Teaching in China

[Randy W]

This is an interesting piece on Expats teaching in China from CCTV - interesting that they (CCTV) would post it on YouTube, which is banned in China. I see they even have their own YouTube channel - CCTV News.

 

You NEED both a residence permit and a work permit, which requires foreign expert certification BEFORE you start teaching. A new requirement for that, as of 2 or 3 years ago, is a bachelor's degree - one of our members even finished up his bachelor's degree so that he would be eligible for a legitimate teaching job.

 

Expats unqualified for language teaching in China?

 

 

As more expats seek jobs in China as foreign language teachers there's a growing need for supervision in China’s language teaching market. Currently, many foreign teachers in China are not as qualified as they claim.

 

[Mick]

As a former "Foreign Expert" teacher in China, I can see how the government needs to provide more stringent guidelines on who they allow to teach in the schools over there, particularly the schools that teach young children. Back when I first went to China (1997-98), there was either no real requirements for teaching English, or there was no enforcement of whatever rules that may have existed. Pretty much the only qualification needed was being a native speaker. This led to numerous problems and a wide range of "expertise" when it came to language instruction. Also, there were more than a few "foreign experts" that had no clue as to the basic rules of grammar, etc. I was fortunate in that the university where I taught had very strict guidelines and in most cases, required a Masters Degree in either English, Education, or a related subject. I taught courses in English Literature, but my main work was teaching in the graduate program in Journalism.

 

Randy, it has been eleven years since we left China and I am sure that the market has changed a lot since then. Back then, if you could breathe you could find a job. I would be interested to know, what is the market like now for English teaching jobs? I have heard that there is a real over-suppply of applicants for each position. Is that the case? Back in the late 90s, it was almost impossible for some schools in second tier cities to find teachers.

[Randy W]

It's changed, for sure, since they've de-emphasized English somewhat as a requirement. I know the University here has never had trouble filling their teaching positions.

 

I expect that as long as you're qualified with at least a bachelor's degree and teaching experience, that you won't have any trouble finding a job. I know the day care across the street from us (our grandson goes there) has their own foreign teacher for English, but I have no idea what his qualifications are.

[Mick]

I truly enjoyed my years teaching in China, although I know some folks who had some negative experiences as well. I suspect it all depends on the school you are at and, if you have one, your Waiban (Foreign Affairs Officer). They can make or break your China experience, depending on their character and motivations. I would love to go back and teach for a year maybe, but my health issues won't allow such an endeavor. Heck, I can't even go for a visit and my docs tell me getting on a plane would be akin to Russian Roulette for me. They gave me a report that said folks with my level of lower extremity edema had a 90% chance of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis on any flight over two hours. Still, I am interested in how the trends are going as I frequently consult with folks who are heading over there to teach.

[Randy W]

I truly enjoyed my years teaching in China, although I know some folks who had some negative experiences as well. I suspect it all depends on the school you are at and, if you have one, your Waiban (Foreign Affairs Officer). They can make or break your China experience, depending on their character and motivations. I would love to go back and teach for a year maybe, but my health issues won't allow such an endeavor. Heck, I can't even go for a visit and my docs tell me getting on a plane would be akin to Russian Roulette for me. They gave me a report that said folks with my level of lower extremity edema had a 90% chance of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis on any flight over two hours. Still, I am interested in how the trends are going as I frequently consult with folks who are heading over there to teach.

 

It seems like fewer are heading over to do that these days, but that also means that I'm hearing a lot less.