So I want to teach English in China... [Help!]

[delaSOuL]

Right! First off, let me be very modestly blunt, and say that I'm a blank-slate, when it comes to knowing anything about teaching English in China. Nonetheless, this is exactly what I am hoping to do, in a years time. You're welcome to laugh, at this point

The point is, I would absolutely love the chance to do something like this!

Oh shite, where are my manners; let me introduce myself, most briefly! Aherm, my name's David! 18 years old, and studying in Cambridge, England. I was born in Shanghai, and as a 1 year old toddler, I was shipped to Toronto, Canada, where I lived for 14 years. From there, I moved to, where I am now. I'm an aspiring... medical student -yeh, I'm boring like that- but before I do begin my university course, I plan to take a gap year (for those, who don't know what a gap year is, it is just a term to describe a year off a study, normally taken between 'high-school' and 'university', or sometimes even 'university' and 'work life'). And -aha!- as you've probably figured out by now -or not- I wouldn't mind, at the slightest, if I could spend a portion of my gap year, teaching English in China! Since, I do hope to fit in other plans for the year, I wouldn't think it wise to spend anything more than a few months teaching. In terms of, which city I would like to teach in, Shanghai would be my top choice, but quite frankly, I would be happy to teach anywhere.

So, with such great intentions, where exactly do I go from here? Hum, well... from the little research I've done so far, inbetween my most dreaded studies, I've managed to pick up a few crucial points. Essentially, it does appear that I require to have some type of international teaching qualification, and that there are groups out there, who can help me find a teaching placement.

At this stage, I guess it would be helpful to know, whether or not what I want to do is probable. That is to speak, a Chinese boy, with no current teaching qualification, who wants to teach English, in China, and most ideally, in his birth city, Shanghai, for 2-3 months, a year from now ...

I would be most appreciative to anyone, who can provide any information, at all! If you feel particularly helpful, I would most definitely welcome some chit-chat through either msn (requiem_416@hotmail.com) or e-mail (dzhuxu@yahoo.com).

Brilliant, thanks for our time!

David

[adrianlondon]

As horrible as this may sound, I think you're going to find it diffucult outside of being a "normal" teacher in a school. Many Chinese who want to learn English (or want their kids to learn) are expecting some sort of, umm, big nosed fat hairy person to teach them

[deezy]

Yes, you will definitely get paid less off the bat than someone who more "looks the part" of a native English speaker (White). That's no secret. However, I'm not really sure HOW much less, or how much harder it is for Asians to get jobs teaching English in Asia - than Whites? Anyone?

I want to say it's not THAAT much of a gap, but I really don't know for sure?

[delaSOuL]

Haha, yeh I got that impression, after reading one of the other topics on this forum.

My reason in doing this isn't so much for the money -anything like that will be an extra- but it's almost solely for the experience.

Do you think that if I offered to take less money, that would increase my chances of getting a place? I mean, is the opportunity to teach, in a city like Shanghai, quite high in the first place?

Thanks for the responses!

[adrianlondon]

Stick an advert somewhere (if you're serious about going, and have dates in mind) and see what happens.

Not sure if Roddy has particular preferences (people who advertise on his site/s for e.g.) but www.thatsbj.com could be a good place to start. Don't get excited, the "bj" is for beijing.

[delaSOuL]

Good suggestion; I'll definitely do that.

Have you got any other sites, where I can post an ad?

[roddy]

Basically, you are very young, you won't be a graduate, you won't (?) have a TEFL qualification and you're only looking to work for a few months. For a manager of an average English language school in China, this puts you right at the bottom of the 'to employ' list, and that's even before you start to deal with any prejudices about overseas Chinese teaching English.

It might not be impossible to find work, but it'll be harder for you than most people and the schools that will employ you are likely to be the ones most desperate for teachers - and they'll be desperate for a reason.

There are various 'volunteer' programs which will find you somewhere to go, but there is often a hefty fee and the jobs aren't necessarily any better than you would find elsewhere.

Given the above, you are unlikely to earn a great deal, and given the cost of living in Shanghai, likely to save even less.

One a more positive note, there's always high demand for teachers at Spring Festival and the summer holiday, to work in winter / summer camps. That might be your best bet. It would also be possible to turn up and try and find something, you may be able to pick up some freelance work or find a school with an vacancy they need filled urgently.

Apologies for sounding negative, but I call 'em as I see 'em

EDIT: No preferences on sites, try thatssh.com and shanghaiexpat.com. The folk on Shanghaiexpat.com will be able to give you a much better idea of your chances than I can.

