Job Discussion Forums

[astroburton]

I'm a college student at the University of Michigan, and will be graduating next April with a degree in political science and a few years of Mandarin under my belt (I still can't read a newspaper!). I am going to Beijing for summer 2008, and will be there, at the very least, for four months (mid-May to mid-September - these are my tickets if I don't change anything), but I am hoping to get a teaching job and extend my stay.

I wanted to go in large part to immerse myself in Mandarin and build fluency to a point of marketability back home, but also the standard reasons of experiencing a different culture, etc., (and I had wanted to actually go see some Olympic events, but I see now that won't be happening ).

My teaching experience is limited to a few summers in daycare centers teaching preschool-age children, and I don't have any TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certification... yet (what is the difference, exactly?), but I am a natural teacher, and figured knowing some Mandarin couldn't hurt in teaching English. What would be my best course of action in trying to get a job? I would like to get a job in Beijing but realize my qualifications will probably end me up somewhere more provincial. I also see that, coming in May, I'm nowhere near natural semester breaks... argh - too many questions...

[simrishamn]

Hello,
It depends if you want to teach - university or language schools...
Are you sure you want to work in Beijing - the average salary of an English teacher in Beijing is quite low...

[astroburton]

Thank you for your response! I have some clarifications, and further questions:

If I had a job in a university that provided housing, the question of money would be much reduced... I'm not looking to leave China any richer, necessarily, although I wouldn't be averse to it of course; rather, I want to stay afloat (and not live in a hovel) and get exposure to Chinese culture and language.

For reasons of accent and politics (and, I will admit, a certain uneasiness with the word "countryside") I had wanted to stay around the Beijing area, but I wasn't aware that pay was particularly poor there. How bad is it? If I did have housing provided for (I already have travel expenses provided for; do you think that I could use that to make myself more attractive to prospective employers?), what kind of lifestyle would a university job afford me?

Additionally: I would like to get some kind of certification to teach ESL, but in looking up different courses I'm getting a confusingly wide range of different time commitments and price ranges, and I'm not exactly sure what employers will be looking for. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[MGreen]

What university students would you be teaching from Mid-May to Mid-September? The university that I'm at in Beijing will participate in the Olympics (I think most are), so we are shutting down a little earlier and students that are not volunteering will be asked to return home.

The faculty will be on holiday from the end of June to the end of August. So I'm not sure where that leaves you for a university position in Beijing.

Your best bet for the time frame is to apply to language schools or English camps.

[Anda]

Well you start by doing an internet search:


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&q=elementary+school+teaching+China+English&btnG=Search


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&q=living+conditions+beijing+English+teachers&btnG=Search


http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&q=Home+stay+beijing+English+teachers&btnG=Search

[astroburton]

Thanks, everybody, for the responses; they've given me a lot to research and think about. I'm sure to have a much more concrete plan the next round of questions .