine.
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Beijing, China? Good work environment. The students are great. They are funny, smart, very smart and make your teaching less stressful. Also its a very good salary for the work and cost of living.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Beijing, China? You have to deal with management. Some of the schools are for money making – they only think on the business side, not very much on education.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area? Getting diagnosed with ADHD or ADD or autism or dyslexia, is not a thing here. Anything that can imply that the child has learning difficulties will be taken as an offence on the parents.
Living in Beijing, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China? Yes. when applying make sure that they provide a legal working visa.
What is the cost of living like in China? Beijing is quite expensive in terms of rent. One room goes from 500 USD to more a month. The living cost is cheap, buying groceries and eating out is affordable.
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? Apartment sharing is big. There are website that can help with finding a room, agents as well, although you need to pay a months rent as finders fee. 3 months rent in advance, 1 month deposit, and one month as finders fee. So i would suggest to ask your work place to provide accommodation or at least help you find it so you don’t have to pay a deposit.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Beijing, China? You can travel all China for very cheap. Amazing food, great people, easy transportation.
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in Beijing, China? A bit of pollution, cultural differences, a “different” way of common sense.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Beijing, China? Do come, but be prepared. Read about China, about people working in China and their experience. A lot of people come here clueless and expect a lot and they get dis encouraged when their expectations are not met.
What things do you miss most (other than family and friends) from your home country? This is my home now. I have my family here. You can get any food you want, you can get English books and news papers. You can get ANYTHING you need or want here.
What do you think you will miss most when (or if) you leave China? Me and my husband met here. We moved to Dubai for a year and it made us realize that Beijing is our home. We missed how easy it is to get around, we missed having a park right outside our building. We missed the food.
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country? If you haven’t had any Chinese food before, I suggest you get some condiments to get you by the first few days your fav. snacks etc. Bring toothpaste (might seem silly but the toothpaste here has low levels of fluoride).
About Me and My Work:
My Name: Ana Koja
Nationality: Albania
Students I’ve taught in China: Toddlers (2-4 years), pre-school / kindergarten (4-6 years), elementary (6-12 years).
How I found my current jobs: Through friends.
My school facilities: Excellent – we work in an international high school and the facilities are great. Teaching resources are never ending. We have lags, a big campus, library is 2 stories high with lots of different books. Classrooms are high technology with a touch board, air filters etc.
Teacher support is available at my school: Training / workshops, lesson observations, teacher evaluations.
Published: 04 September, 2024 | Last updated:
04 September, 2024
Teaching English in Yiwu, China
Report submitted on 19 March, 2022 by samiullah.
Teaching English in Yiwu, China:
How can teachers find teaching jobs in Yiwu, China? There are many agents, that get paid by the schools to find new teachers. through the help of such agent, all documents can be easily arranged. this service is free for teachers.
The main English teaching jobs available are: Full time English language school positions, part time English language school positions, agencies (send teachers to different locations), teaching at kindergartens / pre-schools, teaching at companies, private teaching (not through a school, agency, etc.).
What are the minimum teaching requirements? University Diploma degree, TEFL certificate, no criminal record.
What teaching requirements would you recommend? Any BA or BSc degree can do the job.
What are the levels of payment? At first the payments are lower, 350RMB per day or $55. However, this gets doubled or further tripled as the time goes on and further experience is gained.
How many teaching days a week is normal? 5 days per week.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal? 20-25 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? There are summer holidays for 20 days or more, and spring festival holiday 15-20 days off.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Yiwu, China to teach English? Now is the time, as China is trying to develop faster, and wants all their young people to speak English fluently.
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Yiwu, China? Life can be simpler than it is back home.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Yiwu, China? Language barriers, cannot communicate with the locals or Chinese teachers etc.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area? The biggest challenge is the language barrier.
Living in Yiwu, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China? Yes, all foreigners must get work visa to be able to do any job.
What is the cost of living like in Yiwu, China? – accommodation is very cheap 16000rmb for a very spacious studio apartment. – food can get a bit expensive, as foreigners are more likely to eat more due to hot weather, roughly would cost 100-120rmb per day for food – other things are half the price they are in America or Europe.
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? Accommodation is arranged by the agent, whom will get the school to provide you with a room and other needs.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Yiwu, China? Yiwu is the world’s biggest wholesale of commodities.
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in Yiwu, China? The weather can get very hot and very cold.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Yiwu, China to live? Get used to Chinese food.
What things do you miss most (other than family and friends) from your home country? Just the food and my car. Western internet. At first you will not miss anything, as you will be exploring, however, slowly you will miss everything back home.
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country (e.g. things that are difficult to get in your location)? – legalized criminal background check – legalized university degree – legalized TEFL certificate
About Me and My Work:
My Name: samiullah
Nationality: British
Students I’ve taught in China: Pre-school / kindergarten (4-6 years), elementary (6-12 years).
How I found my current jobs: Through an agent.
My school facilities: Very good – everything is available within the school, we have lots of breaks and lunch and dinner is free for both the students and the teachers.