[stephanhodges]

Another place (maybe) to advertise would be http://www.shanghaidaily.com

[adrianlondon]

Damn me and my Beijing-centric universe. Yes, of course, that's a much better suggestion

[delaSOuL]

stephanhodges: Sounds like an excellent place to post an ad. Cheers!

Roddy: Shucks, if I sitting on a stool, I probably would have fell off, after reading your comments!

Yet, I can't really say that I'm surprised by anything you said. Although initially, I did think that being younger would have been an advantage, in the sense that I would be able to relate better with the students. Then again, such a thing would probably weigh lightly with the recruiters. But -hey!- thanks for putting things into realistic terms, because that is what counts at the end of the day.

In fact, the idea of trying to pick something up on my arrival is a possibilty, since I'll be coming to Shanghai, anyways, to visit family. Just to clarify, if I were to teach, would I likely be teaching in a high school, a university, or an engilsh-specialised school, or are they all potential recruiters? Do you mean to say 'free-lance' as in private tutoring -that doesn't sound bad either!

Oh, and concerning the TEFL qualifications; do you reckon it would be possible to acheive it within the time I'm given, because obviously every little would help in my case

Thanks for your thoughts Roddy~~

[roddy]

Your youth might be an advantage, if you were a qualified teacher. You ain't

If you have got family in Shanghai, ask them to help you find something. That'll be far and away the easiest way to handle it.

You could get a 1 month TEFL qualification, but the decent courses won't always take a non-graduate, you'll need to persuade them. But if you are only going to be teaching for a few months, it's not worth the cost.

To be honest, I think you'd be better off saving up a bit more money and taking a short Chinese course at a private school - it'll give you something useful to do during your stay, and the option of some part-time teaching work is still there.

[yingguoguy]

You could get a 1 month TEFL qualification, but the decent courses won't always take a non-graduate.

I did a CELTA course at Oxford Brookes last year, and while the majority had degree's there were a couple of people on the course that didn't, and another couple who were halfway through their degree's. If you've already got a place at a good uni as a medical student, they (and other places) might be willing to consider you, they do however say 20+ on the web-site.

However I completely agree with Roddy, for the same money you could get three months on a language course in China, and that's much more fun.

[imron]

I'll second everything Roddy said. As a young student without a degree and without any teaching qualifications or experience, you'll be right at the bottom of the list of people to choose from. I know because this year I've been helping my school with the recruitment process and we've turned away people who are pretty much looking to do what you are doing. That's not to say you won't be able to find teaching work, just that it's going to be a lot harder for you to do so.

In addition, most actual schools will be looking for someone who will commit to at least a semester (5 months), and preferably a year of teaching. Someone who's only interested in teaching a couple of months is going to be automatically rejected because it would then mean having to go through the hassle of finding a replacement teacher mid-semester.

I would say your best bet is either to try and get your relatives in Shanghai to help you out (I'm sure they could find people interested in taking private lessons), or take a language course instead. In fact if you were really keen, you could probably do both of the above suggestions at the same time.

[mpallard]

I am so sick of hearing English Teachers (and aspiring ones) talk about how they want to learn about Chinese culture by going to China (or Taiwan) and teaching English. I am willing to bet that 99% of them don't learn shit about Chinese culture and only serve to perpetuate the belief that foreigners are incapable of speaking the Chinese language and pretty much ignorant of all things Chinese.

And what kind of messed up thinking is going on here? HMMMM I think I'll go and learn about a foreign country not by actually studying anything about it or its language but rather by teaching people about the cultures and language of my native country. Sounds like a great plan. And what a great experience, I'll be such a better and more well rounded person in the end and I'll really have made no sacrifice at all.

I guarantee all the insight into Chinese society an English teacher gains from all their time in China can be equalled by a two week 3 gorges dam tour.

Disclaimer: If you are an English teacher (or aspiring one) and you can speak Chinese that's cool, you don't suck. If you've been teaching English for more than one year and you still speak virtually no Chinese (btw saying "wo shi lao shi" does not count as advanced) you suck doublely.

I also assume that many English teachers have learning dissabilities that perclude them from finding gainfull employment in their home coutries and thus teaching English is their only viable option. If this is in fact you, that's cool I'm not going to get too harsh on a guy with a mental condition.

PS. Thanks for explaing what a "gap year" is.

[roddy]

Yawn. If you find English teachers so irritating, why on earth are you responding to a topic in the 'teaching in china' forum?

[adrianlondon]

I also assume that many English teachers have learning dissabilities

Or, maybe they just fancy a break and instead of going on a two week 3 gorges tour, decided to spend a few months in a foreign country, teaching English to get some cash and at least make friends with some locals.

