Where is it best to teach English in China?

There are a variety of various sorts of ESL employment available in China, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Determine where you want to teach English in China and you'll be able to limit down your options while looking for teaching positions.

Here are some choices for you if you want to teach in China:

Centers for English Language Training in China

The most prevalent ESL employment in China are found in "English training centers," which are institutions that specialize in teaching English as a second language. These training institutes often have many locations around a city and may be found almost anyplace in China.

Aspects to consider: Training Centers are often used as after-school English programs, and the ages of pupils at these schools may vary from four-year-old children to individuals in their fifties. Every day, you are often teaching several levels, which for some individuals may be more intriguing than teaching the same class for a whole semester. Additionally, class numbers are quite small (you can expect ranging from one-on-one instruction to a maximum of ten pupils) and manageable.

The fact that the curriculum at training centers are normally set out for you means that you won't have to come up with your own lesson plans is another perk of working there. In addition, in these schools, there is often no homework for you to grade on your own. Woo-hoo!

Cons: Keep in mind that the workload at training facilities might be really heavy. When I worked at Web International English, I was able to teach as much as 25 hours of lessons each week. Due to the fact that training centers are open all year, you should expect to have less vacation time than you would in Chinese public schools and colleges.

Schools for middle and high school students in China

Work conditions at middle schools and high schools in China differ from one another and from one city to the next. The top institutions (such as PGA Edukeys) provide a worldwide curriculum in English, as well as textbooks that may be used to design lesson plans.

Others, on the other hand, may not be as organized and may even need you to build your own curriculum from the ground up (best of luck!). To discover out, you'll have to do your own investigation about each specific institution.

Pros: Working in a middle school or high school has some advantages, including a less workload. While you will have homework and tests to grade, you may expect to spend around 12-14 hours per week on instructional activities. Additionally, you will get a generous amount of vacation time throughout the several holidays and longer breaks that occur throughout the year.

There is one restriction, which is that you may not be compensated during the winter and summer vacations at these institutions (check your contract to be sure). Class sizes may also be rather high, and it is not unusual to have a class of as many as 50 students or even more in a single session.

Finally, these positions are more difficult to come by in China, and they might be dangerous at times. Because these institutions are not affiliated with a national network, they may not be familiar with how to handle international instructors. When applying to teach English in China at a middle or high school level, it is advisable to speak with an experienced foreign teacher who is currently on the job.

Teaching English as a second language at a university in China is comparable to teaching at a middle school or high school level. You may expect to have a similar amount of work (12-15 hours per week) and to get the same big holidays off as everyone else. These positions are also famously difficult to come by, owing to the great demand for them among international workers.

The biggest distinction between ESL employment in high school and university settings in China is in the pay scales offered. While middle schools and high schools in China pay quite well for ESL teachers, colleges in China tend to pay the lowest wages for ESL teachers.