Blog Articles About Teaching English in China Archives

01Apr 2023 by ESL Expat 1 Comment

Can You Teach ESL in China or Taiwan as a Non-Native Speaker?

English is a global language, and you will find people from all over the globe who are well-versed in the language, especially nowadays. Today, we have a lot of opportunities to learn English. You will find a lot of people who have learned English from watching movies or playing video games. Sometimes, the fluency of people who have learned it this way is surprising, even for native speakers. These days, you will see that seeking job opportunities means that you are fluent in English. There are so many career options you can consider with this in mind. You will find many job opportunities where you will see that the company requires the candidates to speak and understand English. For all these reasons, including this skill in your CV is practically…

20Sep 2022 by ESL Expat 2 Comments

The Most Popular Cities To Teach English in Asia Right Now

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Teaching English abroad is a life-changing experience for many! From living in a new country, experiencing a new culture, to changing the lives of so many young kids, what’s not to love about it? Some teachers are passionate about English language and education, while others love traveling, but at the end of the day, they are all making a difference. Teachers are typically from native English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom and work in countries in South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Asia is probably the most popular continent to work because teachers can earn good salaries and have a good quality of life. English is not spoken natively in most Asian countries, besides Malaysia and Singapore, so there is a massive…

28Aug 2021 by ESL Expat 1 Comment

Send in the Clowns: The State of the Online Teaching Market in 2021

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[caption id="attachment_29654" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Source: Pxhere[/caption] ⋯ By Dr. Rob Burton ⋯ I’m 67 and have a lifetime of teaching and experience behind me. For nearly fifty years of my life, I have travelled, worked various jobs, been educated to PhD level and had a career teaching and researching in British universities. In the last decade alone, I have moved to China, taught iGCSE for six of those years in a good Chinese High School, taught IELTS both online and face-to-face, and for the past two years, I have been teaching English at a respected university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. I have written three IELTS books, one published in China, plus three novels. I also write for the local newspaper and expat magazine. On an ad hoc basis I proofread…

08Aug 2021 by ESL Expat 1 Comment

Teaching in China During the Time of the Virus

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⋯ By Dr. Rob Burton ⋯ A close encounter of the nasty sort 19th January 2020, and I had just finished three days teaching and judging in the heats of a national speaking competition, the winners of which would travel to Beijing for the final. There had been 300 students competing, many of whom were staying with their families in the same hotel as us on the campus of Zhejiang University. During the Friday and the Saturday, I and a number of colleagues had given classes to packed rooms of over 80+ students giving them insights and help for their public speaking. The speaking test was on the Sunday. It was during Sunday that the news of the virus in Wuhan had become more concerning, but worse than that was…

03Aug 2021 by ESL Expat No Comments

Where to Teach in China

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⋯ By David Buckley ⋯ Teaching and living in China is a very popular choice for ESL teachers. First, the rates of pay can be quite high compared to many other countries — but also because there are so many choices available. If you are thinking of going to China to live and teach, I have written the following guide to help you. Let’s get into it… Are You Qualified? Before you buy your ticket and jump on a plane to Shanghai, you need to check if you are qualified. In the past, China's regulations for ESL teachers were slack, to say the least. Now the standards are much higher than before. To get a work visa and teach in China, you will need the following: a university degree…

19Jul 2021 by ESL Expat No Comments

Can You Teach English In China Without A Degree?

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Photo Source: unsplash.com/@lyons Teaching English in China China is an interesting place. Living there for just a short while will leave you with a lifetime of experiences that you just can’t get anywhere else. It’s no wonder that China attracts English teachers from all around the world. From modern cities like Shanghai and Beijing to cities with UNESCO heritage parks, China has it all. So you’ve read up all about living and traveling in China and think teaching English would be a great way to do it but then see that most job listings require you to have a degree. So can you teach English in China without one? Teaching English in China without a degree Not only is having a BA degree a requirement for most jobs, it is actually a…

