China is an excellent spot to begin your international teaching career. It’s a vibrant country with bustling cities and tranquil river towns, as well as a strong English language culture, making it a rewarding and popular place to teach overseas.

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You should have no trouble obtaining work as an English teacher, but there are some tips and methods that you won’t learn from Google searches. That’s why, after several years of teaching English in China, I’d like to share with you nine insider suggestions to help you make the most of your time there.

1. Get TEFL certification

You must have university graduation and either a TEFL certificate or two years of professional teaching experience to work as a lawful full-time teacher in China and obtain a work visa and residence permission. While many teachers get around the legislation by teaching as a side profession, if you want a work visa and a residence permit, you’ll have to follow the rules.

Many employers may pay for your TEFL certification, which can help you save money. If you arrive in China with a TEFL certificate, however, you will be able to obtain a far better earning position. In some ways, the “free TEFL” isn’t truly free because you’re “paying” for it with a reduced wage. You might be able to make more money in the long term if you get your TEFL certification before you leave.

2. Use a recruiter for the top positions

ESL academies and public schools are the two main forms of teaching jobs in China. Getting work at an ESL academy is significantly easier, owing to the fact that you can look for these positions online before you arrive in China.

If you’re interested in working for a huge organization, such as English First, you can readily find reviews online (even right here on JobifyInc!) Before you go, make sure you have a good idea of your income, benefits, and working circumstances.

However, public schools are more hit-or-miss, and using a recruiter is the best approach to locate a job teaching in a public school in China.

While there are a few excellent colleges that advertise on the internet, you won’t know what kind of institution you’re applying to until you arrive, which may be too late. You don’t want to arrive in China only to discover your school is located in the middle of nowhere or lacks the amenities you were promised.

By utilizing a recruiter or finding a job independently once you’ve arrived in China, you can avoid the inconvenience and risk. Furthermore, working with a recruiter will result in a greater income.

3. Consider teaching in a private school if you’re a professional teacher

Do you have any teaching experience or qualification that you can use from the comfort of your own home? You could teach in a private or international school if you have the necessary qualifications. Many of these colleges have online listings, and you can apply from the comfort of your own country.

In general, these institutions pay higher incomes and provide better working conditions for instructors, but they typically require higher degrees.

4. Understand the differences between work at an ESL academy and jobs at a public school

You’ll be teaching a variety of classes to small groups of students in an ESL academy. A typical day consists of five classes, beginning in the mid-afternoon and finishing long after dinnertime. ESL teachers also work on weekends because that is when the majority of their pupils have free time.

You can teach children ranging in age from three years old to adults attending business English classes at an ESL institution. You’ll also be paid a little more than you would at a public school for these tasks.

A normal school day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in a public school. You’ll be teaching courses of 30 to 50 students, with each lesson lasting approximately 40 minutes. Typically, you’ll be instructing a big group of students in an oral English lesson.

Many foreign English teachers in public schools have classes of up to 500 students. Because they only teach each class once every two weeks, some even instruct as many as 1,000 pupils. You can expect to teach 20 to 25 classes per week, with your leisure time spent in the office arranging lessons.

5. You can get by without knowing Chinese straight away

Even though learning a new language would greatly assist you in integrating and getting around when living anywhere in the world, mastering a new language is easier said than done it is possible to exist in China for the first several weeks without speaking the language, in my experience.

Mandarin Chinese is a skill you’ll want to bring back to your home country, and Chinese language schools can be found in almost every major Chinese city. The Chinese language, on the other hand, is extremely difficult to acquire, and landing in China without knowing any Chinese can be frightening. Even if you decide to learn Chinese, those initial few weeks or months may be intimidating.

Teaching in China is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Overall, China is a fantastic country to live and teach overseas. Take advantage of this opportunity to meet like-minded students, learn about a new culture, and master the world’s most in-demand language while doing a wonderful job.

While relocating across the world can be challenging, teaching in China for a year will be an unforgettable experience!