Teach in China for experienced teachers

Fantastic teaching program in China now accepting applications! Start dates ongoing.

Experience head-spinning diversity in a country that sweeps from the wide open, silent spaces of inner-Mongolia, through chattering trade hubs such as Xi'an and Ningbo, and races beyond, onto the brash, booming skylines of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen!

Benefits include

• Monthly salary of 10 000RMB - 11 000RMB
• Housing allowance of RMB 3000 - RMB 4,350 (depending on location) (GBP290 - GBP420)
• Prepaid air-ticket to China
• Flight allowance of 420RMB per month for your flight ticket home (upon completion of contract)
• 3 week stay in hotel upon arrival
• Training bonus of 7000RMB
• Teach 21 - 24 hours within a 40 hour work week
• Full orientation
• TEFL-C certificate (Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Children) provided to all teachers
• Health & Dental insurance
• Teach with Local Assistant Trainers
• Innovative and immersive curriculum provided
• Mandarin lessons possible through Rosetta Stone
• 10000RMB - 11000RMB is a high salary in China!

Locations include

Beijing, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Shanghai, Suzhou, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

English teaching program in China, at a glance

• Teach 2 - 10 year old students
• Prep class including print, technology and supplementary materials
• Attend weekly meetings giving regular feedback on student progress
• Participate in marketing and social events
• Formal and informal student assessment
• Help students gain confidence through interactive and innovate teaching methods
• No Chinese language skills required!
• Teach with a Local Assistant Trainer
• Regular progress bulletins and communication with parents
• Collate student portfolios displaying language learner work and achievements

Skills & Qualities

• Bachelor's degree (education degrees preferred)
• Minimum of 2 years of experience teaching children
• Native English speaker (due to visa requirements)
• TEFL or TESOL certificate preferred
• Creative, enthusiastic and passionate about teaching children
• Commitment to a 12 month contract
• Physically fit

Why apply for China teaching positions through ESLstarter?

We are a TEFL placement agency run by former TEFL teachers. As such we have extensive first-hand experience of teaching TEFL in exotic, far-off lands! We put this package together to make it easy for other people to be able to achieve their dream of teaching English overseas.

Jump to:

• FAQs
• Practicalities
• What to bring and weather
• Fast facts China

FAQs

Where can I teach?

The language center is expanding rapidly. Currently there are schools in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Ningbo, Tianjin, Hangzhou and Nanjing. New centers will also be opening throughout Guangzhou, Wuxi, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Dalian, Shenyang, and Chengdu in Fall 2011.

Will there be other native English teachers nearby?

China is a very popular location for teaching English abroad. Therefore, there are lots of native English teachers from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa living and teaching in China. So, it is always possible to meet other native English teachers even in the more rural destinations.

What is the TEFL-C qualification that is provided as part of this placement?

All teachers will receive TEFL-C (Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Children) certification as part of their benefits package. This qualification is affiliated with Columbia University Teachers' College, and consists of 20 on-line modules, 7 of which must be completed before you arrive.

How long is the contract?

The contract ranges from 12 - 15 months.

Is there an orientation / training peiod?

You will receive one day of orientation on the Monday after you arrive. This will be followed by 6 business days of academic training. The academic training covers topics such as interactive storytelling approach, curriculum, classroom and service standards, interactive technology and much more!

Is orientation paid?

Yes.

What would be a typical weekly teaching schedule?

Native English teachers spend 40 hours per week in their centers. The actual classroom teaching hours would be between 21-24 hours. When not teaching, teachers would prep class, conduct demonstration lessons for potential students and their parents and help market the program.

Typical activities might include hosting referral events, attending staff meetings, and development training. Trainers work a 5-day week and have two consecutive days off during the week. Shifts start no earlier than 8:30am and end no later than 9:00pm.

Do I teach weekends?

As the training center caters to students wishing to improve their English outside of their regular school week, Saturdays and Sundays are the busiest days at the centers. Teachers are required to work both days. However, you will receive 2 consecutive days off during the week. Usually the days off would either be Tuesday/Wednesday or Wednesday/Thursday.

Can I choose my school location beforehand?

As the school is expanding, with new branches opening regularly, it is difficult to guarantee about a placement location beforehand. Therefore, teachers are assigned to a center upon arrival in China.

How old are the students?

The school provides English classes for students aged between 2 and 12 years old. As a native English teacher, you would teach each age group of students.

How long are the classes?

Classes range from 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on age of students and also on which day of the week it is.

How many students are there per class?

The class size never exceeds more than 15 students. There will also be an Assistant Trainer in 80% of the classes.

Would I always be in the same center?

Initially, you may be required in multiple centers (for up to 2 months). After this period, you would be assigned to one center.