What kind of teacher support is available at your school?: Training / workshops.
Published: 03 September, 2024 | Last updated:
03 September, 2024
Teaching English in Zhengzhou, China
Report submitted on 28 October, 2022 by Milli.
Teaching English in Zhengzhou, China:
How can teachers find teaching jobs in Zhengzhou, China? Echinacities.com, Dave’s ESL cafe, word of mouth.
The main English teaching jobs available are: Full time English language school positions, teaching at kindergartens / pre-schools, teaching at private international schools, teaching at colleges / universities, teaching at companies.
What are the minimum teaching requirements? Bachelors Degree and 120 TEFL Certificate, or at least 2 years of teaching experience.
What teaching requirements would you recommend? Native speaking level. Schools aren’t interested in people from other foreign countries that don’t speak English, unless you want to work here illegally or have at least two years of teaching English experience to back it up.
What are the levels of payment? Minimum 10,000 RMB a month for a full time job.
How many teaching days a week is normal? 5 days per week.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal? 10-15 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? Typical Chinese holidays off. Some private schools also offer Christmas vacation too. It really depends on the location.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Zhengzhou, China to teach English? Have a decent understanding of the school you are coming to. Many people online state how easy teaching English is, and that it doesn’t require much effort. That is false.
If you are teaching at a full time school, you must expect to work full days and come prepared. The school might check your lesson plans daily. Please prepare!
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Zhengzhou, China? Many jobs available, most schools are pretty relaxed.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Zhengzhou, China? The pay here might be lower than in other major cities like Shanghai or Beijing, and many kids won’t have a lot of experience with English beforehand.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area? Like all schools that foreigners teach in, some teachers might have some prejudice against foreigners. Just work hard and prove to them you are the real deal and you will earn their respect.
Living in Zhengzhou, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China? You must obtain your work visa, then a residence permit in order to work. If you work before you have a residence permit, you can get jail time and kicked out of China.
What is the cost of living like in Zhengzhou, China? Apartment- 1200RMB to 2000RMB (low end to high end).
Food is extremely cheap, you can purchase a decent meal online for like 20RMB.
Going out is also very cheap. A beer might be like 20RMB each at a bar, and food at a fancy restaurant might be like 80-100RMB.
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? My agency helped me find an apartment, but some schools also will provide the accommodation. If you aren’t satisfied, they can also provide a monthly allowance to pay for your own apartment. Considering there might be issues in the future (for example, the rent going up or something) , I recommend just taking the apartment provided by your company as all of the communication will be done in Chinese.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Zhengzhou, China? Extremely nice people, low cost of living, many things to do.
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in Zhengzhou, China? Most people cannot speak English, bad pollution.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Zhengzhou, China to live? Zhengzhou isn’t as crazy and fast paced as Shanghai or Beijing. It is big, but it’s definitely more slow. A lot of foreigners complain that there “isn’t anything to do here”. I recommend making friends here to entertain yourself, and understanding that the city is more laid back and relaxed. If you can accept that, I believe you will like the city.
What things do you miss most (other than family and friends) from your home country? Butter popcorn, pancakes, basically most Canadian/American food. You can get anything else you want here by purchasing it online!.
What do you think you will miss most when (or if) you leave China? I will miss the convenience of purchasing everything online. If you want any clothes, food, items, you name it, you can get it shipped to your apartment INSTANTLY. Also, the transportation is so advanced, I feel very spoiled.
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country (e.g. things that are difficult to get in your location)? Electric shavers if you have a beard. It’s difficult to find one that isn’t for completely shaving your face clean.
Medication. I have some friends who must take medication for their mental health, and it might be impossible to get it here. Make sure you prepare well in advance and bring a supply that will last you the duration of your trip!
About Me and My Work:
My Name: Milli
Nationality: Canadian
Students I’ve taught in China: Pre-school / kindergarten (4-6 years), elementary (6-12 years).
Where I teach: A private school in Zhengzhou. Working here for 4 years.
How I found my current jobs: My agency helped me connect with the school. I found the agency on echinacities.com.
My school facilities: Very good – the school is very rich, and all of the teachers have been teaching for many years. They want the best for their students.
What kind of teacher support is available at your school?: Lesson observations, teacher evaluations.
Published: 02 September, 2024 | Last updated:
02 September, 2024
Teaching English in Xi’An, China
Report submitted on 13 January, 2022 by Bria Anderson.
Teaching English in Xi’An, China:
How can teachers find teaching jobs in Gap ming, China? Teachers can find jobs through most any teacher placement organization, or through PandaGuides. However, I found that the best way to find a reliable job at a good school is through your connections and word-of-mouth.
The main English teaching jobs available are: Full time English language school positions, part time English language school positions, teaching at kindergartens / pre-schools, teaching at state schools, teaching at private international schools.
What are the minimum teaching requirements? Minimum requirements for legally getting a job in China are:
1. A bachelors degree.
2. An ESL certification.
3. English fluency is required.
4. A passport from Canada, USA, UK, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand. However, if you don’t have a passport from those countries, there are other ways to get teaching jobs here too.
