teaching in Beijing
Although this is specifically aimed at those interested in teaching in Beijing, much of it holds true throughout China. The first thing to do is to categorise the types of jobs you can get teaching in Beijing. Next comes some advice on teaching here and questions to ask prospective schools. See the finding jobs in Beijing section for advice on actually getting a teaching job in China.
university teaching in Beijing
These are generally relatively low-paid, but working hours are correspondingly low. Expect
to be paid from 3000Y a month upwards, with free accommodation, for around 16 hours teaching
a week. Chinese universities value academic qualifications very highly - a PhD will get you a
significant salary increase, regardless of the subject, but TEFL qualification or experience
may not.
Find out what you are expected to be teaching - university courses can be quite specific, for example newspaper reading, essay writing, etc. There may also be the opportunity to lecture on Western Culture, or on your own field of expertise, if you have one. All Chinese students are required to take at least some English courses, so it's worth asking if students have chosen to take your course, or if they are required to - this will have an effect on their enthusiasm and interest.
You aren't going to get rich doing this kind of teaching, but you will have an opportunity to meet much more interesting students than in your average private teaching job in Beijing, and you will have the free time to study Chinese or supplement your income with part-time classes. Universities are generally more reliable than private schools when it comes to visas and payment on time.
It's worth being aware that many universities are now opening up private training schools to earn extra income. You may find that though the job ad is in the name of a well-known university, the teaching conditions are more similar to those of private schools.
private school teaching in beijing
Beijing's private schools and colleges are springing up to accomodate the huge demand for English language teaching. You will generally earn more and teach more than university teaching - look for 5000Y upwards, for 20 or more hours teaching a week. Hours could be early morning, evening or weekend. Accommodation is often provided, if not they should help you arrange it and your wages should reflect the fact that you pay your own rent. . Wages over 10,000Y a month are possible, but not easy to find unless you do extra teaching hours.
Classes could be full of students
who are getting a private education as they failed the University Entrance Test or who
want to take the IELTS test as part of their plans to study abroad. There's a good chance that
at least a part of your classes will be with children, possibly very young.
freelance teaching in beijing
If you have free time, and want to earn some more cash, it's not difficult to pick up as much extra teaching in Beijing as you want. These could be with a university or private school that has failed to recruit the teachers it needs, a business, or an individual. Rates usually start at 100Y an hour, and can go as high as you want - especially if you can offer high-quality IELTS preparation or business teaching. I wouldn't consider anything under 150Y an hour, and would look for 200Y an hour upwards for anything requiring much preparation or travel.
It's entirely possible to support yourself with only freelance teaching in Beijing - but you will not have a stable income, have to arrange your own visas, and will need to support yourself while you start looking for clients, or while all your clients are on holiday over Spring Festival. Restrictions on where foreigners can live mean this is a much less viable option for those not teaching in Beijing but in smaller cities
tefl trainging courses
A common question is 'Should I do a TEFL course?". If you are considering teaching in Beijng or elsewhere for more than a year or two, then the answer is 'yes'. It will give you more leverage in pay negotiations, open up better quality jobs, and open the door to future jobs in Europe and the UK . If you are only planning to teach for a year or so, and look on the job as a means to travel, it's probably not worth the outlay (but bear in mind plenty of people end up teaching for longer than they planned to originally).
If you do take a course, make sure it's validated either by Trinity College London, or the RSA Cambridge - these are the only courses recognised worldwide. Tefl.com has information on training as well as jobs.
english teaching advice
The English teaching industry in Beijing (and it is an industry) is expanding rapidly, and shows no signs of slowing down. As in any expanding industry, there are plenty of people who want to get involved - regardless of whether they should be or not. Regulation of schools is increasing, but still inadequate, especially outside of the bigger cites. Be wary, ask plenty of questions (see below), and remember that some places are in such desperate need of foreign teachers they will tell you anything to get you on the plane. Think about what you will do if things don't work out - it makes sense to be prepared for anything.
At the same time, bear in mind that your job is not the only part of your life in China - don't forget to enjoy everything else.
The vast majority of those teaching in Beijing who have problems with their visas or wages work at private schools, and this is an area in which you should exercise caution. Read the stories in the Job Information Journal to see what can go wrong. Don't be scared by the stories here, only those who have had bad experiences while teaching tend to post here - unfortunately those who have had good experiences are less talkative. Look for a well-established school that is wiling to put you in touch with former teachers. Links with foreign institutions is an indicator, but no guarantee, of quality. Bear in mind that situations change - I've seen schools go from terrible to very good to bad in the space of two years.
ask before you teach
Any well-established school which knows what it's doing should be able to answer these questions fairly easily.
- Who will I be teaching? Adults / children / teenagers?
- Will I teach only speaking, or all skills?
- How many students in a class?
- What textbooks will I be using? Why were these chosen?
- Are the classes exam focussed or general English?
- What qualifications / experience do your teachers have?
- Do you provide Chinese teaching assistants for any classes?
- How long, on average, do your teachers stay for?
- How many teachers extended their contracts last year?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it will give you an idea of how organised and on-the-ball they are. You can't expect definite answers to all of these questions - situations change, and an honest 'We don't know yet' is better that a dishonest 'yes, of course'.