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What's The Best City To Teach English In China?


Pianote

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 I have been teaching english for a year and a half. I want to go to a city with good pay and endless job opportunities. Please tell me some good ones.

 

I'm not opposed to staying at my current job. I've been here since late 2017. The company is shady and the pay is low. I am thinking about telling them that I've been offered a better contract at another school and if they (my current school) can't match it (new school) I'm out. Is this a good way to get them to pay me more?

 

Last question: Is now a good time to sign contracts for a new school for the coming semester (August) or is it too early?

 

Thanks!

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I'd say that no matter what, after two years in one place it's time to move on and experience more of China. It's not as if you have any chance of advancement if you stay there.

 

From everything you've said in your posts here, I think you'd be happier in one of the big coastal cities.

 

In any event, don't fall into the trap of just sitting tight. Looking for a new job is a hassle and stressful and so easy to put off. But do what you have to do and start looking nonetheless

 

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23 hours ago, Pianote said:

I am thinking about telling them that I've been offered a better contract at another school and if they (my current school) can't match it (new school) I'm out. Is this a good way to get them to pay me more?

 

This is definitely not a good strategy. Much better to find another job and then just give your bosses the required amount of advance notice. 

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21 hours ago, Pianote said:

I am thinking about telling them that I've been offered a better contract at another school and if they (my current school) can't match it (new school) I'm out. Is this a good way to get them to pay me more?

No, this does not sound like a good strategy. You boss can easily say 'OK, sorry to see you go, but we'll find someone to replace you'  and then you have no job at all. If you want better pay, make a case for why you deserve it (you took a course to become a better teacher, you have better results than other teachers, you recruited more students, whatever) and ask for better pay or better benefits.

 

I agree with others that one of the tier-1 big cities might suit you well. More foreigners, easier living if you don't know (much) Chinese, and also possibly more career opportunities. Be aware that the more reputable a school, the higher their demands of a teacher: from a certain point in your career, just being a native speaker is not enough, you'll need diplomas and more advanced skills. Or perhaps you already have those, in which case you will have more opportunities in bigger cities.

 

Good luck!

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Baseline is: do you get a contract, a salary and the correct visa. Beyond that:

- How good are the teachers? Are they just killing time between getting drunk, are they well-meaning but inexperienced, are they serious teaching professionals with teaching diplomas and experience teaching their subject?

- How is the management? Are they just interested in making money or are they dedicated to actually teaching children? Do the parents get to hear the truth about everything or are they sold an Ukrainian exchange student as a certified American accent ESL teacher? Do they just do the paperwork and that's it or do they reward the teachers for going above and beyond or encourage them to improve?

- How is the work? Are you just a performing monkey who is there to look foreign, or are you actually supposed to teach? Do you have to pass everyone regardless of how well they do, or can you attach consequences to students not learning?

How do you find out: look at the website, visit the place, talk to the person interviewing you; it helps if you can talk to other teachers, or even kids or parents; and see if there are any reviews you can find online.

Take all this for what it's worth: I've never actually taught English in any school, this is just from what I heard from others and read online here and there.

 

In English teaching, there is kindergartens, cram schools, secondary schools (either good or bad, big or small, big city or rural village), colleges and universities (also various kinds), international schools, and anything in between. Quality and reputability can vary per school of course, although generally one can say that a university or an international school is usually more reputable than a cram school.

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