Teaching English overseas is a great way to experience a country, and China provides lots of opportunities for teaching. China can be an amazing place to teach and a great opportunity to explore a unique and rich culture. Teaching English in China can be a very rewarding experience but it is one that requires a lot of patience and flexibility.
Teaching in China requires very few qualifications. It used to be well known for not needing anything more than being a native English speaker and enthusiasm to teach. These easy requirements led to an overwhelming number of westerners flocking to China to teach. Recently, China has tried to up their standards. They still don’t require you to have completed a TEFL course, but they do now require teachers to hold a degree, although the degree can be in any subject area.
It is a good idea to find your teaching job by using a company to help you. They will protect you against contract changes and they will have thoroughly screened all the schools they deal with. This will also ensure that you are teaching in a good environment. Your job will usually start either in August at the beginning of the school year, or in February when students get back from break.
The regular monthly salary rates for China tend to be lower than in other Asian countries. Their rates range from $600-1,000 USD a month. One reason why rates are lower is because the cost of living in China is also lower. Your airfare can also often be included, as well as your living quarters (most often a furnished apartment on school property).
Your work week will usually consist of 20-30 hours of teaching time, leaving you lots of spare time to explore the city and surrounding area. Be prepared to teach a large class of children. It is not unheard of for classes to be made up of more than 60 children. Even though you will have a lot of students, Chinese students are very easy to teach because they are obedient, are eager to learn and are respectful.
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