| Teaching English in China won't get you rich, | | | | various parts of the world, which bring |
| but it's guaranteed to provide you with an | | | | together the schools and the candidates for |
| exceptional opportunity to experience the | | | | several days of interviewing. Once |
| Chinese culture, to travel, make friends, | | | | registered, the candidate who wants to teach |
| learn some Mandarin, and also provide you | | | | abroad has the option to attend one or more |
| with a means to live abroad for an extended | | | | of the recruitment fairs being held by the |
| length of time. Interested? If you're | | | | agency. These may be attended by as few as 20 |
| between the ages of 18 and 60, in relatively | | | | international schools or as many as 120. The |
| good health, flexible and adventurous, the | | | | ratio of candidates to schools can be |
| prospects of landing a teaching job will be, | | | | anywhere from 1:3 to 1:6, although in recent |
| in most cases, easier than you would think. | | | | years the number of candidates has dwindled |
| | | | while the number of schools in attendance has |
| Presently, there are over 400 million Chinese | | | | increased - all good news for the |
| learning English due to the government's push | | | | international candidate interested in |
| to make English its second language. | | | | teaching in China or elsewhere. |
| Universities, colleges, grade schools through | | | | |
| high schools all have their English | | | | These job fairs are usually intense, |
| departments, and they are always in search of | | | | three-day events where the agency will match |
| native English speakers to add to their | | | | the needs of the schools to candidates' |
| faculty. In addition, there are legions of | | | | qualifications for teaching abroad. If a |
| privately owned English language institutions | | | | specific school is interested in your |
| continuously on the lookout for hiring | | | | candidacy, you will be called for an |
| English teachers for either daytime or | | | | interview. One clear advantage in attending a |
| evening courses. And finally, China hosts | | | | recruitment fair is that most candidates |
| nearly a hundred international schools that | | | | manage to be interviewed by representatives |
| serve the expatriate communities, and English | | | | of at least three or four overseas schools. |
| is the language of choice at most of these | | | | Moreover, many schools fill a significant |
| schools. | | | | portion of their international teaching jobs |
| | | | with candidates they have interviewed at a |
| Before you pack your bags and catch the next | | | | recruitment fair. |
| freighter to Shanghai, it would be prudent to | | | | |
| investigate your full options online. Pay | | | | If you're not a licensed teacher, there are |
| and benefits widely differ, depending upon as | | | | still many opportunities for landing a job |
| many factors as toiletries you'll be tucking | | | | teaching in China. As mentioned before, |
| into your duffel bag. Salaries range from US | | | | Chinese schools are always seeking native |
| $300. per month at small colleges and peak at | | | | English speakers, and having few or no |
| $30,000-40,000 per year at international | | | | credentials usually isn't a set-back. Again, |
| schools, depending upon your experience and | | | | many schools will provide you with a |
| teaching certifications. Almost all of the | | | | comfortable apartment, health insurance, a |
| schools provide their foreign English | | | | tax-free salary, and a reimbursed plane |
| teachers with tax free salaries, free | | | | ticket. |
| accommodations, airfares, and basic health | | | | |
| insurance. Teaching contracts range from 3 | | | | You may choose to make arrangements through a |
| months to 2 years. | | | | language and culture exchange program that |
| | | | acts as a recruiting agency and offers |
| Why the huge range in salaries and benefits? | | | | training, travel assistance and networking |
| | | | opportunities. Your teaching salary would |
| It largely depends upon the type of school in | | | | fall between 3,000 to 6,000. RMB ($350.-$700. |
| which you are seeking employment. It also | | | | USD) per month, depending upon your education |
| depends upon your qualifications and skills. | | | | and experience, which would put your earnings |
| | | | far above the average Chinese teacher's |
| The cream of teaching prospects in China | | | | salary of 1,000. RMB ($120. USD) per month. |
| would be the international schools. Most of | | | | With your basics covered, such as |
| them were established during the past ten | | | | accommodations and medical insurance, you can |
| years and were founded by western | | | | live fairly comfortably if you shy away from |
| corporations desiring to offer their | | | | western restaurants and shopping at pricey |
| expatriate employees a school for their | | | | department stores. |
| children to attend as they are living abroad. | | | | |
| International schools allow families to | | | | For the do-it-yourselfers out there, you may |
| continue living together when one or both | | | | wish to already be in China while you're |
| parents are asked to come to China in order | | | | looking for a teaching position. Bring |
| to further their employer's business | | | | application materials with you. You can |
| interests. Conversely, the presence of | | | | enter China with an "L" Tourist Visa. These |