5. Teaching experience is preferred, but not necessarily required.
What teaching requirements would you recommend? I would definitely recommend getting your ESL certification. Yes, it is a requirement to work here, but it will also give you a lot of experience and opportunities to learn how to teach. I would also recommend volunteering as a teacher in a classroom longer than the required teachers for your program. Taking a class and then working in a classroom is a great way to put the teaching skills and theories to practice.
What are the levels of payment? I don’t know what the going rate is per hour, but I know that teachers full time teachers can make anywhere from 13,000-20,000 RMB a month (depending on experience and how long you have lived in China.)
How many teaching days a week is normal? 5-6 days a week days per week.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal? 20-25 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? Teachers in China usually get 1 week for National Day in the beginning of October, New Years Day, and 1 month off for Chinese New Year (January to February.) The important part to know beforehand though is that the National Day holiday and Chinese New Year dates are not pre-set, and they start/finish at different times for different schools.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Xi’An, China to teach English? Overall, I really like living in Xi’An. People here are very warm, friendly, and curious about other cultures. The food here is outstanding. It’s also one of the cheaper large cities to live in in China.
I’ve taught English in 5 different countries now (The US, Morocco, Peru, Korea, and China), and this advice can be applied to all of those countries (and others, I’m sure.)
1. Know your contract like the back of your hand.
2. There are varying levels of organization within each school and each country, ranging from highly organized/efficient to downright chaos. For example, in China, I’ve experienced many last second schedule and classroom changes that no one told me about. Sometimes classes were canceled by the administration a couple hours before they were supposed to begin.
Just try to remember that not everything is in your control, and try your best to let go and go with the flow. Your blood pressure will thank you.
3. Eat ALL of the food here in Xi’An!
4. Learn a little bit of the local language before you come here. People will be pleasantly surprised if you try to talk with them in Chinese!
5. There are always helpers around (whether you like it or not) and they are your greatest assets if you are willing to ask, accept, and take their help or advice to heart.
6. Local teachers are always right, and they are almost always willing to help teachers who are new to China (or whatever country you happen to be teaching in.)
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Xi’An, China? Again, this list can be applied to all of the countries I’ve taught in – not just China. This is also just my experience – other teachers here have different stories from mine.
1. I’m new to teaching in China, and the local teachers I work with are always willing to mentor/provide feedback/support me and my classes.
2. If I want to try a new activity, I always ask my Chinese English teachers colleagues for their advice first. They tell me honestly if it’s good, or if it will not work, and why. So far, they’ve always been right.
3. Here I work with many highly trained Chinese English teachers, and I found that nonnative English speakers are essential language teachers because they provide the foundation that native English speakers (like myself) can build on. They can also be excellent teacher educators as well. I have learned more from observing and working closely with local teachers here than I ever have reading a book for class.
4. Chinese people (and people all over the world in general), are kind, curious, warm, welcoming, and good. They are excited to share their home, language, and culture with you if you treat it with respect and dignity.
5. You will work hard, but you will also save money . Working in China has allowed me to travel, experience new cultures, and has offered me so many opportunities that I could not envision for myself when I was working in the US.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Xi’An, China? It’s really hard to maintain a healthy work-life balance. With my job, I teach at many different schools in 3 cities, and I don’t have a separate office, work space, or my own classroom to leave my work things in, so I always have to take work home with me.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area? 1. There is a common theme of people hating English because they are/were forced to learn it in school, so they come to class with a bad feeling about it beforehand. The question for me becomes, how can I as a teacher and student bring it to their attention that learning a new language can open up their world to new possibilities or opportunities? How can I make lessons that are interactive, fun, and useful?
2. One challenge I have here is classroom management. There are teachers in China that still use some forms of corporal punishment to keep students in line in class, and there are many students who behave well in class because they are scared of their Chinese teachers. However, I’m not fluent enough in Chinese to speak to students in their home language when they’re misbehaving, and they usually don’t have enough English to understand me. Because of this, some of the students aren’t scared enough of me to not act out in class. So I’ve had to figure out other ways to encourage positive behavior.
Living in Xi’An, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China? First, you should apply for your work visa in your home country. Once you have your work visa, then you can come to China. However, once you are here you must also apply for a residence permit, work permit, and health certificate. You must also check in with the local police station as well within the first 30 days. All of this takes about 2-3 months to finish.
What is the cost of living like in China? Depends on your contract with the school. Mine for example covers roundtrip airfare to and from my home country, housing, school meals, transportation, health insurance – everything except the property management fee (537 RMB every 3 months), phone and internet (136 RMB a month,) and heating (about 600-2,200 RMB flat fee for the winter.) The 600 RMB option is the one that uses your A/C unit to heat your apartment, and 2,200 RMB one is where the apartment company controls your heating, and the apartments get really hot. Many foreigners I know here turned off their heating because it got too warm. I recommend the 600 RMB option.
