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frequently asked questions about teaching in China
1. Is China the best country in Asia to teach English in? China is the place for you if you are adventurous and not afraid of risks, and perhaps have some experience of living overseas before. The salary is not enough to make savings or pay off debts back home, but it will give you enough to live on and you will have a culturally rich experience no matter where in China you choose to live. You must however be flexible and willing to live a lifestyle that is very dissimilar to a western one.
2. 2. How should I get a teaching job before in China? The best way to find a job is to contact schools directly. Make up a short introductory letter and a short resume. Then find people to send it to. One source of job announcements is Dave Sperling's ESL cafe. www.eslcafe.com The contract is your lifeline. Make sure you have the original stamped contract with you before you set foot in China. The sign of authenticity in China is the red stamp on the contract. Make sure your contract states the pay, the number of hours to be taught, and the airfare reimbursement. Clarify with the school whether weekends are free and whether you get paid holidays. Clarify anything and everything. The Z-Visa is a must; landing in China on a tourist visa is fraught with dangers. Many organizations contract with Chinese institutions to send English teachers. In some, the organization is like a matchmaker. They recruit you, make sure you're suited to the job, give you some training, and provide help if and when you need it. For this, you have to pay or raise roughly US$3,000-4,000 for a single person. That should include your airfare. The Chinese side then usually (but not always) pays you a salary, just like any other foreign teacher. Some other organizations require that you pay or raise money for all your expenses, something like US$700 per month (I'm guessing here). These organizations often send people to institutions that can't afford to hire foreign teachers (or prefer not to pay them).
3. What is teaching like in China? Teaching and living in China is an incredible experience. Having spent your life as an anonymous average person in your home country, you suddenly become the center of attention. People want to talk to you. They want to know your opinion about everything. They want to be your friend. As a teacher in China, you will meet lots of new people. You'll be able to travel to exotic locations, explore pursuits like martial arts, Beijing opera, Chinese traditional medicine, and calligraphy. Teaching English in China can be either a rewarding, learning experience in this eastern land of adventurous promise or a frustrating, chaotic, experience in an Oriental morass.
4. What qualifications do I need? There are no hard and fast qualifications for getting a job teaching English in China, but for a really reputable job expect to be asked for your degree and a TEFL or TESOL/CELTA certificate. Most schools are looking for native speakers. If you are not a native speaker, it will be more difficult for you (even if you are fluent in English), but not impossible. If you have a degree in English or a degree from an English-speaking country, you should be able to find something. A college degree (in anything) is usually requested, but there are opportunities for those without a degree. Employers are especially willing to count work experience in lieu of college for people who have worked for at least 10-15 years.
5.What teaching salary can I earn? As a teacher in China, you will not get rich, but you should have enough to live on comfortably. Salaries for foreign teachers appear to be generally in the range of Y2,500 to Y4,000 per month, If you have a masters' degree or higher you can be a 'foreign expert,' with a somewhat higher salary. In addition, you get about Y2,000 at the end of your contract for traveling in China. Private schools may pay by the hour: your pay depends on how many hours you teach. Pay may be higher if the school doesn't provide housing. Although most schools in China wont’ negotiate, there is no reason why you should settle for anything less than RMB 4000. Salaries may be lower in smaller cities, but cost of living will also be much lower. Your salary will go at least twice as far in Changchun as it will in Beijing
6. What other benefits does teaching institutes provide? Your salary usually includes an apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, TV, telephone and basic furnishings. If not, you should get a higher salary. Your school may or may not provide: a bicycle, tape recorder and a computer. (or access to one). You usually have to pay for your food and internet service in your apartment. At a bare minimum, schools provide free housing (with bathroom, kitchen, and air conditioning); two weeks holiday for Chinese New Year, no more than 16 classes a week, and the work visa. Policies on paying for airfare vary a lot from school to school. Schools usually pay for a foreign teacher's return airfare only (but some do not). Some ads that promise to pay round-trip travel and others that only pay half of your return airfare. Some schools promise to reimburse you for your plane ticket going over but you're safest if they send you the ticket
7. Is my salary enough to live on? If you make trips to Hong Kong, Beijing, or Shanghai, and spend money at bars, hotels, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, etc., your money may not last too long. If you cook your own food you'll have plenty of money.
8. What are apartments like in China for English teachers? Living conditions will be spartan (although they're improving rapidly). Your kitchen might be primitive. You might not have hot water whenever you want it. Your water might be brown sometimes or smell like sulphur. Your selection of T.V. programming and other entertainment may be quite limited, depending on where you are (However, cable TV is common)
9. Do you really need a work visa issued before I arrive to work in China? Yes. Officially in order to come to China and take up permanent employment you will need a Z visa issued outside of China The wonderful thing about doing that is you will know for sure that you employer is in fact able to offer you a job legally. Many employers ask the new employees to come to China on an L visa and tell them that they will arrange the necessary documentation when they arrive. This is at times true but at other times they are unable to get the required documents and the employee works illegally. These unscrupulous employers tend to treat their employees in a less than professional manner and therefore should be avoided. Remember it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re working legally so push your employer for the legal documents. When you arrive on the Z visa, or even if not, your employer should arrange the FEC (Foreign Experts Certificate) and RPF (Residence Permit for Foreigners) within 30 days and if not pursue the matter vigorously. So, yes you can come to China and yes you can seek employment and yes you may be able to get legal documentation after arrival but don’t count on it. There are countless horror stories and complaints to be read detailing the problems people have had so be prepared.
10. Do I need a TEFL certificate to teach in China? Generally, yes
11. What are the best EFL (English as a foreign language) teaching jobs?
12. What is Chinese culture like? You will have to adjust to a completely different culture. This is fun, but it also gets to be stressful. The 'inscrutable Chinaman' is a cliché' but it's true. It's very difficult for us to understand Chinese thinking and vice versa. Many foreigners end up embittered, cynical, with a complex love/hate relationship with China after spending a few years there
13. Where in China should I teach English? The location of your school is equally important. There is more to China than Beijing and Shanghai. A fair number of cities are quite well-developed and can certainly provide you with a wonderful peek into the heart of China. Looking for a mild winter? Head to South China. Prefer a balanced mix? Consider East China with its beautiful beaches. Avoid as much as possible the Northwest, generally the least developed section of China, unless you are really looking to rough it. China's a big, diverse country. There's as big a difference between Guangzhou, Changsha, Taiyuan, and Beijing as there is between L.A., Atlanta, Peoria, and New York. There are big differences in weather, political climate, wealth, language, culture, corruption, availability of Western goods, etc.
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