Job Discussion Forums

Angel.Ro · Joined: 09 May 2015 Posts: 59

Hey Everyone,

I just graduated and I was looking at coming to China for a couple of years to teach English; however, I just found this while doing research:

"The Shenzhen English Teaching Program that CTLC has offered in cooperation with the Shenzhen Bureau of Education will continue for its 18th year, but because of a newly emphasized policy by China at the national level, the CTLC program for the 2015-16 school year will be limited to our teachers who are now teaching in Shenzhen and wish to continue for the coming school year. Under the new Chinese government national policy, approval of a work visa for teaching is limited to persons who have two years of experience after receiving a college degree. The previous exception for teachers who receive a TEFL certificate is no longer accepted for the work visa. This new restriction applies nationwide in China and is being enforced especially for teachers coming to the major cities, such as Shenzhen. Therefore the CTLC is not able to accept new teachers for the Shenzhen English Teaching Program for the 2015-16 school year."

Based on the research I've done, it seems like the Chinese government is making it more difficult for new teachers to find work. I have two questions about this:

1. If this is the case, are all new teachers in China technically working illegally?

2. I am only really interested in teaching in Asia, so with this new legislation, where would be the best place in Asia for inexperienced teachers?

Thank you for any information you guys can provide.

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China

Just keep looking. You will find something. One of my old schools actually had a deal with a school in Tianjin. Shanghai waives the 2 years of experience requirement in lieu of a TESOL certificate. Tianjin does not. My school in Shanghai legally did all of the paperwork for the teacher in Shanghai, dismissed them, and the school in Tianjin picked them up 100% legally. Can you show us where you found this quote?

Angel.Ro · Joined: 09 May 2015 Posts: 59

Hey,

Yeah I found it here:

http://www.chinaprogram.org/

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China

kungfuman · Posted: Sat May 16, 2015 4:34 am Post subject:

Do yourself a favor - skip China. It's like crack - easy money, easy to get females, easy to get hooked, easy to waste your life here.

About 90% of my western associates who got involved with Chinese women and got married or had kids with them are suicidal, can't leave, depressed, or have just given up on life. Many others have been divorced after 3-4-5 years of marriage.

Don't come to China. Stay wherever you are, embark on a career and spend your two weeks of hard earned vacation time for a trip to China if you really want to visit China. Have 2.6 kids. Make something of yourself. Really, China is a waste of a sane person's time and life....

Signed - standing on top of a chair with a noose around my neck wondering when I will have the nerve to kick the chair out from under me.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Markness · Joined: 30 Dec 2009 Posts: 738 Location: Chengdu

OP, you can easily land a gig here. Even in a big city like Chengdu they're desperate for teachers. At the visa office in HK I met a teacher from the Ukraine and a Polish teacher as well working in kindergartens in BJ getting legit Z visas (not sure how its possible). The 2-year thing is enforced if they want to, as is the TESOL certificate requirement. However, these are the exceptions and not the rule. One employer may want everything under the sun and try to do everything legit, whereas one just a stones-throw away could need barely anything to get you a job. It depends on how desperate the employer is and the city. There is the rule in China for hiring, then the provincial one and then the city one.. it all gets convoluted/changed all the time. However, they are always hiring. The big thing you should research is a good city. I recommend a bigger one if you're fresh to asia, as the smaller ones can have huge culture shock. Also brush up on some survival mandarin.

Deats · Joined: 02 Jan 2015 Posts: 503

It's been mentioned many times before. They will say what they 'need' in job advertisements, but this is really what they want. Usually they won't find people who match their 'requirements', so will hire anyone.

With non-native speakers there are plenty of ways to circumvent the regulations. The uni that hired us asked my wife to teach an optional Russian course. The last uni we worked in asked her to help with some Russian translation. And so on. Then they can even claim she is here as a Russian teacher/translator or whatever.

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China

I wonder how many people on this forum have unknowingly had their resume "edited" by their employers so that they could get an FEC...

Angel.Ro · Joined: 09 May 2015 Posts: 59

Thanks everyone, appreciate the insight.

Shanghai noon, how are you liking Shanghai? Shanghai and Shenzhen were the two cities at the top of my "wishlist" lol.

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China

I like Shanghai, but looking back I might have been better off in Shenzhen. I have been here for three years now. As of last September, Shanghai allowed a TESOL certificate to be used in lieu of the experience. My school hired two teachers with no experience this way. What kind of job are you looking for?

Angel.Ro · Joined: 09 May 2015 Posts: 59

Well based on what I've read I'd probably prefer to work in a training centre over a government school - seems as though the hours and scheduling are much more flexible. Have you been with the same school all 3 years?

And on a side note, how have you found Mandarin? Have you been able to pick it up during your time there?

Shanghai Noon · Joined: 18 Aug 2013 Posts: 589 Location: Shanghai, China

No. I'm on my fifth one. I have a knack for getting fired. It's kind of my thing. I worked at one training center (fired), one private kindergarten (quit) and three private international schools (two fired; one current). The training center was the worst one, and that's saying something. I have never worked in a more sterile and impersonal atmosphere. They the only ones that actually fired me by text message.

I found the language to be easy to pick up, but I pushed myself pretty hard. I never took any classes but if I needed to know something, I checked the dictionary.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Angel.Ro · Joined: 09 May 2015 Posts: 59

If you don't mind me asking, what did you do to get fired?

I was checking out the job boards on here, and some postings say "no degree needed". So yeah, if schools are actually taking people without degrees then I should have no issue finding work lol.