Going out to eat Chinese food can cost anywhere from 10 yuan to 200 yuan per person, with the average being about 20-25 yuan. Western food is more expensive. Same with going out – Chinese alcohol is about 20 yuan, but western alcohol can host 100 yuan or more.
All in all, I live very comfortably on about 5-6,000 yuan a month, and I put the rest of my paycheck in savings.
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? Schools usually search for and provide housing. OR, they will provide a housing stipend and assist you in finding an apartment.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Xi’An, China? 1. The ability to save money and travel. 2. Xi’An is a very multi-cultural city. 3. It’s easy to make Chinese friends here. 4. Public transportation is awesome. 5. The food is outstanding. 6. It’s a big enough city that there is a lot to do, but it’s not super overwhelming (like Beijing, Shanghai, or Hong Kong can be.) 7. The hospitality here is out of this world! 8. People here are very warm, curious, welcoming, and generally good souls.
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in Xi’An, China? 1. It’s easy to make Chinese friends here, but I’ve had a really hard time meeting other foreigners and making friends with them here. 2. The air quality here is terrible. 3. The banking system in China is very complicated, confusing, and downright ridiculous. 4. The internet is very slow and unreliable. 5. Setting up internet is also a pain here. It took 3 months to get internet in my apartment. 6. The Great Firewall makes communicating with friends and family outside of China very difficult (but not impossible). 7. Many people use VPN’s here to communicate, but those are also unreliable. 8. Free speech is not allowed here in China. As someone who is passionate about politics, activism, current events, etc. not being able to really talk about those things has been eye-opening in many ways.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Xi’An, China? Do it! Xi’An, China has been an amazing place to live and work. I’ve only been here 4 months, and I feel like I’m not the same person I was when I left the US.
What things do you miss most (other than family and friends) from your home country? I miss my dog, being able to talk about politics and be active in it, being surrounded by things that are familiar, being able to understand everything that’s going on around me, being able to fully share who I am, having a much better work-life balance, baking pies and drinking cider/margaritas 🙂
What do you think you will miss most when (or if) you leave China? The friendships I’ve made here, and biangbiang noodles, roujiamoa, and dumplings!
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country? 1. Hand sanitizer. 2. Tampons (if you use them.) 3. New clothes. It’s difficult for American women at least to find clothes/shoes here that will fit properly. 4. Shower shoes. 5. Cold medicine. If you get sick, chances are it will be with a cold because of the air pollution. 6. Gifts for local teachers. I’ve found that chocolates work well. 7. International chargers.
About Me and My Work:
My Name: Bria Anderson
Nationality: USA
Students I’ve taught in China: Elementary (6-12 years), junior high school (12-15 years), high school (15-18 years).
Where I teach: Shaanxi Foreign Languages Academy in Xi’An. Teaching here for 4 months.
How I found my current jobs: Through my previous job as an ESL Instructor at Interlink at Seattle Pacific University in Seattle, Washington!
My school facilities: Very good – I rated my school facilities as very good because the teachers are super helpful, and if I ask for something I usually get it. The classrooms also have plenty of desks, chairs, usually a computer with a projector or screen, and enough blackboards.
However, many times I arrived in a classroom and it was completely trashed out, had technology glitches (like classroom lights becoming disco lights, the computer not working, flash drive ports destroying flash drives, puffs of smoke coming out of the hot water heater during class, etc.) So not excellent.
Teacher support at my school: Training / workshops, peer support / training.
The main English teaching jobs available are: Full time English language school positions, teaching at kindergartens / pre-schools
What are the minimum teaching requirements? Degree
TEFL
criminal background check
recommendation letter
What teaching requirements would you recommend? Native speaker.
What are the levels of payment? 200 RMB (approx. 28,90 US$) /Monthly is from 10.000RMB -15000 RMB (approx. 1443 – 2165 US$) depending of the teacher’s experience.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal? 20 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? Chinese NEW year.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Beihai, China to teach English?
Do a good research about the city before coming.
Be prepared to be a good teacher.
The locals are very friendly.
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Beihai, China?
Not very busy when compared to other cities.
Cost of living is quite reasonable.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Beihai, China?
Try not to sign contract with schools that can’t afford to give you a work visa.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area?
Many students in the classroom and language barrier.
Living in Beihai, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China?
Teachers must have a work visa.
What is the cost of living like in China?
Accommodation 1500 RMB (approx. 216,50 US$).
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? School provide free accommodation or house allowances.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Beihai, China? The weather here is very good.
Beautiful beaches.
Seafood.
The air quality is good.
Good transportation system.
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in scenery, China?
Language barrier,
facebook and Youtube are all blocked.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Beihai, China?
come and be prepared.
Be ready to learn the language.
Not many speak English.
What things do you miss most (other than family and friends) from your home country?
Food.
What do you think you will miss most when (or if) you leave China? My students.
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country?
Medicine.
About Me and My Work:
My Name: Dalton kelly
Nationality: Cameroon
Students I’ve taught in China: toddlers (2-4 years), pre-school / kindergarten (4-6 years), elementary (6-12 years), adults
Where I teach: Training center, Beihai. Teaching for 8 years.
