Unless you have a very clear concept of what you’re looking for before you begin, ESL job searching online can be a little overwhelming. There are thousands and thousands of English teaching tasks in China, numerous companies and schools hiring, and the nation itself is a massive place!
Teaching contracts are typically 1 year full-time or summer internships, and you’ll find English teaching tasks in China to teach kids, teens, university students and grownups. Your class sizes, working hours, and teaching salary in China will all depend on the kind of school you work in
What type of schools are there for English teaching jobs in China?
Public schools in China
Chinese trainees get in the public primary school system aged six or seven, although lots of attending kindergarten before this. Secondary schools are often divided into junior (for 12-14-year-olds) and senior (for 15-17-year-olds) intermediate schools. Academic accomplishment is a pathway to social mobility in China, so moms and dads and teachers set high expectations for students.
Teaching English to Chinese students in Chinese public schools is from Monday to Friday. They generally lead four 45-minute classes each day, with office hours on top for lesson preparation, meetings and English clubs. Classes can consist of up to 60 students (with a teaching assistant) and the focus is usually on spoken English. Public school ESL teachers take 11 days’ national holiday throughout the year, plus two longer holidays in the summer and winter seasons. Public schools in China often only have a couple of international teachers making operating in them an immersive cultural experience.
Take a look at Kimmie and Rachel chat about the advantages of Working at a Training School in China Video
Independent schools in China
Kindergartens
Numerous kindergartens in China are beginning to teach English to assist prepare trainees for primary school. With students as young as 2 and a half, lessons are focused on teaching English through video games, songs and activities, and students might learn just one or two words each lesson.
Teachers in kindergartens can anticipate working 20 hours a week or more, consisting of hours at weekends. Class sizes will depend on the specific kindergarten
International and boarding schools.
International schools and boarding schools are typically found in big cities in China. Trainees are aged from three to 17 years old and tend to be kids of foreign workers or rich Chinese households. Class sizes and mentor wages will vary from school to school. Term times will normally align with the general public school sector.
As all classes at worldwide schools are normally taught in English, foreign instructors may need to teach topics besides English language. Students frequently want to study at international universities so the curriculum normally follows worldwide programs such as the International Baccalaureat or the Cambridge International Examinations
Private language schools in China
Education is a big focus in China and numerous students and adults research study English as an after-school activity, outside of work and school hours.
In private language schools (also referred to as training centres) English instructors usually work nights and weekends, when trainees have ended up work or school, and will typically teach more hours than in public schools. Classes in private language schools are normally around 12 students. Private language school instructors typically get 11 days of public vacation, plus 2 or three weeks getaway to take at a time of their picking. Personal language schools such as First Leap, ABIE and Scholastic English utilize many worldwide teachers implying there is sure to be a large English language community. Take a look at our video on teaching adults vs children for more details.
Online Mentor Jobs in China
Some private language schools likewise provide contracts for English instructors to teach online in China. Jobs are normally based in huge cities, but might involve teaching trainees from all over China individually or in small groups. Some business such as VIPKid and DaDa offer lessons solely online, and others such as EF also provide face-to-face English lessons
Universities and Colleges in China
There are public and personal universities in China. Students that get the best results in their end of high school examinations are enrolled into public, government run institutions and others who still want to pursue higher education pay to go private. There is frequently the chance to teach big undergraduate classes and smaller graduate ones.
English teachers are typically contracted to teach around 20 hours a week, plus preparation time.
Private Tutoring in China
Like most nations, your migration status defines the work you can legally carry out in China. In a lot of cases personal tutoring is considered prohibited in China as it indicates working beyond the contract defined by the school or organisation that sponsored your Z visa. Nevertheless, agreements are negotiable and many English teachers in China make contracts with their visa sponsors allowing them to teach private students. This arrangement will normally be composed into your contract with conditions, such as not tutoring trainees from the school.
If you can tutor, classes will typically be one-on-one or in little groups and effectively paid.