What will my working schedule like in training center?
If you teach English in a training center, you can expect to teach up to 25 hours per week plus 15 hours for office hour. These 25 hours will be spent in class teaching, and you will spend the office hour in school lesson planning, providing student feedback and sometimes helping students. Your working week is usually five days, with two consecutive days off. In your first year, you will also have 5-10 days of annual leave, as well as 11 days of national holidays. This will give you enough time to take short trips on your days off, and travel during your vacations.
I have never lived abroad before, will it be difficult to adjust?
It shouldn’t be too difficult to adjust, normally a training center have 5-10 or even more foreign teachers in one campus who help and support each other. After your social network for teachers to ask questions and look for assistance. Along with that, we have organized social and cultural events for our teachers most of which are free, to help them meet other teachers and to understand Chinese culture.
How do I conduct classes when I cannot speak Chinese?
Normally a Chinese teaching assistant will attend the class to support foreign teachers in the classroom, help you manage the students and handle kinds of situation.
Can I still apply a teaching job if I don’t have prior teaching experience?
Definitely! We encourage anyone who is interested in becoming an English teacher to apply through us. Applicants with less than 2 years teaching experience are required to obtain a teaching certificate (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, etc.) prior to teaching. It takes 2-3 weeks to complete the course and we will assist you along the way. If you have experience working with children, whether tutoring, teaching, coaching, or babysitting, we feel confident that you'll be able to adopt the skills necessary to instruct a successful class very quickly.
What is the average size of the students per classroom?
This depends on the schools amount of students. Training centers can teach one-on-one or groups from 3-15 students. Public schools in China typically seat 50-60 students per class.
What are the general age range of students?
The Age range of your students varies depends on which school you apply for. Below are typical age range of different schools.
Training Centers: 3-18 years old
Kindergarten: 3-6 years old
Primary school: 6-12years old
Middle school: 12-15 years old
High school: 15-18 years old
Do I need to stay at school to perform office duties?
Yes, teachers are expected to stay during office hours. Some schools are less strict about it.
Will I be required to travel between different school campuses?
This depends on the school. If you’re strictly at a training center, you are only required to travel to the training center. If your school requires you to teach at public schools AND a training center, you will travel between the training center and public schools assigned to you.
If so, is transport provided or reimbursement for travel costs?
Some schools provide transport and some schools offer reimbursement with a valid taxi receipt from the driver.
How do I do shopping in china?
Baopals/Taobao
When you are living in China for any length of time, you will hear about the miracle that is Taobao. Taobao is a website much like Ebay where locals go to buy cheap goods. There are a couple of different websites like Taobao, but this is the big one!
The only thing is, it’s all in Chinese, which is great if you are trying to learn, but if you want something quick, there is an alternative! Baopals is a site that has been working to translate items on Taobao for a small fee usually serviced with the shipping cost. Search, read, browse, and order in English from the comfort of your couch! This can be quite a dangerous site for your bank balance!
WeChat Pay/AliPay/Union Card
When you order your items online from Amazon.cn, Taobao, or even your VPN, you might come across WeChat Pay, AliPay, or Union card access. WeChat pay is incredible.
WeChat is a messaging app on your phone and can be used as a source of payment for food in food courts, items online, top up your cell phone’s sim card, or if you want to give your friend some money you might have borrowed.
All you have to do is connect your bank card to your account and you can do all this by scanning QR codes. Connecting your bank account might be a tad difficult as they write your name a bit funny at the bank and you have to figure out exactly how they wrote it.
Most likely, it is your last name first, then first and middle, all in capital letters. It’s definitely worth the convenience to find out!
How do I go about finding an apartment?
The school teacher support team will help you to find a suitable apartment and they will accompany you to make inspection of apartment, communicate with landlords, and until you find a satisfied one and sign your lease. Usually you will be arranged to live in a hotel for free for the first week after your arrival
What is housing allowance and how is it different from salary?
Housing allowance will be paid together with your salary. It is tax-exempt if an invoice is provided.
What facilities are typically included in the apartment?
Usually the apartment will be fully furnitured, including kitchen, Western-style toilet, shower, completely furnished, bedroom, living-room etc.
Is the apartment a shared accommodation or single?
This depends on the contract offered. In big city sometimes you need to share a two bedroom apartment with another teacher since the rent is expensive, but in middle sized city or smaller city you will be provided a single apartment.
The Cost of living in China ?
Living ExpenseAverage CostFood undefined DrinksRestaurant lunch/dinner: 20 - 80 RMB ($3 - 12 USD) Drinks 2 - 10 RMB ($0.30 - $1.50 USD)Activities30-minute massage: 40 RMB ($6 USD) Monthly fitness membership: 150 RMB ($22 USD)TransportOne-way metro fare: 3 RMB ($0.45 USD) 20-minute taxi fare: 25 RMB ($3.70 USD)Utilities200-400 RMB per month ($30USD - $60USD )Internet900-1200 RMB a year ($135 USD - $ 180 USD )Rental2,000-4,000 RMB per month ($300USD - $600USD ) Most landlords in China require a 2 month deposit for rent. There will also be an agency fee of typically ½ -1 month’s rent.
What do I do if I need to see a doctor?
The school will assign a Chinese teacher to accompany you to the hospital if you don’t feel well.
Do I need to learn Mandarin before coming to China?
It is not compulsory but it is definitely an advantage if you can speak Chinese. We will organize regular Chinese classes for our teachers. Come along, learn Chinese and make more friends.
How can I learn or study Chinese before arriving?
When first moving to a new country it can be useful to know a couple key phrases or words in the new language. You might consider food items, how to order the food, directions, or how to get to a bathroom when you need one.
You can start practicing your reading with Chineasy, practice listening and speaking with Chinesepod and learning vocabulary with Memrise. You can test your speech, writing, memorization, and grammar with Hello Chinese.These resources can be found here:
www.memrise.com http://www.hellochinese.cc/
Can I apply at any time during the year?
Yes. We hire all-year round, so you can apply whenever you’ll be ready to work abroad.
What should I do if I want to know more about teaching in China ?
Don’t worry, everybody has questions it’s understandable. The best thing to do is contact with us by email or wechat, so that we have all your details and can make sure you meet the visa requirements. Once we know that, one of our recruiters will contact you for an initial chat before moving to interview. This is the best time to ask all your questions and get more information about teaching in China.