Published: 12 October, 2018 | Last updated:
12 October, 2018
Teaching English in Shanghai, China
Report submitted on 07 Jan, 2018 by Julia.
Teaching English in Shanghai, China:
How can teachers find teaching jobs in Shanghai, China? Through job applications.
The main English teaching jobs available are: Part time English language school positions, agencies (send teachers to different locations), teaching at kindergartens / pre-schools, private teaching (not through a school, agency, etc.)
What are the minimum teaching requirements? Good pronunciation and knowledge go English, teaching diplomas and certificates.
What teaching requirements would you recommend? I’d recommend getting different kinds of teaching certificates.
What are the levels of payment? 150-200 rmb (approx. 21,70 – 28,90US$) per hour.
How many teaching days a week is normal? 5 days per week.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal? 5 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? National holidays.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Shanghai, China to teach English?
Be prepared for culture shock.
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Shanghai, China?
I love the people of this country.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Shanghai, China?
Not so much.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area?
Difficulties with pronunciation.
Living in Shanghai, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China?
Yes, there are.
What is the cost of living like in China?
Varies.
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? Agencies help.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Shanghai, China? It’s a megapolis.
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in scenery, China?
No holidays.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Shanghai, China?
Be kind.
What things do you miss most (other than family and friends) from your home country?
Internet, dairy products.
What do you think you will miss most when (or if) you leave China? People.
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country?
Medicine.
About Me and My Work:
My Name: Julia
Nationality: USA
Students I’ve taught in China: toddlers (2-4 years), pre-school / kindergarten (4-6 years), elementary (6-12 years), junior high school (12-15 years), adults, business
How long have been teaching here: Teaching for 1 year.
How I found my current jobs: Through the Internet.
My school facilities: Good. Classrooms are good.
What kind of teacher support is available at your school/s?
training / workshops, lesson observations, teacher evaluations, peer support / training
Published: 11 October, 2018 | Last updated:
12 October, 2018
Teaching English in Harbin, China
Report submitted on 20 Oct, 2017 by Paula K.
Teaching English in Harbin, China:
How can teachers find teaching jobs in Harbin, China? Dave’s ESL Cafe eChinacities.com
The main English teaching jobs available are: Full time English language school positions, part time English language school positions, teaching at kindergartens / pre-schools, teaching at state schools, teaching at private international schools, teaching at colleges / universities, private teaching (not through a school, agency, etc.), Volunteering for non-profits or for-profits catering to low-income university students, such as Brian English.
What are the minimum teaching requirements? Generally, a native speaker from one of the big six: USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
Uni and HS jobs require Bachelor’s degree, TESOL certificate and experience.
What teaching requirements would you recommend? Experience. You can volunteer in the states to teach ESL to get experience. I recommend a hand-on TESOL program, like Will-Excel TESOL in Harbin, a Canadian run, 150-hour excellent program. It’s really comprehensive and includes the TPR and communicative approach methodologies. It’s a month-long seminar, and after 500 hours of evaluated teaching, you’ll get a diploma in TESOL!
Also, a real passion for the culture is essential. You’ll have more friends than you can imagine!
What are the levels of payment? Uni is really cheap at about 5000 RMB (approx. 724 US$) per month, 5500 (approx. 796 US$)with a master’s degree.
Language schools start at about 6000 (approx. 868 US$) per month and go up to about 13,000 (approx. 1881 US$).
Int’l K-gartens go upwards of 20k (approx. 2894 US$), depending. But these require you to be onsite 40-hrs per week and teach maybe 30 classes.
I work at a public high school and make 16k (approx. 2315 US$)with a housing allowance of 1500 (approx. 217 US$)which covers my rent. I work 14 class periods and have free time for private students, 8 of which are my co-worker’s children.
How many teaching days a week is normal? 4-5 days per week.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal? 20 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? Depends where you work. I have Jan/Feb free, paid half salary during these times. I also have half salary for the months of July and August, which again, I have free.
Language schools vary, but typically hold classes all but the governmental days free. February, spring festival, is a week long event and often vacation days for language school teachers.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Harbin, China to teach English?
Be healthy – don’t have asthma as we hit the #1 most polluted city in the world sometimes. Over 1000 on the AQI. This is due to the heating systems and usually only lasts a few days per year. The city burns coal to heat homes…
Electricity is about 15 rmb (approx. 2,17 US$) per month, and I cook everyday!
Don’t be sickened by foul odors, because you’ll smell the WCs and garbage periodically! Also, there are some fruits and foods that just smell, well, yucky.
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Harbin, China?
Feel appreciated for doing a great job!
Build confidence!
Get exposure to all facets of teaching: TOEFL, IELTS, adults, kids, uni students, high school students…everything.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Harbin, China?
Students have learned the F*** and SH** words and like to use them in class. (This happened only once…so make it part of your first day rules!)
Class sizes are unusually huge, like 62 in my largest class. This varies according to type of school.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area?
