Job Discussion Forums

[leoteale]

Hi,

I am hatching a plan to go with my Cuban born husband to teach in China for a year or 2. I am a CELTA qualified English and American literature graduate with 5 years ELT experience in various countries.

I taught at the Ocean University of China for a year back in 2003 and had a great year. I am thinking of going back there, or perhaps somewhere else in China.

Our idea is that I will teach English as a Foreign Expert at a university, and my husband will teach Spanish. He plans to do a month-long intensive course in teaching Spanish as a foreign language (like TEFL / CELTA).

He doesn�t have a university degree. Does this mean he won�t qualify for Foreign Expert status? Or will the teaching qualification be enough to qualify?

In any case, I have read somewhere on this forum that husbands and wives of foreign experts can be granted a visa to live in China with their other halves. Does anyone know if this is accurate? Can the non-Foreign Expert spouse work officially on this visa? Can visas be obtained for babies of the foreign expert as well? (Our hope is to have a child, and then move out the China for a year or 2 as a family when the baby is around 1 year old.)

My husband would like to work giving Spanish lessons. I have read that there are a very limited number of places in China offering Spanish. Does anyone know of any private language schools which offer Spanish? Particularly in Qingdao? What are the possibilities of getting private tuition work teaching Spanish?

Another part of the dilemma is where to go� I love Qingdao, and would go back there happily. However, we are considering somewhere where it�s warm all year round. Can anyone recommend a nice city with a year-round warm climate, some culture and nice architecture, parks, maybe beaches, and preferably within not-too-difficult travelling distance of other nice places? Any recommendations of city will be very helpful, and if you can recommend a university where I could teach English, even better.

It would also be great to hear from anyone who has lived in China with a baby or toddler. How easy / hard is it to get the kind of clothes / food and other daily necessities I might buy in the UK? Is it easy to get together with other expats with young families? What�s it like from a practical and emotional perspective? Of course I have to have a baby first�which is another mission in itself�but I�d like to know if my idea of taking a 1 year old to China is at all practical / sane??!

As you can see, I have quite a few questions! In short:

1) Can my husband and baby get residence visas / permits with me as a Foreign Expert?
2) Will my Spanish speaking husband be able to find private language school or tuition work teaching Spanish?
3) Where should we go? Please recommend a nice city which is warm all year
4) Living in China with a baby � what�s it like?

Any advice on any or all of these things will be really appreciated.

For my part, I�m happy to tell my experiences about Qingdao and the Ocean University of China. Just private message me if you want some info.

Thanks!

[eddy-cool]

Guangzhou might answer your call. As for Spanish classes, there probably does exist a market since Guangzhou plays host to the biannual Canton Trade Fair.

Institutions to consider: The University of Foreign Studies (they do have Korean, Japanese, even Thai language and culture programmes, so Spanish should be quite high on their list).

Another option: Sun Yat-sen University (aka Zhongshan University in Guangzhou).

[Sonnibarger]

there is a school called "younger success foreign language school" the branch in Wuhan offers classes in spanish, german, french, korean, japanese ect... I know the head office is in Qingdao.... sure your hubby could get a job there... i can't recommend the wuhan branch.. pm me for details on that... i would guess the closer to head office u get the better the school would be..

[China.Pete]

"...I have read somewhere on this forum that husbands and wives of foreign experts can be granted a visa to live in China with their other halves." -- Leoteale

I have known FTs who have gotten employer-sponsored visas for their non-teaching family members. As for your husband teaching Spanish without a BA, a language school could be the most likely job option, possibly on a per-hour basis. Given the typical pay rates in China, finances will be something you should also consider, together with the provision of a family health plan.

[suanlatudousi]

[evaforsure]

I would also add that a sponsor still has to be had as you cannot sponsor your husband....your employer would have to ....

[naturegirl321]