Where to work as a non-native English teacher?

[fresh-graduate 2018 0]

Anyone to give other suggestions its 2019 now , preferably i am looking for a city which would gladly take non native teachers as English teachers... I would really appreciate it as i am looking for jobs in different cities in China 

[Lu 2,689]

Split from here, because it is a different question really.

[fresh-graduate 2018 0]

Hi everyone , so i am non native english speaker who was studying Comp Science (bachelors) in China and now looking to teach english in China i have a TEFL certificate too. I am looking to teach in smaller cities  bcz i think i have great chance to get Z visa  , plz help me with suggestions on which any cities would be good.

[ChTTay 805]

Extremely difficult to get a legitimate job as an English teacher without being a native speaker these days. 

 

Bigger cities are more likely to have agencies who cater to helping you find work. They won’t give you the right visa though and take some of your pay. 

[fresh-graduate 2018 0]

I have a bachelors degree & TEFL certificate  , will it still be difficult  even if i look to go to smaller cities ?

[mungouk 354]

See http://en.safea.gov.cn/pdf/EvaluationCriteriaforForeignersEmployedinChina(Trial).pdf

 

The keyword here could be "generally".  Also this was a "trial" so whether it's still policy is another question.  Gives you an idea of recent thinking though.

 

There is also some possibility that having a TEFL qualification overrides the requirement for 2 years experience. 

 

 

 

[roddy 4,523]

I think it'll be difficult. And even when (if) you find work

1) Visa application could be a problem

2) The school would almost certainly prefer a native speaker. If it's employing a non-native speaker... why? Is the pay low? Is it a bad place to work? There'll be a reason. Edit: It could just be a lovely school in a remote city that nobody wants to work in. But try and figure out why they can't get a native speaker. 

 

If you want to go ahead, I think all you can do is put your CV out there, apply for as many jobs as you can find, and see what happens. But I'd have an alternative plan ready. 

[ChTTay 805]

Mungouk - not sure about that. It’s been pretty strict for a few years now. 

 

If OP is a fresh grad too (name) then likely doesn’t isn’t over 23 either. 

 

Problem you have is that a lot (most) people that say they can get you a Z visa and residence permit probably can’t (even if they believe they can). They’ll probably ask you to come to China first. Then you run the risk of getting messed around while you’re in country.

 

I’ve seen people just scramble from a few different people and schools trying to get a visa. Usually ends badly or I’ve met a few people at these agency types. My ex-colleague who was from one worked 6 days a week at two schools. 

 

Best option would likely become a qualified teacher in your home country then apply to work in international schools.  

[roddy 4,523]

Also (and this would still be hard) maybe look at possibilities for teaching "English for computing students" or something, rather than just ordinary English teaching. 

[fresh-graduate 2018 0]

yes actually thats what i am thinking of being  more of a STEM(Science Technology Engineering Math) teacher but more on the computer aspect. I want to be more like a computer teacher so that i dont just come across as a subject teacher not a language teacher.

[matteo 13]

I often hear mentioning that the term "native speaker" used in this context (teaching english in China) can actually mean "western-looking English speaker holding a passport from UK/US/AUS/NZ etc". Is that not true?  

 

I'm curious as that applies to me and I'm considering the idea of teaching English in China.  

 

 

[Shelley 1,606]

I think they mean a country where English is spoken as the first language.

[NinjaTurtle 111]

North American College at Jiangnan University has hired non-native-speaker teachers before. (They are desperate to find teachers. They also hire "old" teachers and black teachers, which other colleges refuse to do.)

 

It is important to note that North American College is a terrible place to work. But if someone needs a paycheck badly enough, then I guess they should apply.

 

Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do, in order to pay the bills.

[Mannng 12]

I was in Shenyang two weeks ago and I was taken to the English School attended by the 10 year old son of my friend's sister. I met the "British" teacher... who had a decidedly German accent.

He said he was from Bristol, to which I replied "oh, is that in Yorkshire?", and he said it was.

Now I'm Australian and my UK geography is crap, plus Google now tells me that Bristol is definitely nowhere near Yorkshire. Still it amused me to find out the truth.

Basically I think they just hired "the white guy".

 

[li3wei1 425]

Many Germans speak English better than many native speakers. Plus he would have studied the grammar as an outsider, so he'd be in a better position to explain it.

[Flickserve 776]

Those arguments will forever keep going back and forth. 

[Mannng 12]

Li3wei1 - that's a valid point, and the guy certainly spoke a native-level standard of English.

But apparently the parents "expect" the teacher form be from America or Britain, so I suspect there was a bit of deception going on.

[feihong 399]

Was this “British teacher” blond, blue-eyed, or both? Chinese schools tend to put a premium on appearance when it comes to foreign English teachers. If he looks the part, that’s all that matters for the recruitment brochure. Also, I have to guess that Shenyang is not a choice destination for most foreigners. Given the bitter winter, the pollution, and lack of economic growth relative to other Chinese cities, they have to take what they can get.

[道艺黄帝 10]

I'm in SH, at one of the major adult training center chains, and I've been seeing a massive influx of South African teachers as of recently, especially ones without European roots (Indian /African roots). The talk of the employees at these centers is that they can't seem to bring in enough teachers to keep up with demand, and South Africa seems to have been producing plenty of native English speakers ready to jump ship and leave SA.

 

Neither in my experience talking to students nor in these teachers' does there seem to be any sentiment against these center teachers. Then again, I haven't been outside of tier 1/1.5 cities much, so I'd imagine it's not really comparable to the rest of China.

 

Back to OP, I will say I know some buddies who are in a smaller city (still well over a mil, small for China's standards). They are at a preschool training center, and he seems to say there may or may not be even a single teacher there with the standard expected credentials (bachelor's, previous teaching experience, native English speaker). They seem to have a decently compensated gig with far less hours than I work at the adult center. That being said, should the gov't take a fine-toothed comb to their situation for even a minute, I doubt they'd last.

[ChTTay 805]

There are always exceptions. A school somewhere unpopular with good guanxi locally. It’s just finding these in amongst those school who will mess you about or reject you. Also, you don’t mention if any of them have legit residence permits. 

 

Lots of people from SA here too. Not just English training centres but also International Schools. I get the impression the pay and conditions for teaching over there are especially bad.