University ESL Teaching Jobs in China

The highest-paying teaching positions in China aren't found at Chinese universities. Teaching young children or in foreign schools will earn you a higher salary. University employment, on the other hand, come with reduced teaching workloads, less stress, and more time off for vacations. If you're looking for a better quality of life, keep reading...

Jobs as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher or professor at a university are in great demand because of their prestige and respectability. The students are between the ages of 18 and 23 and have a tremendous desire to learn and improve their English skills.

Classes may range in size from six to twelve persons in a small study group to thirty to fifty students in a big lecture. Students' communication skills will be taught in colleges, but professors will also concentrate on developing their writing, presentation and debate abilities. In addition to projectors, laptops, and more recently interactive whiteboards for instructors, universities provide a wide range of educational tools.

How Much Money Can You Expect to Make? Chinese university professors earn an average of 6000 RMB a month, however the amount might vary widely.

What can you do to increase your income?

By working in East China or one of the other regions with low unemployment and typically higher wages, you may make more money than you would otherwise. On the other hand, the cost of living will be greater in this new location. You should keep in mind that living costs in Shanghai and Shenzhen are rather high compared to other major cities in the country.

If you have a Master's degree or a Doctorate, you'll get paid more. My doctorate degree earns me an additional 1000 RMB every month. One hundred and fifty RMB more a month is the value of an MBA.

Retention incentives are common in educational institutions. In the second year, if you elect to extend your stay at your institution, you'll get a monthly bonus of 500 RMB. The performance incentive at my institution is tied to student evaluations. This has the potential to be quite profitable (as much as 2000 RMB a month).

If you're given a position, don't forget to haggle over the wage; you may be able to earn a little bit more. Even more so if you've previously worked in education before.

The majority of teaching positions come with free housing. Make certain it does! A free lesson in Mandarin may be given if you express an interest in learning the language. You'll have to see whether any of them conflicts with your own teaching schedule before making a decision. Even if you don't learn anything from them, seeing how Chinese professors teach is worth your time.

The cost of flying back and forth from your native nation should be taken care of. It's possible to get a free or discounted plane ticket from your school, but it's more common for them to pay you the full fare. Many of them will just offer you money to cover your travel expenses.

Consider using Skyscanner to locate the cheapest flight dates and then shop around for the best deal. Flat-rate travel allowances enable you to retain the extra money.

Universities in China may cover the cost of your visa. The cost of your visa application in your native country may or may not be covered. That's a real bummer, considering that a China visa application via a business like China Visa Direct costs 195 GBP in the UK.

You'll have to pay to get your bachelor's degree and teaching certificate notarized. Fortunately, this is only necessary once. Unfortunately, it's a bit of an investment. It cost me 350 pounds to use Edward Young's services, but they were quick and took care of the legalization process for me.

A police check is also required, but fortunately it is not too costly. Getting fingerprinted as part of the visa procedure may cost considerably more if you don't reside in London or the neighboring counties. Fortunately, the Chinese consulate was within walking distance of where I resided, but this is not likely to be the case for you.