TEFL Work Guide: China
The buzz of the lunar new year is still in the air, the ideal time for personal reflection and thinking about what good you can bring into your new year. With that being said, thinking about taking your TEFL career to China might be where you go next. The country has a lot to offer in terms of culture, experiences and TEFL opportunities.
The EFL market in China
China is one of the biggest destinations for those looking to take their TEFL journey abroad. The job market is huge, with an enormous variation of roles. There’s opportunities in private language academies, public schools, and for private English lessons. There are at least 14 private language academies in Beijing alone; the age of students will differ at each academy, which is an important factor to consider. You can find a full list of private language academies here. The ISAC National Teaching Program is run by ISAC, working with participating public schools in China. The program is there to provide foreign language teachers the opportunity to work at public Chinese primary, middle and high schools. Those looking for a more flexible work schedule might look to teach private lessons. The demand for one-to-one tutoring is high in China. You’ll find that the easiest way to gain private tutoring students is to set up connections once you’re already in the country.
Requirements
In order to teach English in China, there are a few things you need to have. You’ll need a passport from a native English speaking country (UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa), be of pre-retirement age (18-60 for males and 18-55 for females), a bachelor’s degree from your home country and a 120 hour TEFL certificate. Your bachelor’s degree and your TEFL certificate must be authenticated in the country of origin and then also legalised by your local Chinese Embassy or Consulate. You’ll need to undergo a criminal background check and a medical exam. Be aware that these requirements can sometimes change, so always check before you begin your journey.
Job expectations
A teacher in China can expect to make between 12,000 – 45,000+ RMB (£1436.14 – £5385.54 GBP) a month. The amount you can expect to make will vary depending on what type of school or job you choose to do. You’ll find a lot of jobs in China that offer benefits such as flight reimbursement, housing, visa fees, and Chinese lessons. You might also expect to receive bonuses on completion of your role, or on the renewal of your contract. Expenses you would be expected to pay yourself would usually only include food, entertainment, clothing or any other daily expenses that you might have.
The cost of living in China is relatively affordable. Larger cities such as Beijing or Shanghai tend to be a little more expensive than anywhere else. The benefits you’ll receive as a TEFL teacher make the country even more attractive and affordable. It’s important to remember that because most companies will cover your housing costs, you tend to have a little less flexibility on where you’ll live, however the upside to this is that it takes the stress off you to find somewhere to live and source everything that comes with it. Instead, you get to spend your free time immersing yourself in Chinese culture and all the excitement that comes with living in a huge, international city.
Life in China
In China, cities are broken down into an unofficial tier system. Tier 1 cities include Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. You’ll find life in tier 1 cities is similar to life in any well developed international city. There are many places to go for food, lots of shopping and good nightlife. You’ll find a lot of people there speak English too. Shanghai, or the “Paris of the East” as some call it, is one of the most popular destinations for TEFL teachers. You’ll find streets lined with trendy bars and restaurants, as well as a large variety of boutique shops and galleries. As with all popular cities, rent prices and the cost of living can be quite high. Beijing, China’s capital city, has more of a historic feel to it. There’s less of a European influence on Beijing when compared to Shanghai. In the same regard, Guangzhou has a more authentic Chinese feel to it. If you are looking to immerse yourself in Chinese culture, you might find that Guangzhou is the city for you. The newest of the cities, Shenzhen, is filled with greenery, fresh architecture and efficient infrastructure. The air is fresh and less polluted here, rarely reaching dangerous levels.
Finding jobs
Our UK-TEFL website is a great place to start looking for jobs in China. You can find a full list of current jobs available through our website. If you have limited experience teaching English or working abroad, you might choose to find work via a franchise. You will find that larger organisations can often provide more support. They can provide you with materials useful for your teaching and you’ll find many other people in the same position as yourself that you can look to for support and guidance. Some of the largest franchises you might choose to look for work include: Chengdu Golden Apple Child Education Group,
Teach English Global and Berlitz. Berlitz prefers applicants to have some experience teaching Business English. You can find our UK-TEFL specialist Business English course here. Gold Star TEFL Recruitment is an employment agency that has a huge range of TEFL jobs, ranging from kindergarten all the way to university and beyond.
If China sounds like where your next TEFL adventure should take you, make sure you’ve got your TEFL Certificate at the ready! Don’t forget, you can search for job opportunities here.
