Job Discussion Forums

Xanthos · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 151 Location: Beijing

On the UK Chinese Embassy Site, it said:

Prime Minister announces boost to "world's language" (2008/01/17)

"With an initial focus on China, our starting ambition is to encourage 1 million hits on the website a month. And this will play an even bigger part in the rapid transformation of English speaking in China, supporting the decision of China's government that English language lessons should be a requirement in Chinese schools from age six with 20 million more children a year starting lessons. In Beijing alone 200,000 adults also take English lessons outside the school system. And I believe that, with the right help, we will have a situation by 2025 where the number of English speakers in China exceeds the number of speakers of English as a first language in all of the rest of the world.

Second, to transform English language teaching we will need to dramatically increase the numbers and quality of those teaching and training English. So we will expand the existing framework of qualifications for English teachers to strengthen the development pathway for teachers at every stage of their career. We will encourage the development of new short distance learning courses, building on the success of current qualifications such as Certificate and Diploma in English Language Teaching."

Has this proposed 'upgrade' of TEFL qualifications happened? And are TEFL qualifications in combination with degrees now more important in China as a result?

I have always heard degrees are always more important (with MA degrees being the SAFEA legal requirement), and in some cases TEFL certificates not being asked for (I guess this is in cities where demand for foreign experts to teach english is very high).

However, I gather that SAFEA require a copy of the TEFL certificate when schools apply for an invitation letter for Foreign Experts to work for them - does anyone know which one's are presently required (i.e. from which TEFL teacher training organisations, and for how many hours study)?

HiddenTreasure · Joined: 03 Oct 2010 Posts: 81

2008 Article ?

In Shandong, where I am, in a fairly small city, they are now requiring an English teaching certificate. This happened only in the past 6 month.

sharpe88 · Joined: 21 Oct 2008 Posts: 226

That initiative probably refers to domestic teachers, not foreign ones. TEFL quals are not widely considered mandatory in China, but a degree usually is.

MisterButtkins · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Posts: 1221

I feel like for every tidbit I read online about how "China is upgrading its teacher qualifications to XXX" I meet five other FTs who do not meet the requirements right now. I mean, this is China. Technically prostitution is illegal here and so is watching pirated movies.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

many tefl courses are not even respectable. they belong to a cottage industry that tries to justify its existence through telling people that you must have this training to be successful. it's not true.

HiddenTreasure · Joined: 03 Oct 2010 Posts: 81

seamallowance · Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:14 pm Post subject:

tefl peasant · Joined: 09 Oct 2010 Posts: 132

Yes, many TEFL programs are not only not respectable, but outright fraudulent.

My friend, who has taught for 6 years, needed and wanted to get "certified," so he enrolled in a tefl course and paid $1,600 USD.

The trainer has less experience than him, and even tried to get out of a day of work by taking the tefl cert students on a cultural outing: a zoo!

Shop around carefully.

It doesn't have to be a big name brand, but you need to get LOTS of references via email, and the school should provide reference email contact info immediately.

If not, pass.

Xanthos · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 151 Location: Beijing

HiddenTreasure · Joined: 03 Oct 2010 Posts: 81

Xanthos · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 151 Location: Beijing

HiddenTreasure · Joined: 03 Oct 2010 Posts: 81

Length of teaching experience in China would have no relevance at all. When it comes time to renew the FEC, the department asks for certificate. One teacher had a certificate obtained at a TESL program in Qingdao, run by an American professor (with Ph.D.) and they refused it. Another coworker had no certificate and was not given renewed credentials.

Xanthos · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 151 Location: Beijing

MisterButtkins · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Posts: 1221

HiddenTreasure · Joined: 03 Oct 2010 Posts: 81

Beijing
Shanghai
Guangdong
Inner Mongolia
Macau
And more...

These are different entities - Municipalities, Provinces, Autonomous Regions, and Special Administrative Regions - thus it's useless sometimes to compare or support a claim of policy in your area when the question lies with another region.

My 2 co-workers in question both had Bachelor degrees, relevant teaching experience, etc. The Foreign Expert Bureau refused credentials stating that it was now required to have a teaching certificate obtained outside of China (as noted above).