woliveri Posted August 18, 2005 at 06:30 AM Report Posted August 18, 2005 at 06:30 AM I'm wondering about teaching English in China. I'm interested in teaching conversational English. I do not have a degree but do have over 80 hours of college work and a good foundation with Chinese plus I currently work as a computer programmer. Just wondering how difficult it would be for someone without a degree to teach English in China. Thanks to anyone with any feedback. Quote
fenlan Posted August 18, 2005 at 07:00 AM Report Posted August 18, 2005 at 07:00 AM It is possible to teach without a degree - I have met quite a few people who have. Although I can't make recommendations on how to find work without a degree. Why don't you do a CELTA course in your home country first, and then at least you will have a qualification in teaching English? You don't actually have to have CELTA either, but I think it would be easier to find work with it if you didn't have a degree. Chinese people don't really realise that having a degree doesn't really point to a good command of English - at least not in England, where the newspapers are full of discussion about how new graduates can't write letters to prospective employers without ludicrous mistakes. But I suppose they have to make some assumptions. Quote
tongyang Posted August 18, 2005 at 08:29 AM Report Posted August 18, 2005 at 08:29 AM I'm wondering about teaching English in China. I'm interested in teaching conversational English. I do not have a degree but do have over 80 hours of college work and a good foundation with Chinese plus I currently work as a computer programmer. Just wondering how difficult it would be for someone without a degree to teach English in China. Thanks to anyone with any feedback. i thought if you have not got the degree yet , you have to go and find some childcare centers . beacuse , as a good foreign teacher in china is not easy anymore........ Quote
Haoqide Posted September 14, 2005 at 06:16 PM Report Posted September 14, 2005 at 06:16 PM If anybody has any leads on this (I don't even have my TESL or CELTA yet, but I'll get it if it'll get me a teaching job - It's what I wanna do) and where I could maybe find some work like that, please contact me or post a reply here. I'd love to get to China (preferably Taiwan or HK, actually, but I realize it's probably easier to get to China) to teach English. My e-mail is Chris@ChrisSimpson.com Thanks! Chris 1 Quote
tooironic Posted February 21, 2012 at 12:23 PM Report Posted February 21, 2012 at 12:23 PM I am also interested in knowing how foreigners can get jobs teaching English in China without a degree. I am hoping to convince my partner to teach English in China for a year if I end up getting a position teaching translating, but he doesn't have a degree or qualification in TESL. Thanks! Quote
dnevets Posted February 21, 2012 at 06:34 PM Report Posted February 21, 2012 at 06:34 PM I know a couple that taught without degrees. As long as you're not super fussy about where you work, you'll find a school that is willing to fudge the paperwork to get you your invitation letter. Look through all the ads on eslcafe. Another guy I knew had a degree... from the university of photoshop... Quote
tjlai Posted March 22, 2012 at 05:15 PM Report Posted March 22, 2012 at 05:15 PM Even if you were able to find a teaching job without a degree, wouldn't the wages be considerably lower too? Quote
Congmingben Posted April 11, 2012 at 02:55 PM Report Posted April 11, 2012 at 02:55 PM I'm teaching in china without a degree now for a private school, I'm on roughly 2200RMB a month, + a flat being rented out free of charge for me (shared with a colleague) and 3000RMB towards each one of my 6500RMB costing flights to china and back. I'm doing it for the experience not the money and it was well worth it, but now I'm looking at making some money from doing it. My advice to you is look for private schools not public, because private schools value foreign teachers more as you are their unique selling point and will help you out with the invitation letter etc to get to china. Hope this helps Quote
New Members xuezhongwen555 Posted May 9, 2012 at 06:17 PM New Members Report Posted May 9, 2012 at 06:17 PM Some of my friends are interested in spending sometime in China to teach English. They are fresh graduates in the summer and are wondering whether it is possible to do so without a teaching certificate. Thanks to Congmingben for the information. Quote
frankwall Posted May 18, 2012 at 07:43 AM Report Posted May 18, 2012 at 07:43 AM I am also interested in this topic. I have been teaching business English in Germany for 2 years without a degree and I am interested in the chances of doing something similar in China. I would love to experience a totally different culture and I've always wanted to travel in China Quote
tjlai Posted May 18, 2012 at 09:14 PM Report Posted May 18, 2012 at 09:14 PM Would I still be considered a 'foreigner' (being British Born Chinese)? Even though in every respect, I am foreign, at the end of the day, I look Chinese, speak Chinese (well, Cantonese), and ultimately are Chinese. Don't think the private schools would care as much as if I were actually English/white etc. Quote