You’ll get used to the common pronunciation errors, though over the years I’m finding the general population has gotten much better at pronunciation. I believe this is due to early childhood exposure to English.
You will have too many offers to teach independents. Don’t undervalue yourself and don’t accept them all…you will need your free time to enjoy the city/country!
Students attend high school from 7 am to 10:30 pm Mon through Fri and keeping them awake is often a challenge. Use activities and games to get them up!
Living in Harbin, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China?
Oh yes! It’s an ever changing, tedious process. Don’t let anyone tell you to come over on a tourist (L) visa! It must be a business (F, but I believe this has or is changing) or teaching (Z) visa. Then the school turns that into a resident permit. In this initial phase of the process you will receive a foreign expert’s certificate. Be sure to take possession of this document, as the school cannot cancel your resident permit without it. Sometimes when you want to change schools the foreign exp certificate is lost!
Follow all the requirements: these change often and are inclusive of having your bachelor’s degree notarized BY THE CHINESE EMBASSY, getting a criminal history report and providing a health check certificate from you doctor which includes some odd tests and the doctor to stamp and initial each page of the report. Like I said, a little tedious.
The good news is, once you jump through all those hoops, it’s easy to turn your visa (which is actually a resident permit) over for another year.
What is the cost of living like in China?
CHEAP!! You can find spendy apartments (3500-7500 rmb (approx. 506 US$-1085 US$) per month) but these are new and in gated communities with a view. I have an apt for 1500 per (approx. 217 US$) month and it’s a walk-up 5 flights. It’s in a great neighborhood with a night market (meat, vegetables and fruit) on my path to and from school! A head of beautiful and fresh broccoli is 4 rmb (approx. 0,60 US$)…
You can find street food for cheap, too, though I cannot eat MSG so don’t. MSG is everywhere…I cook for myself and still save tons of cash each month. And I buy organic meat at Home Park grocery.
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? Uni provides a nice dorm on campus. Language schools offer free accommodations or a housing allowance. People will help you find a place. They’re super friendly in the north! Generally the housing issue is covered in the ad.
It’s also a good idea to talk about it in the interview.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Harbin, China? SHOPPING!!!
High-speed trains!
Learn Chinese!
It’s SAFE. No one (save for the armored car drivers) has a gun.
Banks are open seven days a week!
Taobao shopping is amazing!
Bargaining!
Beer is cheap – about 4 rmb (approx. 0,60 US$) for a magnum of the local Harbin or Snow beer.
We have an IKEA store. And Metro for western products. Meet friends!
See China!
Meet friends!
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in scenery, China?
China is dirty.
Harbin is 300 miles (as the crow flies) from DPNK.
Harbin has two seasons, winter and summer. It’s fall and spring for about five minutes.
Winter is seriously cold; cold enough to play host to the Harbin Ice & Snow festival since 1985. It’s an amazing thing: the workers pull chunks of ice from the Songhua River and haul them to Sun Island where competitors assemble them (including a lighting system within each and every single block) to build ice sculptures.
Yeah, mighty cold. Sometimes as low as minus 30 degrees F!
Food safety is an issue, as is pollution, but they’re working on it! It’s not nearly as bad now as is has been in the past.
Students talk during performances. It’s just part of the culture, as is picking their nose in front of you and belching, farting. But don’t pick your teeth in front of them!
Stores close early, as do many things.
There are lots of fake goods out there, so shop wisely and carefully.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Harbin, China?
Research your area and school. I’ve had many different jobs here and have never had visa problems or been unpaid. Well, once I was not paid for a month, but it was partly my own fault…communication misconception.
Don’t sign on for more than one year until you’ve checked out the school and your coworkers, students, etc. You may end up in a district way the heck outta town and feel isolated from the goings on elsewhere!
What things do you miss most (other than family and friends) from your home country?
TV/movies. There are a handful of films in English, so I don’t get to be too choosy.
I miss Taco Bell and gluten-free beer!
What do you think you will miss most when (or if) you leave China? Friends and the insanely cheap massages!
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country?
You can pretty much get whatever you want these days, though I don’t recommend coming and thinking you’ll get a prescription filled. I take thyroid medicine, and in China it’s in a box and I have to CUT IT to the correct dose. This is difficult to do because it’s a tiny pill to begin with…ugh. I bring enough for a year.
Same with aspirin-like products and vitamins. If you’re fussy, bring enough for a year.
About Me and My Work:
My Name: Paula K
Nationality: American
Students I’ve taught in China: babies (0-2 years), toddlers (2-4 years), pre-school / kindergarten (4-6 years), elementary (6-12 years), junior high school (12-15 years), high school (15-18 years), university, adults.
Where I teach: #1 Experimental High School of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, HLJ People’s Republic of China. Teaching for 4 years.
How I found my current jobs: Dave’s ESL cafe website. Great reference and job boards!
My school facilities: Adequate. Broken podiums.
Chalkboards and chalk, not white boards.
One computer in room.
Crowded rooms.
