Job Discussion Forums

[jaybet3]

Whatever job I take, I'll need to do private lessons to make some extra money?

So, as a demographic, what age group provides the best opportunity for private lessons? Adults? University students? High School?

Big city. Small city?

For example, if I am teaching at a public high school in Beijing, will I have a greater potential to find more private students than if I was teaching at a University in a 2nd tier city?

Any solid intel will help me make my decision as to which job offer to accept.

FYI: Let's assume my regular salary is the same for whatever position I take.

Thanks.

[StephenfromNZ]

I would try to follow the spirit of the regulations and your contract. Its not strictly legal to do work outside your contract in China. But if you can get approval from your primary employer that is safer. I gather the rules are more lenient on private tutoring in our own home as opposed to secondary work in a language school.

[Jmbf]

You can tutor across pretty much all age groups. Which groups tutors target depends on a few factors such as:

The tutor's own preferences (some prefer to tutor only adults for example)
The tutor's teaching experience and qualifications (e.g. they may only be experienced / comfortable in teaching young children)
The tutor's time availability (e.g. only being available later on in the evenings = older students and adults only)
The tutor's main employer's restrictions (some are more lenient on extra tutoring than others)
Availability of students (pretty much anywhere should be ok unless you are in a really remote area or want to tutor large numbers of students)

Finding / retaining private students depends largely upon your ability to network and establish your reputation. Larger cities do tend to have higher rates for private tuition but you have to counter that against the higher costs of living there.

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

Wait. Does the OP have teaching teaching experience and the knowledge needed to tutor?

[Shanghai Noon]

[Non Sequitur]

I've done Saturday work at a language school, one on one tutoring of adults and corporate.
Some of the one on one gigs were at my uni apartment and some at restaurants.
On balance I liked the Saturday language school as it was regular and you could build the commute and the prep into your normal week.
One caution your small groups and one on ones will chew through material a lot faster than your regular week day classes.
If you are doing tutoring to remit money home, do factor in the exchange rate.
If you are doing it to drink at a better class of bar - enjoy.

[wawaguagua]

[OhBudPowellWhereArtThou]

[LarssonCrew]

Maybe at the start it's best to just find a school on the weekend to do the teaching, they'll provide support, possibly an assistant who will be useless and look at his/her phone, and they might provide materials.

No 'cousre' can provide you with what to do and how to act, however after 4-5 years of doing it I got the drift, I know the pace, the price, how to explain, how to find etc.

Maybe go with a language school for the first 6 months, if they pay into your bank set up a new one and save that away for a rainy day or for travelling or something.

After 6 months maybe you could venture out to find your private students.

[Non Sequitur]

[getbehindthemule]

In my first year I didn't take on private work apart from one nice gig that fell onto my plate, so to say. It involved going to a restaurant one evening a week for dinner and a chat.
It was far too important for me to focus on my day job, my new neighbourhood, etc, but I can understand some people need to get money together asap.

If this is your goal, I would go for a big city and focus on young learners. A small group (growing) on a Saturday afternoon is working well for me of late.
The parents are willing to pay top rates to improve their kid's English. The parents naturally tend to want as much speaking and listening practice as possible. It is not easy work (a lot of energy and patience is required and it is not for everybody) but it pays well and not a huge amount of prep is required.
I did tutor (oral english practice) a middle school student for a few months but her curiosity got the better of me. In the end I felt more like her psychiatrist than her tutor. So I tend to avoid teenagers with their raging hormones and curiousity
My professional background involved teaching adults, but I have no experience of this in China, thus far.

Although technically not legal by any means, my contract allows me to take on private work as long as it does not interfere with my teaching role.
In addition, I sought advice from some experienced Chinese English teacher friends. They recommended to never approach your principal, admin, etc. on this as they are obligated to advise you not to (particulary if it is students from your place of work)! And in the unlikely event of your school finding out, to just play dumb.

Others on here may be more knowlegeable and experienced in this area. This is just my personal experience but I hope it is of some help. Good Luck!

[Jmbf]

[Markness]

Working at some corrupt private "training school" is much easier than finding private students, plus, if the students cancel you will be paid still. Be strict about your schedule and claim that you absolutely need your classes blocked together otherwise it is NFG. Loads of gigs kicking around that offer decent money.. even here in the du' I'll have a gander at some part-time jobs kicking around and the pay is pretty dang good. 250/hr to teach some business people how to say hello/not fluctuate/burp at the dinner table is quite the steal!

[mrenglish2nd]

Big cities and kidlets is definitely the easiest market. I had my own 1-man private tutoring business in Guangzhou from 2009 to 2014, mostly worked with adults, some teens, and a few younger. Keeping busy with adults as the primary source of work can be difficult. I worked mostly with mid to high level executives and lawyers. Great people to work with, but can be difficult keeping the calendar full and finding new people when clients leave.

[Jmbf]