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TEFL certificate in China - a must?

 
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bradwelljackson



Joined: 29 Aug 2004
Posts: 75
Location: Shakhty, Russia

PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:59 pm    Post subject: TEFL certificate in China - a must? Reply with quote

Do you have to have a TEFL certificate to get an English teaching job in China? What about a certificate for a shorter, less strenuous course? Will 2 years of TEFL teaching experience be enough to make up for a lack of a TEFL certificate?
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Voldermort



Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Posts: 597

PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 7:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What is a TEFL certificate? I have been here for 4 years now, without any certificates, and never had a problem finding work. Western methods of contract negotiations go right out of the window in China. The only method is to get inside the Chinese mind and let them use their guanxi.
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jwbhomer



Joined: 14 Dec 2003
Posts: 876
Location: CANADA

PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OP, the answer to your first question is NO.
2. It won't hurt but may not be necessary.
3. Maybe.
All of which is to say, the qualifications demanded seem to vary according to the school and the time of the year. The main thing -- see many other threads -- is to be a white-faced native speaker.
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tw



Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898

PostPosted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:45 pm    Post subject: Re: TEFL certificate in China - a must? Reply with quote

bradwelljackson wrote:
Do you have to have a TEFL certificate to get an English teaching job in China? What about a certificate for a shorter, less strenuous course? Will 2 years of TEFL teaching experience be enough to make up for a lack of a TEFL certificate?


Everything comes down to one simple question: do you have a four-year degree? If you do, a TEFL certificate is unnecessary (but useful if you want some hands-on skills like lesson planning, classroom management, etc).

Two years of experience means nothing if you don't have a degree. The Chinese are big on certificates, diplomas, licenses etc, i.e. they want to see (on paper) what kind of achievements you have.
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Anda



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2199
Location: Jiangsu Province

PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 12:00 am    Post subject: Um Reply with quote

I did my certificate with the Uni of NSW in Sydney back in the early nineties and found the course a waste of time and energy but the bit of paper is worth it's weight in gold and yes I have a four year degree and stamped bits of paper for working in the public school system in South Korea. Everything helps when the job is a good one and you have compertition!
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong

PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 12:21 am    Post subject: Re: Um Reply with quote

Anda wrote:
I did my certificate with the Uni of NSW in Sydney back in the early nineties and found the course a waste of time and energy but the bit of paper is worth it's weight in gold and yes I have a four year degree and stamped bits of paper for working in the public school system in South Korea. Everything helps when the job is a good one and you have compertition!

agreed. the training scenarios do not reflect the reality of classrooms in china whatsoever.
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bradwelljackson



Joined: 29 Aug 2004
Posts: 75
Location: Shakhty, Russia

PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2007 4:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you all for your replies, I do appreciate it : )

I thought that if the Chinese were big on certificates, they might want a TEFL, but I guess I'm wrong. (TEFL meaning a CELTA-type certificate).

At least they're not asking for a Master's degree like the rest of the world Confused
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