Women Teaching in China

[jfranco]

I'm interested in teaching English in China at some point. I'm wondering what the attitude is towards women teaching English.

Is there a preference for men over women?

What factor does age play？

I am 31 and I have noticed that some advertisements indicate that they are looking for someone 35 or younger. That still gives me a few years, but I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on this. I did attach my picture, so you can see that I am not really old looking.

[roddy]

I think if there's any preference, it's for women over men - not sure if that's because they are perceived as less likely to go out getting drunk every night, seduce their students and generally bring less disrepute on the school, or what. In some cases it could be that women are considered easier to bully into accepting substandard conditions.

Age-wise, I'm not sure. It probably depends on what prejudices and previous experience the school has - if they've had a younger teacher who didn't fit in they'll probably think young teachers don't have the life experience to adapt. If they had an older teacher who didn't fit in meanwhile, they'll think older teachers are too set in their ways and inflexible.

31 is hardly old though (rapidly approaching it myself) and I think any school run by someone with half a brain won't see it as an issue. And you don't want to work at any school run by someone with less than half a brain anyway, do you . . .

[mrtoga]

Seems quite easy to find English teaching jobs here in China for both men and women - there is a massive shortage. Unfortunately the pay is nowhere near as good as in Japan or Korea, basically due to the schools not being able to receive as much money from the students. I would think you should have no problems.

[wushijiao]

I think if there's any preference, it's for women over men - not sure if that's because they are perceived as less likely to go out getting drunk every night, seduce their students and generally bring less disrepute on the school

After my first year teaching at my first school, the school raised their age limit from 21 to 30 because two of my buddies and I engaged in some/and or all of said behavior.

Although, in our defense, we adapted quickly to harsh culture shock, and were probably the most successful teachers in an environment that was generally hostile towards any sort of learning.

No, jfranco, you certainly don't look "old". I’m sure you could get a job easily, especially if you have any experience or EFL credentials.

[jfranco]

多谢. I appreciate all of your suggestions. I certainly wouldn't be plaining to get drunk every night or create any other sort of troubles.

I have looked at TEFL certification programs and have been reading some books. In the interim, I am taking Mandarin classes and looking into some volunteer programs that offer training on working with students learning English as a second language (more in a small group setting).

[atitarev]

Unfortunately the pay is nowhere near as good as in Japan or Korea, basically due to the schools not being able to receive as much money from the students.

If you prefer for a Chinese language environment but not happy with what they are paying (even taking into account some benefits and less expenses), consider getting a job in Taiwan. I only judge by what people say, I haven't worked in either China or Taiwan. I heard about good experiences in both China and Taiwan. I am considering this myself but not in the near future.

[roddy]

If you are looking at only teaching for a year, then to be honest it's probably not worth the time and expense of getting a TEFL certificate - you'll be able to get a job without one, and you won't get much return on your investment over a year. If its something you want to do for interest then fine, but don't do it for career purposes if this is only a one year proposition.

If you are planning to teach longer term, especially outside of China, then a reputable (and most of them aren't reputable) TEFL cert will be useful - it'll make you a more effective teacher, open up better jobs and put you on the start of what little career path TEFL has.

It sounds like you are planning ahead and doing your research though, which is great - I got an email this morning from some guy whose son has turned up in China after paying a chunk of cash to a dodgy agency and is now having major, predictable, hassles.

[jfranco]

I've read some of the posts on this and other web sites, and know there are some people who take inadvantage of a person being in a new place. I can't fault China for this, the United States certainly has many opportunists and it is an easy way to make money, regardless of your respective locale.

There is one TEFL program in my area that is through an accredited college. Additionally, at the university where I study they provide some TEFL classes. I have informally helped people with their English and just need to do something in the classroom setting. I think the volunteer work will be helpful and at least give me some preliminary exposure.

My motivation for considering this is not financial. I have a good enough job here. I just have worked for corporations since graduation and am looking for something different. I'd want to at least teach for a few years. However, now I think studying the Chinese more intently is of greater use than the TEFL certification. When it gets closer to the time when I would actually be moving, I'd more likely consider it.... until then its a good time to do research.

[roddy]

Sounds like you are on the right track - good luck!

[mlomker]

jfranco,

I haven't gone to China yet but I've been reading this website and Dave's ESL Cafe for a couple years and am now planning to go in `08. I'm 34 and don't expect my age to be an impediment.

I've explored the certificate programs and it is my opinion that the CELTA is the best bet, by a pretty good margin. A local university program may very well make you a better teacher, but the name recognition of the CELTA makes it an easy decision for me.

The ads, especially from private schools, tend to prefer younger females. The reasons are various--the drunken male backpacker being among them. I've read enough horror stories to know that they also perceive younger women as being a pushover and that's a quality that they like in foreigners. Another common reason is that it is often jobs teaching young children and younger teachers tend to be more energetic/entertaining ('performing monkey' is the derogotory term for that).

I don't think that many of those things apply at the University level. From what I've gathered, from many wasted hours of web surfing (lol), going with a job at a public university is by far the safest way to go. You will get a legal visa and they won't try to rip you off as much (accommodation quality is the only complaint that I regularly see). They are usually low contact-hour positions but it's common to get hourly work on the side (or study Mandarin instead).

I recommend spending a lot of time on Dave's and consider the many options.