07Jun 2020 by ESL Expat No Comments

Working as a Millennial EFL Teacher in a Millennial EFL World

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⋯ By Kenneth Charles Lambo ⋯ What does it mean to be a millennial EFL teacher? This is a question that haunts me for weeks now while under quarantine. For this reason, I did some thinking and ended up writing about it. Millennials and our students live side by side in an era of social media, e.g., Instagram, Twitter. We have grown with social media, innovative technology and rapid social changes happening right before our eyes. And all these put together our experiences develop the millennial teacher inside us. So, who better to understand the students? Millennials. Before we start digging fellow millennials, just a quick caveat: this is my personal experience and my views are based on my time as a teacher in China. This article does not pick…

04May 2020 by ESL Expat No Comments

Planning to Teach in China? 9 Awesome Tips for the Big Move

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⋯ By David O Connor ⋯ The Best Advice You Need to Hear Before Moving to China to Teach Scour the interwebs for 101 ‘insider tips’ on how to best negotiate a big move to China as a TEFL teacher and don’t be surprised if you come up with more questions than answers. Don’t worry, it’s happened to all of us. Gathering every bit of useful advice is a utopian dream many of us never managed to achieve – the main incentive for compiling this guide of honest advice about moving to China. We may have learned through trial and error but that doesn’t mean you have to. Sometimes, a head’s up is all you need to make the whole ordeal easier. You should note that your introduction to life…

21Sep 2019 by ESL Expat No Comments

Guide to Securing a Teaching Visa for China

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⋯ By David O Connor ⋯ Securing a teaching visa for China is not black and white – there’s an infinite array of grey shades that allow potential teachers to secure a legal working visa. Read on to learn all about China’s famous Z visa. [caption id="attachment_27341" align="alignnone" width="900"] Source: Pixabay[/caption] China offers a multitude of visas for visitors although only one, the so-called Z Visa, is suitable for those who want to move to China to teach. Securing a Z Visa is quite straightforward provided you meet all the eligibility requirements (that’s the black and white) and somewhat troublesome (but not impossible) if you don’t. The ‘grey area’ is a consequence of exceptions that can be argued in your favour if you can’t satisfy every requirement. Yes, believe it…

30Dec 2018 by ESL Expat No Comments

Teaching English Through Music in China

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● Teaching Location: Chongqing (China) ● Type of Teaching Job: Kindergarten, Music ● Student Age Group: Kids ● Monthly Salary: 5000RMB ($720 USD) ● Monthly Rent: 0 ● Living Arrangement: Shared, 2-bedroom flat ● Monthly Savings: 0 ● Contract Bonuses: Airfare at the end of contract and lesson commission [caption id="attachment_23994" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Me, my class and assistants on my birthday on the stage where the children perform[/caption] ⋯ By Jonathan Race ⋯ Ok, this was essentially my first job teaching English (besides a couple of online lessons after I finished my TEFL). I love Asian culture and there are a ton of jobs in China, so naturally I was drawn in! This school taught English through music and as I was a musician it felt like the perfect fit. After…

27Mar 2018 by ESL Expat 1 Comment

Managing Culture Shock When Working Abroad

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⋯ By Will Perrins ⋯ Moving overseas to teach is one of the most unique and exciting experiences you’ll have. Not only does it give you the opportunity to attain and enhance an employable skill set, including the ability to adapt to new surroundings and work flexibility in a cross-cultural environment, it provides a chance to learn new languages. I was fortunate to live and work as an English Teacher, and later in Education Management, in China for a number of years. By the end of my teaching job in China, I was able to look back on these accomplishments with pride and consider how I could best sell these new skills upon my return home. But while in the thick of my international working experience, I must admit, that it…

