A few years teaching English may have passed, and you’ve decided that teaching adults in China is where your career is headed, and you’re ready to take the next step. You may be a total novice in this field, but you already feel ready to take the next step in your career. Teaching English to adults and doing it in China are two of the biggest hurdles you’ll encounter, no matter what.
TEACHING ENGLISH TO ADULTS IN CHINA HAS ITS PERKS
CHINA’S LIVING COSTS ARE AFFORDABLE.
Cost of living in China is much cheaper than in Western nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as Sweden and Germany. China’s cost of living is 44.53 percent cheaper than that of France, for example. Shanghai has the highest cost of living index at 53.15. Everything becomes evident when compared to the cost of living index in New York City (100.00).
As a result, it’s possible that you won’t get paid well. TEFL-certified instructors in China may expect to earn between $1500 and $3300 per month in the United States. It will pay for most of your bills, and you’ll be able to live well on that wage. You’ll be able to save a lot of money since the meals and lodging costs are quite inexpensive.
ADULTS ARE SIMPLER TO TEACH THAN CHILDREN
It is difficult to educate children if you have ever tried. Even if they can speak another language, they are difficult to control and inspire. You have to come up with weird games and activities to get them to learn while they aren’t even aware of it.
There will be lectures and conversations while training adults. However, you won’t have to be concerned about it too much. People in China are quite disciplined when it comes to education. A Chinese student at an international institution is likely to have impressed you with their intelligence and dedication to their studies if you’ve ever met one. As a broad perception, this is correct.
Disciplinary efforts will be minimal with these kids. Because they desire to improve their language skills, the majority of them enroll in English-language lessons. Motivation, not discipline, will be the primary focus of your efforts throughout this time. You’ll have their attention after you describe the benefits of learning English, both professionally and personally.
Period.
CHINA IS BREATHTAKING.
It’s a question of personal taste as to whether or not you enjoy cities. You’ll like city life in China if you don’t mind the hustle and bustle.
However, China’s beauty is not found in its cities. It’s all about its enigmatic character and the remote settlements that want to be discovered. This trip will allow you to experience some of the world’s most stunning scenery.
Then there’s the Great Wall. The history of this nation will astound you.
The drawbacks of teaching adults in China to speak English
You probably don’t understand a word of Chinese, and your students aren’t going to be able to communicate in any English with you either.
Faced with a classroom full of pupils who don’t understand a word of English, you’ll be in a tough spot if you don’t know Chinese. To prepare for this, you’ll need to take some basic Chinese courses before heading to China, so get started now.
The benefit of this is that you will learn Chinese from your pupils as they learn English from you. Both sides benefit from this!
CHINESE ADULTS ARE HARD TO GET TO DISCUSSION
You’re coming from a school system that encourages open dialogues and debates. In school, you’ve always been told that speaking out and asking questions are the best ways to learn more. That’s not something that Chinese folks are accustomed to. For this reason, as well as the fact that their educational system is lecture-based, they will address you quite professionally and be unwilling to engage in debate.
In this case, teaching is done in an entirely new way. You may strive to modify that, but you must recognize that the formal attitude about instructors is strongly ingrained in Chinese people’s culture.
Learning a foreign language is more difficult for adults.
There is no other language quite like it. People who have spent their whole lives exclusively speaking Chinese have a limited grasp of the nuances of other languages. You’ll have a hard time there. Your pupils’ pronunciation and remembering skills will be lacking.
Adults often struggle more than children to pick up a new language. Despite this, it’s a positive thing that Chinese folks are eager to improve their language skills.
A REAL PROBLEM EXISTS IN THE FORM OF POLLUTION
The landscape of China is breathtaking. You’ll be able to take in the beauty of nature as it once was. Cities, on the other hand, are quite different. Photos of individuals wearing masks on the street are not contrived. It’s a fact of life.
Even Nevertheless, China is a vast nation with just a small portion of its territory contaminated. Choose your teaching position carefully, and consider the impact of pollution on the environment.