How can i be a Chinese teacher in the US?

[xiaoyan1985]

Hi, everyone, my husband and i met in Shenyang where we spent almost six yeats together since we were in love. Now we are working on my visa, its in the process. i might be able to immigrante to the US at the end of the year.

i worry about job a lot. i have a banchlor degree for English in china. i have been teaching english privately by myself since 2012. i guess there won't be a lot of job choices for me when i go to the US. my english is ok, i guess i can get around with it. so i wonder if anyone can tell me the following question s?

1.How can i become a chinese teacher in public or private school? what are the requirements?

2. How can i get a teacher license?

3.is chinese a desirable language to learn? How will the private tutoring go?

4. What else can i work as when my only skill is speaking chinses?

Can anyone tell me your working experience in the US,please????

[msittig]

My wife is working as a Chinese teacher at a private school here in California, and my cousin's wife is finishing her California teaching credential and doing student teaching.

 

1.How can i become a chinese teacher in public or private school? what are the requirements?

 

To work in a public school you will need a teaching credential (license) for the state where you live. The process is different for every state, but you can almost always find information online. In California we looked on the website of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Then we looked at public school jobs listed on Edjoin, which lists positions across the US.

 

The requirements for private schools depend on the school. Most want a college degree and teaching experience, but Chinese teachers are in demand so the requirements may be lower. To find a job, you can register with a recruitment agency like Carney Sandoe or search by yourself; in California, we found many private school teaching jobs listed on the website of the California Association of Independent Schools.

 

2. How can i get a teacher license?

 

Every state has its own credentialing process; some are easier than others. In California, getting a teaching credential involves taking college classes for several years and doing many hours of unpaid student teaching. This was not feasible for my wife because her English is not good enough, and not feasible for me because I am the primary wage-earner in our family. So we only applied to private schools.

 

3.is chinese a desirable language to learn? How will the private tutoring go?

 

Chinese is in demand in California, where a lot of our economy depends on trade with Asia, and Chinese immigrants are plentiful. In some areas it is replacing French/Japanese/German as the foreign language of choice after Spanish.

 

We have no experience with private tutoring, but another option you can explore is teaching at Chinese Saturday schools for children of local Chinese and Chinese-Americans. We found a few hourly position around Southern California at this kind of school, but some schools were more professional than others. If you end up having to design curriculum, my wife and I recommend the "Zhongwen" textbook/workbooks.

4. What else can i work as when my only skill is speaking chinese?

 

Medical/court translator? Chinese restaurant cook or waiter? Otherwise I'm not sure...

 

Having observed my wife and cousin's wife enter the world of teaching in America, I would like to answer one more question:

 

5. What is the hardest thing about being a Chinese teacher in the US?

 

The most difficult thing that we have run into is the differences in workplace and educational cultures between China and the US. In China the workplace is a pretty relaxed place where people can have comfortable relationships and personal conversations with co-workers, but in the US you are expected to be professional and careful about what you say to other people, to show how hard you work all the time and never complain or talk about how busy you might be. Attitudes toward classroom education are very different in the US. In China, students are generally quiet in class and respectful of the teacher, and pushed by their parents to do well academically; in the US, we've found students need to be entertained and constantly reined back in, and will openly question the teacher during classtime. It has taken time for my wife to adjust to this type of workplace and classroom, as much as she loves being with students and supporting them in learning Chinese.

 

Also, I would recommend that you try to find work tutoring the children of foreigners in Shenyang. This will give you some experience teaching Chinese, and also expose you to the kind of student you will be teaching in the US.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited October 13, 2014 by msittig (see edit history)

[Catherineli]

Hello Xiaoyang, I'm also Chinese. I've not started working yet but I did get an offer in 2012. I visited a university and talked to the chairman of the Literature Department. As soon as I started talking to him about myself, he asked me to teach Chinese for his department. He even didn't ask me if I had some kind of degree. I asked him if I should have a teaching license. He told me "no", not for a university. From this simple experience, I got the revelation that Chinese language is indeed needed in America;universities don't require teacher's certificate. But higher degree may be one of the criteria in the credentialing process.

 

I suggest that you try some universities first before you work out a teacher's license. You'll do fine! Many Chinese women whose English isn't so strong as yours are doing very well. You'll surely fill the bill.

Wishing you the best!

[Randy W]

Hello Xiaoyang, I'm also Chinese. I've not started working yet but I did get an offer in 2012. I visited a university and talked to the chairman of the Literature Department. As soon as I started talking to him about myself, he asked me to teach Chinese for his department. He even didn't ask me if I had some kind of degree. I asked him if I should have a teaching license. He told me "no", not for a university. From this simple experience, I got the revelation that Chinese language is indeed needed in America;universities don't require teacher's certificate. But higher degree may be one of the criteria in the credentialing process.