17Jan 2018 by ESL Expat 9 Comments

2 Amazing Years Teaching English in China

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● Teaching Location: Guangzhou, China ● Type of Teaching Job: Kindergarten ● Student Age Group: Kids ● Monthly Salary: 11,000 RMB ($1,600 USD) ● Monthly Rent: Included! ● Living Arrangement: 2-bedroom apartment ● Monthly Savings: $750-$1,000 USD ● Contract Bonuses: Housing, lunches, end of contract bonus [caption id="attachment_7564" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge[/caption] ⋯ By Quincy Smith ⋯ I spent 2 years teaching English in China and loved (almost) every minute of it. As a country, China is incredibly diverse and culturally rich and I was fortunate enough to land a job in the third largest city, Guangzhou - the center of the universe if you love dim sum. I decided to pursue a job in China after visiting there a few years prior when I spent a bit of…

09Nov 2017 by ESL Expat 4 Comments

The Best Job Sites for Teaching English in China

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The ESL job market in China is on the rise. If you are interested in teaching English in China, there are more opportunities than in any other country in Asia. The wages have increased a lot due to the economic boom and demand for English education. These days, you can save a significant amount of money teaching in China. The cost of living is still relatively low and salaries have become much more attractive. Plus, employers usually pay for your airfare if you sign on for a year or more. Considering all of these benefits, China has become one of the most popular destinations in Asia for teaching English abroad. You can have a decent lifestyle as an ESL teacher in the country while making a relatively good income. Read…

27Mar 2017 by ESL Expat 6 Comments

An Australian Teaching English in Fuzhou, China

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● Teaching Location: Fuzhou, China ● Type of Teaching Job: Kindergarten to mid-teens ● Student Age Group: 4-16 ● Monthly Salary: 7,000 RMB to start (~$1,000 USD), 9,900 RMB by end of year (~1,400 USD) ● Monthly Rent: 2,000 RMB (~$290 USD) extra provided by company for apartment ● Living Arrangement: 2 bedroom shared apartment ● Monthly Savings: 5,000 RMB per month (~$720 USD) but dependent on individual ● Contract Bonuses: Airfare paid at six months and at end of contract ⋯ By Gayle Aggiss ⋯ For almost a year now I have been living and working in Fuzhou, China, a relatively small city in the southeast of that enormous country, at a company called York English. York pays a reasonable wage of 7000 rmb or 1000 USD to start and…

05Mar 2017 by ESL Expat 3 Comments

Experiences Teaching English at a University in Shanghai

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● Teaching Location: Shanghai, China ● Type of Teaching Job: University (undergraduate/graduate) ● Student Age Group: Young adults and post-graduate students ● Monthly Salary: 26,000 RMB (~$3,700 USD) ● Monthly Rent: 9,000 RMB (~$1,300 USD) ● Living Arrangement: 1 Bedroom Apartment in the Former French Concession ● Monthly Savings: ~15,000 RMB (~$2,100 USD) ● Contract Bonuses: Airfare for one home visit a year (Economy+), relocation allowance, housing allowance, professional development fund, computer, mobile phone ⋯ By Joshua Paiz ⋯ My name is Joshua Paiz, and I’m a language lecturer at NYU Shanghai, the first degree-granting Sino-American joint venture university in mainland China. Before coming to Shanghai, I taught at Purdue University, where I completed my Ph.D. in TESL/Applied Linguistics (ALx) and where I also served as the coordinator of the Purdue…

25Feb 2017 by ESL Expat 3 Comments

Teaching English in China: The March of the Volunteers

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● Teaching Location: Nanjing, China ● Type of Teaching Job: High School ● Student Age Group: Teens ● Monthly Salary: 16,500 RMB (~$2,400 USD) ● Monthly Rent: 0 ● Living Arrangement: 1-bedroom apartment ● Monthly Savings: 10,000 RMB (~$1,500 USD) ● Contract Bonuses: 8,000 RMB (~1,200 USD) for airfare, 3,500 RMB (~$500 USD per month for 2 summer holiday months) ⋯ By Dr. Rob Burton ⋯ "What then is freedom? The power to live as one wishes." - Marcus Tulles Cicero Marcus hits the nail on the head concerning my experience of living in China. It's one of those strange contradictions that we love about living in the Middle Kingdom that for all the bad stuff we read about Communism the reality for us expats is somewhat different. Advantages of Teaching…