JCJC Posted August 8, 2012 at 04:55 AM Report Posted August 8, 2012 at 04:55 AM Speaking to OP's original question (and some sound advice given already) I would work at a Private school. Like Kids Castle or DD Dragon. I have heard stories that some times they will just forge a degree for you. Its pretty shady, but thats how bad they need English Teachers. Quote
New Members DanielMorris Posted November 16, 2012 at 10:24 PM New Members Report Posted November 16, 2012 at 10:24 PM I taught English in China for several years, at different schools. One thing on my resume that employers loved was my honorary doctorate degree, which I had gotten from a California institute for just $59 (it's an honorary degree, not an academic one). If you want to teach in China, it will help you a lot, as people tend to respect you if you have an advanced degree, and more so if it's honorary. Check out an organization called LADC Institute (based in California). You can get legit honorary degrees there for very little money, and it'll help you a lot, trust me. 1 Quote
WestTexas Posted November 17, 2012 at 10:53 AM Report Posted November 17, 2012 at 10:53 AM Oh man, that's a great tip. I have a friend who bought a doctorate's in theology online that lets him marry people. I never thought such things could be used to get a higher paying job. I'm getting double salary next year! 2 Quote
liuzhou Posted November 17, 2012 at 12:46 PM Report Posted November 17, 2012 at 12:46 PM You can put any spin you like on it, but teaching English in China without a degree is illegal. And don't think they don't know about fake degrees. They are the experts. Quote
WestTexas Posted November 18, 2012 at 03:06 AM Report Posted November 18, 2012 at 03:06 AM In China, many laws simply have no enforcement or are selectively enforced.Do 'legal' and 'illegal' mean anything in such a situation? I would say no. Like: Are pirated DVDs illegal in China? technically yes, but not in any meaningful way Is prostitution illegal in China? technically yes, but not in any meaningful way Are there traffic laws in China? technically yes, but not in any meaningful way Do foreigners working in China need a degree/two years experience? technically yes, but not in any meaningful way 1 Quote
liuzhou Posted November 18, 2012 at 03:14 AM Report Posted November 18, 2012 at 03:14 AM Doesn't make it any less illegal. DVD pirates are sometimes imprisoned. Prostitutes are sometimes imprisoned. Traffic law violators are sometimes imprisoned - or killed. And fake teachers are sometimes deported (after a few days in custody). Just two months ago we had someone deported from here for running around every school in town, introducing himself as Dr. _____ and demanding work. Someone noticed that he had managed to acquire bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees within nine months of each other. He was held in custody for several days then booted out. Quite rightly. Using a fake degree is reprehensible. It shows no respect for education, learning, students or anything. 4 Quote
WestTexas Posted November 18, 2012 at 05:00 AM Report Posted November 18, 2012 at 05:00 AM It shows no respect for education, learning, students or anything. Yes, it's a good fit for China's school system. 1 Quote
c6ray Posted November 18, 2012 at 10:22 PM Report Posted November 18, 2012 at 10:22 PM I taught English in China for several years, at different schools. One thing on my resume that employers loved was my honorary doctorate degree, which I had gotten from a California institute for just $59 (it's an honorary degree, not an academic one). christopher@desktop:~$ whois ladc-institute.com | grep created created: 2012-04-23 15:11:55 DanielMorris is a fake person. christopher@desktop:~$ whois ladc-institute.com | grep owner owner-c: LULU-11552141 [owner-c] handle: 11552141 [owner-c] type: PERSON [owner-c] title: [owner-c] fname: Benjamin [owner-c] lname: Schuetze [owner-c] org: Los Angeles Development Church & Institute [owner-c] address: 11862 Balboa Blvd, #152 [owner-c] city: Granada Hills [owner-c] pcode: 91344 [owner-c] country: US [owner-c] state: California [owner-c] phone: +01-123-4567 [owner-c] fax: +01-123-4567 [owner-c] email: hayuhi@gmail.com [owner-c] protection: B [owner-c] updated: 2012-05-14 23:26:32 Address of the owner of the ladc-institute.com domain is a private mailbox rented at the Knollwood Pharmacy. 2 Quote
Kaxia Posted November 19, 2012 at 04:17 PM Report Posted November 19, 2012 at 04:17 PM Lots of students work without a degree and that's a fact. Mostly part time though. If the school says it's no problem that you have no degree and wants you full time, better be aware that you may have problems later for whatever they've done. But I'm not sure I got it right? You meant no university degree at all and not just no degree in English or one certifying you to teach, right? Cause I think for native speakers Bachelor's in any field and some experience is enough... For jobs, I always ask the local expats first I found good contacts on Echinacities but that was 2 years ago. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and select your username and password later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.