Teaching English in China can be a very rewarding and gratifying experience for people from all over the world.
Teaching English in China can be a very rewarding and gratifying experience for people from all over the world. Facing a brand new culture in first person can reshape the perspective you have on the world and your own life with an abundance of new and diverse experiences you encounter on almost a daily basis. The food, the language, the architecture, the philosophies, and superstitions will all mold together with your previously attained wisdom of the world and create a new and broadened understanding of everything. It truly can be amazing in this sense.
Photo:bing
However, when teaching English in China, you have to be prepared for a few things that may be drastically different from what you might expect in regards to teaching.
No. 1
Training centers want to
sell a foreign face
Photo:bing
No, they don’t literally want to sell your flesh but a foreign face seems to attract wide attention to the parents who will potentially sign their children up for the institution. So, in this regard, you may be forced to be used as a ‘puppet’ to appease the new prospective customers. However, we’ve all met foreigners who love the extra attention.
No. 2
Office hours can be strict
Photo:bing
Office hours are a common practice in China. If you’re used to being paid for every hour you work back in your home country, don’t expect the same thing here necessarily. Usually, a salary will be negotiated at the beginning of your contract for what you will receive every month for the classes you teach but they also slip in office hours which were essentially created as prep time for the classes. However, some days you’ll have finished preparing for your classes quickly and you’ll have to remain lifelessly in the office for hours until a class starts. Certain school will also deduct pay if you skip office hours. Some would recommend working numerous part-time teaching jobs to evade these office hours all-together but they’re not so bad if you have VPN.
No. 3
You need to be aware of fraud agents
Photo:bing
This is a tricky one when looking for a job. It’s best to get in touch with agents from people you trust that have already worked with them because there are some fraud agents out there who simply have no intention on finding you a job but rather just want a quick fix for money from a naïve teacher. There are many WeChat groups where teachers get together and share their experiences with the good and bad agents.
No. 4
Demo classes are almost always required
Photo:bing
Demo classes almost go hand-in-hand with selling the foreign face. For most schools and training centers, you will be regularly asked to perform a demo class for new potential students while the parents sit in the back of the classroom and watch you with inspecting eyes. It seems daunting at first, but in retrospect it isn’t so bad. This school wouldn’t exist without these potential customers and therefore your job wouldn’t exist. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.
No. 5
Many schools will not
pay directly on time
Most schools will always pay honestly and in a timely fashion but you will encounter—if you’re not careful in selecting your job—a number of schools that won’t pay at all. This isn’t super common but what seems to be fairly common—especially for training center—is that they will notoriously pay late. It’s not drastically late but it can vary from one or two days to ten days or so. Just make sure to wash out all the fine details about the school in your contract and it’s always wise you get reference about the school from a teacher who has worked there previously.
Apart from these five realities of teaching in China, the place in wonderful in almost all regards. You will have no trouble finding western food or western shops in almost any major city and you will surely encounter a new experience every day that will forever be implanted into your memory bank for the future. The adventure is always one step away.