| international schools make that city an | | | | 3 month visas can often be obtained via a |
| attractive prospect for investment by foreign | | | | travel agency or through a Chinese Embassy or |
| companies seeking to locate and invest in | | | | Consulate and usually cost between $30. to |
| China. | | | | $50. USD. Since you're buying a tourist |
| | | | visa, it is advised that you don't mention |
| Typically, parents of children in | | | | that you will be working in China. Once you |
| international schools are technical, general | | | | have secured a teaching position, the school |
| or financial managers who remain overseas for | | | | or university will exchange your tourist visa |
| 2-5 years. The international schools allow | | | | for a "Z" one year working visa and a |
| the children of these families to reintegrate | | | | Residence Permit and take care of the |
| without difficulty into their home country | | | | necessary paperwork. |
| education system. Many of the schools offer | | | | |
| an American, Australian or British education. | | | | Before you hit the pavement in search of a |
| | | | teaching gig in China, it's best you |
| Most of these schools offer a great salary | | | | understand the fundamentals of the Chinese |
| and benefit package, a comfortable apartment | | | | education system. There are major differences |
| that is rent-free, and flight and shipping | | | | in education between government and private |
| reimbursements. For the most part, salaries | | | | schools and they may or may not effect your |
| are competitive with what teachers would earn | | | | decision as to where you wish to seek |
| at home, yet due to the low cost of living in | | | | employment. |
| China and the exclusion of tax deductions, | | | | |
| teachers can live very well! International | | | | The first and most important distinction |
| schools seek professional educators with | | | | between government and private schools and |
| teaching certificates and experience; some | | | | education institutions is that the best |
| prefer teaching couples, but that varies. | | | | institutions that attract the brightest |
| Husband and wife teams can easily sock away | | | | Chinese students are nearly always government |
| one of the spouse's full earnings and even | | | | owned and operated. In China, there is often |
| more, all the while experiencing travel and | | | | a great deal of prestige attached to |
| adventure. | | | | attending the best government schools, |
| | | | colleges and universities. Private schools |
| If you're a licensed teacher looking for good | | | | and institutions, on the other hand, cater to |
| pay and professional growth, I encourage you | | | | China's new rich. They are generally |
| to investigate online the numerous | | | | perceived in China as being for students who |
| international schools in China and query | | | | have the money but not necessarily the |
| their headmasters as to what teaching | | | | brains. |
| positions will be open in the near future. | | | | |
| But don't wait until spring to begin | | | | Government teaching jobs give you quite a lot |
| searching. Most international schools expect | | | | of flexibility, and usually only require you |
| their teachers to notify them in January | | | | to teach fifteen to twenty hours per week; |
| regarding contract signing for the following | | | | private schools have less bureaucracy and may |
| year. A director of an international school | | | | offer better benefits and performance |
| will most likely know what positions need to | | | | incentives. The next most important |
| be filled for the next school year already in | | | | distinction between government and private |
| January of the current year. | | | | schools is that teaching contracts usually |
| | | | stipulate in one form or another that extra |
| If you're interested in teaching at an | | | | private teaching and tutoring is not allowed, |
| international school, there are several | | | | but the fact remains that there is a chronic |
| organizations that screen and recommend | | | | shortage of quality English teachers in |
| candidates to teach abroad. You should | | | | China, and if a foreign teacher wants to |
| register with one or more of these | | | | engage in private teaching outside of his or |
| organizations. They will process your | | | | her existing duties, there is not much a |
| application materials and present your | | | | school can and will do about it. |
| credentials to schools with opportunities to | | | | |
| teach in China. Generally a candidate | | | | I believe I've covered the basics; the bottom |
| wishing to teach abroad registers with the | | | | line is this: If you are a foreign teacher in |
| agency and completes a series of forms, | | | | China, even if your wage is only 3000 RMB per |
| which, together with confidential | | | | month, you are still making almost triple the |
| recommendations from former supervisors, make | | | | monthly wage of the average Chinese teacher. |
| up the candidate's file. These files may be | | | | Plus you have your accommodations, health |
| forwarded to schools that require candidates | | | | coverage and flights paid for. Combined with |
| for specific positions teaching overseas. | | | | the low cost of living, it is easy to make |
| | | | and save money and have a great experience |
| Throughout the year, these organizations host | | | | teaching in China. |
| recruitment fairs for teaching overseas in | | | | |