Because there is such a large variety of educational programs available after school for Chinese students and their parents to participate in, the Chinese Ministry of Education has made the decision to implement some regulations to ensure that the programs that are provided are of a high quality and adhere to a set of predetermined criteria. Because of this, there is no shadow of a doubt that this is a positive thing, since it ensures that pupils will be instructed by trained professors who are employed by trustworthy firms.
Nevertheless, the fact of the matter is that these brand-new restrictions can have an effect on you, depending on your history. In contrast to the situation that existed prior to the implementation of this policy, in which there was a significant amount of ambiguity regarding the eligibility of individuals to work legally as teachers in China, there are now clear guidelines that all online recruiting companies are required to adhere to. To be eligible for employment as an online English instructor for a firm located in China, you need to fulfill the following prerequisites at a minimum:
TEFL credential with 120 hours of training
Clear record in the criminal justice system
Bachelor’s degree
Now, it is crucial to note that these regulations were put into place in order to keep Chinese enterprises responsible. However, it is vital to remember that these standards do not necessarily apply to companies headquartered in other countries. Even though the majority of companies will have criteria that are quite similar to one another, it is still very essential to read the credentials that are mentioned on each job advertising very carefully in order to verify that you are an eligible applicant.
The last two conditions that are specified here, a clean criminal background check and a bachelor’s degree, are rather easy to understand given that the government wants to make sure that you are both competent and responsible. But before we get into it, let’s take a quick look at the first need, which is a TEFL certificate that is 120 hours long.
What exactly is a TEFL certificate, and where can one be obtained?
TEFL means for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and it is often used interchangeably with other certification acronyms like as TESOL and CELTA. If you are new to the ESL industry, TEFL may be a new acronym for you. TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (though there are differences you can read about here and here).
The majority of TEFL programs are structured around a 120-hour curriculum that is meant to provide you with a foundation in the art of teaching English to those who are not native speakers of the language. You will hear from more experienced teachers, have access to resources and insights for developing lesson plans, and often even receive some hands-on experience teaching via the use of a practicum. Even though these classes require some financial outlay on your part, you will likely see a return on your investment if you want to teach English professionally either online or in another country.