Are there any promotional opportunities?

Yes.

Do I need to speak any Mandarin?

The schools work in an English immersion environment so it is not necessary to speak Mandarin!

How does the accommodation work when I arrive?

The school will arrange hotel accommodation for you when you arrive. You would then have some time (up to 3 weeks) to find an apartment.

Is there support to help me find an apartment?

You are required to secure your own permanent housing. However, upon arrival at your center, you'll be provided with contact information for a few local rental agencies. Your colleagues should also be able to help you to find good rental agencies.

Are the apartments furnished?

Many apartments are already furnished so it's usually easy to find this type of apartment in China.

Will the school help me to set up a bank account?

Yes, the school will help you to do this within 3 days of your arrival in China.

How does the air-fare work?

The employer will arrange a one- way ticket from your city of departure to China. You will also be provided with a (taxable) travel allowance of 420 RMB. This travel allowance is paid along with your monthly salary. The allowance can be used for a return flight or travel to another destination.

When would my health insurance come into effect?

The health insurance coverage would begin as soon as the contract is signed.

When do I receive my training bonus and first pay-check?

The training bonus is paid electronically into your Chinese bank account within 2 - 3 weeks of you opening your bank account. If you start before the 15th of the month, your first pay-check would be paid at the end of that month. If you start after the 15th of the month, your salary would be paid at the end of the following month.

Do I need to pay any tax on my salary?

Yes, the tax rate in China is around 20% for Foreign Trainers.

How much time off would I get?

Foreign teachers receive 5 days of vacation per year plus 11 national holidays. Language Learning Directors would receive 10 days of vacation in addition to the 11 national holidays. The national holidays in China are as follows:

• New Year's Day: 1 day
• Chinese New Year: 3 days
• Qing Ming Festival: 1 day
• Labor Day: 1 day
• Dragon Boat Festival: 1 day
• Mid Autumn Festival: 1 day
• National Day: 3 days

Please note - holiday schedules may vary depending on center location.

What type of visa do I need?

Native English teachers in China require a Z visa. The school's HR partner will process your visa documentation and then you will receive an invitation letter and employment license.

How long does the visa process take?

It takes approximately 4 - 5 weeks to process the China teaching visa.

When would my air-ticket be issued?

Once you have your visa in passport, the school can issue your flight e-ticket within 24 hours.

Practicalities

Health Care

The standard of health care in China is extremely varied. Hospitals in the major cities are often on a par with Western levels and most doctors speak English. In the more rural conurbations, doctors and nursing staff tend to speak less English so it's worth taking a Chinese friend to help translate. Treatments and prescriptions are usually distributed at hospitals as opposed to private clinics and surgeries.

Food

Chinese cuisine is world-renowned, with preparation and serving elevated to art form status amongst a nation famed for their extravagant tastes! Peking duck, Shanghai pork bun and Cantonese dim sum are some of the better known delicacies hailing from Chinese Chu fang (cooking rooms). Less known but equally delicious dishes include Zhou (rice porridge topped off with chicken, beef or pork), thousand year old eggs (pungent duck eggs that have been preserved in ash and salt for one-hundred days) and Gobi Manchurian (cauliflower fritters doused in a spicy sweet and sour sauce).

Travelling in China

China has more than 1.352 million km of highway making even the smallest towns and villages easily accessible by road. Long distance soft-sleeper and soft-seat buses are comfortable although often slow. Travelling by train is an inexpensive and efficient alternative with high speed rail networks linking the major urban hubs. Domestic air-travel in China is relatively cheap with a range of budget options available.

What to bring & weather

Temperatures across this huge country are extremely variable with bitterly cold winters across northern China (-10 Degrees or colder). Summers (April to September) can be stiflingly hot and humid with typhoons hitting the southeast coast between July and September.

Here's a quick check-list of what we'd recommend bringing with you:

• Summer & winter attire
• Anti-perspirant (very difficult to find in rural areas)
• Adapter for your electronic devices
• Big shoes (if you have large feet) - big shoes (and big feet!) are rarities in China
• A good insect repellent

Fast Facts China

• 1,286,975,468 - current population of China
• 20,000 - number of characters in the Chinese language
• 1,500 - number of miles that the Great Wall of China spans
• 3240 - TV broadcast stations throughout China
• 86% - literacy rate in China
• 13,831,900- population of Shanghai, one of the most densely populated cities on earth
• Red - a symbol of happiness for Chinese people
• 2600 BC - the year that the world's oldest calendar, the Lunar Calendar, originated
• US$40 billion - the estimated total cost of hosting the Beijing 2008 Olympics!
• Bats - are a good luck symbol in China!

Apply now!