It's not compulsory to get to know the language and culture of a country you're just visiting and, even cynical you must admit it's better to spend a few months somewhere trying to integrate with some locals than to simply wander from the hotel to the nearest xin-ba-ke every now and again.

And I'm saying this as someone who has no intention (or capability) to teach.

[wushijiao]

I am so sick of hearing English Teachers (and aspiring ones) talk about how they want to learn about Chinese culture by going to China (or Taiwan) and teaching English. I am willing to bet that 99% of them don't learn shit about Chinese culture and only serve to perpetuate the belief that foreigners are incapable of speaking the Chinese language and pretty much ignorant of all things Chinese.

simply wander from the hotel to the nearest xin-ba-ke every now and again.

Are you guys stalking me?

Seriously, delasoul, I’m not quite sure if the plans to teach in Shanghai are all that feasible for you right now. A few years down the road, it’ll be much easier to teach once you have a degree. At least for reputable places, it’s all about the piece of paper. Like others have said, you can always consider studying, which would enable you to learn the language and enjoy your stay more than teaching would. Teaching can be very stressful in the first few months, not something relaxing for vacations, in my opinion.

Good luck to you!

[delaSOuL]

mpallard: I don't aspire to become an English teacher; in fact, I did specifically point out that I hope to study Medicine.

I was born in China, and have visited the country nearly every single year, since childhood, so it is safe to say that my intentions on teaching in China have nothing to do with 'getting to know the culture or people'. The idea was that, since I was going to China for an extended period, anyways, I would try to spend some of my time doing something new and enjoyable, and for me, the possibilty of teaching English was just that.

A whopping 100% of your post was complete rubbish, and irrelevent to my situation. What type of depressed person would bother posting something like this, particularly in this type of topic, let alone in a forum titled 'Teaching English in China'. And you talk about 'mental conditions'...

[delaSOuL]

Well, other than mrpillck, I must sincerely thank you Roddy, and every other person, who has taken the time to not only read my post, but also to reply with some very useful information and advice. After thinking to myself, with your comments in the back of my mind, it does seem rather unlikely for me to end up filling a proper teaching position.

Nonetheless, I still have an inkling that somewhere in Shanghai, there will at leats be some people, who would welcome the chance to speak to someone, with relatively good English and a Western mentality

So on that note, I will indeed continue my search, but will likely remove my expectation on finding a paying/accomodating job, and instead, look for one that would possibly be considered 'less-professional', but just as fun and fulfilling! Let that be through private-tuition, or even end up commiting some real time in helping my cousins with their English -we'll just see

But, again, thanks for all the help ladies and gentleman, I'm really glad I found a community like this. I'll definitely be around in the future, and perhaps even update you on what I end up doing! :lol

[RobAnt]

Join Date: May 2004

Location: Taiwan

Posts: 34 I am so sick of hearing English Teachers (and aspiring ones) talk about how they want to learn about Chinese culture by going to China (or Taiwan) and teaching English. I am willing to bet that 99% of them don't learn shit about Chinese culture and only serve to perpetuate the belief that foreigners are incapable of speaking the Chinese language and pretty much ignorant of all things Chinese.

And what kind of messed up thinking is going on here? HMMMM I think I'll go and learn about a foreign country not by actually studying anything about it or its language but rather by teaching people about the cultures and language of my native country. Sounds like a great plan. And what a great experience, I'll be such a better and more well rounded person in the end and I'll really have made no sacrifice at all.

I guarantee all the insight into Chinese society an English teacher gains from all their time in China can be equalled by a two week 3 gorges dam tour.

Disclaimer: If you are an English teacher (or aspiring one) and you can speak Chinese that's cool, you don't suck. If you've been teaching English for more than one year and you still speak virtually no Chinese (btw saying "wo shi lao shi" does not count as advanced) you suck doublely.

I also assume that many English teachers have learning dissabilities that perclude them from finding gainfull employment in their home coutries and thus teaching English is their only viable option. If this is in fact you, that's cool I'm not going to get too harsh on a guy with a mental condition.

PS. Thanks for explaing what a "gap year" is.

Interesting.....

Complete rubbish, of course, but

Interesting.....

People do different things throughout their lives for a variety of different reasons. I don't think you can critise everyone who wants or is considering teaching English in China in such generalistic terms - you might be right for the odd one or two, but not the majority, I'd venture.

Economic migration is as valid a reason as any, and I have to be honest, at 50, my career options are limited here in the UK with my current skills. I might be able to extend those options by considering the Chinese market for native English speakers. I don't think it'll be as open as it is now forever.