Job Discussion Forums

rellio1 · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 8 Location: toronto, canada

Hi all,

first post, hope I get this right.

I'm going to head off to china in september, with the plan of teaching and then later getting a different job if I can find one.

I have an M.A. (literature), and six months teaching experience (I taught adults in Czech Republic). Is it worth investing in a TEFL or something similar, or will I be able to walk into a job just as I am? Also, is there any point to an online TEFL? As I see it I already have some class-time and this would just give me extra methodology I might need.

Where do I go? I had always planned on going to Shanghai. I've been to china twice before, tianjin and beijing, and have never seen shanghai. But reading this forum of course I start to get tempted by other places.

Since my aim is to get another job after 6 mos-1yr of teaching, is shanghai the best place? I'm also interested in Kunming or maybe even Hainan, largely because of the weather. I'd love to hear from people who've been there on the non ESL job-market for foreigners, as well as general comments on all these places. Anyone lived in both kunming and shanghai, and has a clear preference? Oh yeah, and where's the best food?

Finally, I don't have a job yet, should I be getting one? Since I've been to china before and speak some putonghua, I was going to just find something after I landed, figuring I could negotiate better terms. Does this make sense?

thanks
r

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

Just be careful, certain parts of China now no longer permit changing L visa to Z visa or they will ask you to at least go to Korea or Hong Kong first.

burnsie · Joined: 18 Aug 2004 Posts: 489 Location: Beijing

As you have been to China before you know a little of what it's all about so that's good.

Alot of people do get here first and then look for a job. It's common but it does cost you more in the long run. It's good though to go to the school, discuss terms and get a general feeling before committing. Just keep your ticket when you land here for future reference for your employer.

Take heed of the previous post regarding L & Z visas. Your employer may ask you to do a runner outside to get your visa properly. There is probably no other way to get your visa but to do this.

TEFL certificate...well...some claim it is a waste of time. You are well over qualified to work as a teacher in China you will be snapped up quickly. You have experience already so that's good.

I have been teaching for about a year so i can now apply for TEFL certificate as I have 500 teaching hours under my sleeve.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

Hey Burnsie, I too have over 500 teaching hours under my belt. Is it possible to get certified and if so, where and how?

hermoine · Joined: 19 Dec 2004 Posts: 28 Location: china

I think coming here first to look for a job is a good way to go about it. Get the local newspaper and have someone help you find the ads for language schools advertising for teachers. Call the schools or just show up and give them your resume. Go through the newspaper every day for a couple of weeks, because schools don't place ads every day. Don't only rely on the foreign community in the city you are in, because they are competing with you for jobs and can be unhelpful and secretive about the best jobs. When you show up at the interview, show up on time (most do not), dress well (most teacher do not) and bring your resume (most teachers do not) and don't bring your girlfriend, wife, friend or kids (most do). Be willing to teach children. Another good idea is to bring along some samples of classroom games and activities that you have used in class and even sample lesson plans.

A TEFL certificate is always going to help you both in the short and long run. I don't think it will actually help you get a better job, though. However, teaching in a new country, especially in China where students expectations are quite high, can be very stressful. Having trouble with your classes can really bring you down and can create bad relations with your school. A TEFL Certificate of at least 100 hours can only help you and your students. If you really want to be a teacher, get it. However, DO NOT get one on-line, because the little you learn on line, you can learn in the classroom and through talking to other teachers or observing other teachers. DO NOT get one from the cowboy schools with there 20 hours or 40 hour courses. It should be at least 100 hours to be worth your time and effort.

I can't say which city you should go to, but probably the competition in Shanghai is a lot more fierce than in other cities. Check out a mid sized city like Qingdao, Dalian, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, etc. I think the North pays more than the South, too. I don't think Hainan would be a good place to find a job as the people really don't need English as much as other provinces - could be wrong though. I have also heard that Kunming doesn't pay a lot, and I have also heard that there are a lot of foreigners there.

Good luck!

hermoine · Joined: 19 Dec 2004 Posts: 28 Location: china

I think coming here first to look for a job is a good way to go about it. Get the local newspaper and have someone help you find the ads for language schools advertising for teachers. Call the schools or just show up and give them your resume. Go through the newspaper every day for a couple of weeks, because schools don't place ads every day. Don't only rely on the foreign community in the city you are in, because they are competing with you for jobs and can be unhelpful and secretive about the best jobs. When you show up at the interview, show up on time (most do not), dress well (most teacher do not) and bring your resume (most teachers do not) and don't bring your girlfriend, wife, friend or kids (most do). Be willing to teach children. Another good idea is to bring along some samples of classroom games and activities that you have used in class and even sample lesson plans.

A TEFL certificate is always going to help you both in the short and long run. I don't think it will actually help you get a better job, though. However, teaching in a new country, especially in China where students expectations are quite high, can be very stressful. Having trouble with your classes can really bring you down and can create bad relations with your school. A TEFL Certificate of at least 100 hours can only help you and your students. If you really want to be a teacher, get it. However, DO NOT get one on-line, because the little you learn on line, you can learn in the classroom and through talking to other teachers or observing other teachers. DO NOT get one from the cowboy schools with there 20 hours or 40 hour courses. It should be at least 100 hours to be worth your time and effort.