SMELLY WCs
No hot water for hand-washing
Published: 26 October, 2016 | Last updated:
26 October, 2016
Teaching English in Weihai, China
Report submitted on 18 Oct, 2016 by DKL.
Teaching English in Weihai, China:
How can teachers find teaching jobs in Weihai, China? There are several agencies that can help place teachers in China.
The main English teaching jobs available are: Full time English language school positions, teaching at private international schools.
What are the minimum teaching requirements? TESOL/TESL/TEFL certification, bachelor degree, 2 years experience. Natural speaker from usual country set (Canada, USA, Australia, Britain, South Africa).
What teaching requirements would you recommend? Requirements are low but the higher paying positions do have stricter requirements. Degree in education is preferred, Masters will get you into better paying positions if you lack experience.
What are the levels of payment? Payment runs from 8000 to 16000 RMB (approx. 1,180 US$ ~ 2,360 US$) per month with perks making up the balance. Apartment is supplied by many schools, residence is often close to school so commuting costs are zero to low. Cost of living sharply lower then major Chinese cities so less of your money will go towards living costs. Work week 20-25 hours and overtime is paid at any legitimate school.
How many teaching days a week is normal? 5 days per week.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal? 20 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? Holidays may or may not be paid depending on contract and school. Vacation time again negotiated. As you become more skilled your negotiating position sharply improves.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Weihai, China to teach English? Weihai is a very good place to teach English. The city is fairly affluent and there are many students wanting to learn. There is a good mix of grade school, high school and adult students.
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Weihai, China? Low cost of living, very good climate (4 seasons with light winters and cooler than average summers) International airport and easy access to major areas in China, Korea and Japan. Cost of living is very low and easily offsets comparatively modest wages. Low cost of travel means visiting the rest of China is reasonable and convenient.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Weihai, China? Wages. If you need a job to pay bills in another country it will not be ideal. If you want to keep the money local you will be living quite well.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area? Younger students provide the same challenges in any country, you must have the temperament to work with them. Older students have remnants of being taught “Chinese English” by non native speakers and modifying pronunciation and vocabulary can be difficult.
Living in Weihai, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China? Yes, the schools usually handle the cost of the residency visa. Z Visa cost incurred by teacher before arrival. Visa requirements may vary depending on country.
What is the cost of living like in China? Pay is low in comparable currency BUT cost of living is sharply lower. The position pays very well if your plan is to remain long term.
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? Accommodation usually supplied by school. No or partial cost passed on to teacher. Average cost of very good accommodation between 1000 and 2000 RMB (approx. 150 US$ ~ 300 US$) per month. 1000 RMB (approx. 150 US$) average.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Weihai, China? Weihai is one of the best places to live in China. It doesn’t suffer from problems of larger city centers and more industrialized regions. Foreigners are still unique and the local population are very generous and helpful.
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in scenery, China? There are very few foreigners and the isolation is at times difficult.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Weihai, China? Learn some of the local language before coming, basic survival level not anything approaching fluency, when you get here you will be busy and around people speaking English at work which, oddly enough, makes learning Chinese a little difficult. You can survive well and easily learning hello, thank you and smiling and pointing but learning some simple phrases will make life easier.
What things do you miss most (other than family and friends) from your home country? Tim Hortons.
What do you think you will miss most when (or if) you leave China? The people. They are very easy going and make living here very easy.
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country? Comfortable clothing and general medications (cold, flu, Imodium, general pain stuff) to make the transition easier. Your body will have to adapt to the new environment and it will be easier with meds you are comfortable with.
Other comments (about teaching or living in your country)? I had read many horror stories and had researched some reports on you-tube. I was very happy that I have yet to have a bad experience. I am happy with the way this career change has worked out.
About Me and My Work:
My Name: DKL
Nationality: Canadian
Students I’ve taught in China: Elementary (6-12 years), junior high school (12-15 years), high school (15-18 years), university, adults, business, other.
Where I teach: — Teaching here for 1 year.
How I found my current jobs: Through Job agency in Canada.
My school facilities: Very good – Classes are smaller than some reports I’ve seen. All supplies and books supplied by the school. Working hours are above what I contracted for but overtime was requested not demanded. Contract hours are 20 per week (80 per month) and overtime has been paid for all hours worked over that amount. Time off to Travel was accommodated without any issue.
What kind of teacher support is available at your school/s?: Training / workshops, lesson observations, teacher evaluations, peer support / training.
Have we missed any important questions?: It is hard to stress enough the difference between Weihai and most major Chinese cities. Clean environment, beautiful city and good people. Cost of living is ridiculously low when compared to any North American city. They are always having trouble attracting teachers but most who do arrive remain for years.
Published: 16 September, 2016 | Last updated:
16 September, 2016
Teaching English in Chagsha, China
Report submitted on 13 May, 2016 by nana.
Teaching English in Chagsha, China:
How can teachers find teaching jobs in Chagsha, China? I applied through World Teacher which is a volunteer teaching program. We are trained in the summer and then we teacher with a lower salary.
The main English teaching jobs available are: Full time English language school positions, part time English language school positions, teaching at state schools, teaching at colleges / universities, private teaching (not through a school, agency, etc.)
What are the minimum teaching requirements? College degree, western english speaking passport, TEFL.
What teaching requirements would you recommend? The ones above are all you need. the requirements aren’t so high.
What are the levels of payment? I make 3,000 rmb per month (approx. US$ 450). I have heard the average for public schools is 6,000 (approx. US$ 899).
How many teaching days a week is normal? 4 days per week.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal? 20 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? In a public school 3-4 weeks in the winter vacation, a week in the fall and a week in the spring semesters.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Chagsha, China to teach English? Its a lower standard of living, have to be ok with living in a “third world country” and also being very flexible since they are very bad at planning the school schedule in advance.
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Chagsha, China? Very cheap so you can save money. you can practice speaking mandarin since not many people speak english. Its very convenient everything is nearby and good public transportation.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Chagsha, China? People will stare at you, the winter has bad air pollution and its gloomy.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area? Big classrooms make lesson planning a challenge. About 60 students per class in a public school.
Living in Chagsha, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China? Yes you need a residence permit which you get through your school.
What is the cost of living like in China? A meal is 10-25 rmb (approx. US$ 1.50-3.75) if you eat locally. Bus is 2 rmb (approx. US$ 0.30).
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? Provided by the school.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Chagsha, China? Affordable. Practice chinese. Convinience of everything around you. Lots to see and explore.
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in Chagsha, China? Chinese people stare, also there are fireworks that go off all the time.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Chagsha, China? Specific foods like cheese, pizza, guacamole. you can purchase these things but they are more expensive.
What do you think you will miss most when (or if) you leave China? My cute students.
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country? Specific food like peanut butter and american candy.
About Me and My Work:
My Name: nana
Nationality: American
Students I’ve taught in China: Junior high school (12-15 years)
Where I teach: world teach, Changsha. Teaching here for 1 year.
How I found my current jobs: Through the world teach website
My school facilities: Good – All resources are available, just the quality isn’t very high.
The main English teaching jobs available are: Full time English language school positions, part time English language school positions, agencies (send teachers to different locations), teaching at kindergartens / pre-schools, teaching at private international schools, teaching at colleges / universities.
What are the minimum teaching requirements? Degree holder, certificate on TESOL or TEFL training, and at least 2 yrs teaching experience.
What teaching requirements would you recommend? Must be a fluent speaker (just like a native speaker of English, if not a native speaker).
What are the levels of payment? 4,000 TO 7,000 RMB (approx. US$600-1050) DEPENDING ON QUALIFICATIONS.
How many teaching days a week is normal?
4 days per week.
How many face-to-face teaching hours a week is normal?
9 hours per week.
What is the normal arrangement for holidays? PAID ONE-MONTH WINTER VACATION (JANUARY) FOR THOSE WHO SIGNED A MINIMUM OF 1-YEAR CONTRACT.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Zhengzhou, China to teach English?
Must have confidence in doing the job and humble enough to submit to the one in authority.
What are the positive aspects of teaching English in Zhengzhou, China?
Students here are trained to really obey and they are more serious to learn.
What are the negative aspects for teaching English in Zhengzhou, China? You have to exert effort to learn the student’s native language in order to be more effective as their teacher in English.
What are some of the teaching challenges for English teachers teaching the local people in your area? The need to have of a complete module in teaching English just like the one that I have found out in your website.
Living in Zhengzhou, China:
Are there any visa or other legal requirements to live in China? Work Permit, Invitation Letter, and Work Visa.
What is the cost of living like in China? It’s provided by the school – free of charge.
What are the usual accommodation arrangements and how can you find accommodation? It’s provided by the school – inside the school campus.
Other than teaching, what positive aspects are there for living in Zhengzhou, China? It’s a peaceful environment.
Other than teaching, what negative aspects are there for living in Zhengzhou, China? Most of the people here could not speak English.
What advice would you give to someone considering coming to Zhengzhou, China? Be of good courage, and always be happy.
What things do you miss most (other than family and friends) from your home country? It’s our food supply (organically grown vegetables, fruits, poultry & livestock) coming from our own farm.
What do you think you will miss most when (or if) you leave China? The wonderful accommodations, friends and work in the school.
What things would you recommend to new teachers in your area to bring with them from their home country? Just simple personal belongings.
Any other comments (about teaching or living in your country)? There are more than a hundred foreign teachers here coming mostly from the USA. They use the american-English curriculum.
About Me and My Work:
My Name: ShengHai2016
Nationality: Filipino
Students I’ve taught in China: Elementary (6-12 years), university.
Where I teach: Sias International College of Zhengzhou University, Xinsheng, Zhengzhou City, Henan, China. Working here for 1 month.
How I found my current jobs: A friend gave me the website of the school and I applied directly on-line.
My school facilities: Excellent. I compared it to my previous teaching experience in Thailand.
Teacher support at my school: Training / workshops, lesson observations, teacher evaluations, peer support / training.