I can't say which city you should go to, but probably the competition in Shanghai is a lot more fierce than in other cities. Check out a mid sized city like Qingdao, Dalian, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, etc. I think the North pays more than the South, too. I don't think Hainan would be a good place to find a job as the people really don't need English as much as other provinces - could be wrong though. I have also heard that Kunming doesn't pay a lot, and I have also heard that there are a lot of foreigners there.

Good luck!

jeffinflorida · Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:15 am Post subject:

I think it is best to have a job before you come here. It is best to have a destination already planned and job waiting. I say this because you will have luggage and other things to carry and staying in a hotel with everything you own while looking for a job is not - in my opinion- the wisest move here.

If you opt for a 6 month/ 1 term contract then you can start planning what's next 3-4 months into your contract.

You sound qualified to teach here so search now and decide now while the opportunities are ripe.

my input. Have A Nice Day!

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Intriguing - what line of work are you actually interested in after quitting a TEFL job??? You know, you cannot compete on the domestic job market with CHinese applicants - unless you have a specialisation and qualifications your employer needs, like flying aircraft.

Shanghai is the most economically vibrant part of the PR of C, but it also wears you down quickly. In Kunming, you will find a more laid-back lifestyle but will be unable to make a lot of income. Hainan is underdeveloped and a cesspool of corruption - or so one hears. Others ay (and I know why they say it: I do agree with them!) it is highly scenic and its environment is largely unspoilt (as yet).

Meggles5 · Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 4

I don't think having a job before you come to China is necessary. It might be helpful, but I did not have a job and found a good one quickly.

I received my TESOL certificate in Zhuhai, China with TEFL International. With your experience it is unnecessary. If you have taught before I think you may find it a waste of time. I would do it over again simply for the fact of making friends in China, learning a little of the language, and my previous minimal teaching experience. This is also how I found my current job where I am the only foreign teacher in a middle school in Shanxi.

Kunming is a great city in a province where there is sooo much to see and do. I know the salary there is quite low but so is the cost of living. Kunming was one of my favorite "big" cities in China. The weather might be the best in China. I would recommend going somewhere new. In my opinion, the farther you are from the eastern seaboard, the better.

Good luck.

rellio1 · Joined: 02 Jun 2005 Posts: 8 Location: toronto, canada

Thanks for all the input.

I would like to teach with regular hours, so maybe a school is the right way to go. There's no way for me to be in china before september, so that might hamper my job search. When does the fall term start?

On that topic, how different are the training center classes from the school classes? I assume in the training centers I would be teaching adults, around and after their normal working schedules. I'm also assuming that teaching adults pays better, but is probably harder on your sanity than teaching at a middle school or university, with less support from your school. If anyone has done both, I'd love to hear a comparison.

wonderd · Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 68 Location: Shanghai, China

Quick comment about a comment about Shanghai. The competition is not fierce here. There's like 15,000,000 people in this city. They need English teachers like crazy. The other good thing about Shanghai that I have seen many times, is there's tons of other jobs here for foreigners. I've seen so many teachers start teaching and then work into something else. I've even had offers for things I wasn't really interested in, including writing for a magazine, editting, writing for a university textbook, voiceovers and even modelling (which is really hard to believe if you know me).

jollyjunklass · Joined: 09 May 2005 Posts: 7

Midlothian Mapleheart · Joined: 26 May 2005 Posts: 623 Location: Elsewhere

Edited to remove offensive content.

Middy

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Hi Rellio! That�s a nice country, where you�ve taught before. Part of my back round�s from there.

Your online TEFL would be a good choice, however even better choice would be to join an actual course with some contact teaching hours. Some better employers ask what kind of cert you�ve got and how you�ve done it (I know, you�ve got that teaching experience, though it�s a kinda formality that matters at times).

By the same token your MA in literature qualifies you very much to teach in China.

Jeffinflorida has given a good advice to line that job up before you come to China. I know that it is tougher to make a �long distance decision�, although you may save a lot of hassle for yourself.

Shanghai might be a fine place to teach, though searching for a position there means that you should pay attention to that accommodation as well. If you get a job offered there with accommodation allowance pay attention to the city�s higher rental fees for apartments. If you get a place offered, make sure it�s not too far from the school (traveling may be a pain in the a*s) Speaking of offered accommodation be aware of your privacy limitations if you get a place at a campus or at a school�s place. This tip applies not only to Shanghai.

Rellio, there are many teaching jobs in China.

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT JOIN THE FARCE EF ENGLISH FIRST ANYWHERE IN CHINA, IF YOU DO NOT LIKE GAMBLING WITH YOUR LIFE!

Cheers and beers

qiaohan · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Posts: 24 Location: Shenzhen

I also got a TEFL certificate in Zhuhai. Since then, my income has doubled. I should mention that I now live in the south (pays more) and before I lived in Dalian. No, you don't absolutely need a TEFL here in China, but it has helped me, and the GOOD schools in my region (Guangdong) are asking for it more and more.