 

I suggest that you try some universities first before you work out a teacher's license. You'll do fine! Many Chinese women whose English isn't so strong as yours are doing very well. You'll surely fill the bill.

Wishing you the best!

 

Yes, I believe that qualifications for a teaching assistant are pretty much left up to the professor who would be responsible for your work.

[Catherineli]

HI Mr. Msitting, I read every word of your post here and learned something from you! Now I've some questions for you,

 

1 As far as you know, what're more requests to the teachers in addition to "stop complaining about too busy"? Are there any pressure that the kids have to pass a certain score otherwise the teachers are to blame?

 

2 I like to befriend the kids so after they like me, my job will be easier. How to "conquer" the disrespectful students then? Would you do if you were me when seeing a leg or two putting on the table by a big boy? What would you do if the kids laugh at your English accent? I want them love me and fear me both.

 

3 How about the clothes requirement to the teachers? I don't mean the social basic expectations.

 

4 May the teachers go home after teaching a couple of hours at school before the normal off time? The students are not having Chinese class all day long, anyway.

 

5 Does your wife discipline those who are often late for class and those who don't show up?

Sorry, I've asked too much!

 

best regards,

Catherine

[Catherineli]

Randy, Do you discipline Chinese students for some certain things? I must work out a good way to deal with some big boy students in America. I guess I won't have problem with them, but still I'm preparing myself mentally.

[Randy W]

Randy, Do you discipline Chinese students for some certain things? I must work out a good way to deal with some big boy students in America. I guess I won't have problem with them, but still I'm preparing myself mentally.

 

I only taught for one year.

 

Usually a glare was enough to get someone to pay attention who was distracting others. One guy kept his cell phone out, however, until I just wandered over to look over his shoulder. I didn't say a word to him, and didn't see the phone after that.

[dnoblett]

To answer your questions.

 

1) It really depends on where you will be settling and community,

 

For example my wife taught at a Chinese language school for a year or so that was hosted at a local public school on weekends. http://www.csrochester.org/ No formal license needed for this type of work.

 

If you wish to teach at a public school or college, then a degree and license may be required depending on state. Many states require bachelors or masters degree and all states require a license to teach at a public school.

 

2) Licensing is determined by the states, requirements vary.

 

3) Again depends on where you will be living, but sometimes you may be able to find work where you can work from home and do work that requires bi-language skills. I know one Chinese lady who works from home doing a job that needs Chinese/English skills.

 

My wife has a job where she is receptionist for a Chinese foot massage business, her English is better than most so it is easier for them to have her deal with the public.

 

My wife was much like you she taught English.

[danb]

Ni Hao. I agree with most of the other posters. Requirements vary a lot. In the public schools I think there is much more regulations where in the private sector the regulations are much more unregulated.

 

I had several Chinese teachers when I was in school. They were all women. I like them a lot. Their teaching style was often different than say an American teacher. They all seem to a have a gentle style to them. An almost motherly persona to them. They were all very encouraging. They seemed interested in the student. On the other hand I once had a Japanese teacher. She on the other hand had more of an old New Englander teacher stricter style about her Strict, business like and a bit cold. Not really like other Japanese women that I knew outside the classroom. One thing that I liked and also little disliked about my Chinese teachers were they were always full of very encouraging praise. With that praise I would head down to a local Chinese restaurant to order me some delicious General Tso Chicken. Could never quite understand why the waiter never understood what I was saying and then they always want me order in English. What do you think, were all these guys maybe were all from Mongolia or some other far away corner in China and they could only speak some lost forgotten Chinese local dialect? The Chinese teachers were trying to give me encouragement about my pronunciation but I think they kinda failed in letting me know that I needed to work on it more. A lot more. DanB

 

PS around local colleges and universities there may be a great demand and need for new Chinese students to help integrate into the American education system. Possible tutor and mentoring work? On my last trip back from China I sat next to a new student coming to the US for his first time. Nice kid and I enjoyed talking to him. He was going to study somewhere in the Detroit area. It was interesting hearing what he thought he was going to find in Detroit vs what I thought he was going to find in Detroit. We talked about school, weather, clothing and his English pronunication.

Edited October 13, 2014 by danb (see edit history)

[Catherineli]

"Usually a glare was enough to get someone to pay attention who was distracting others. One guy kept his cell phone out, however, until I just wandered over to look over his shoulder. I didn't say a word to him, and didn't see the phone after that" Randy's way is the most common way to the university students in class. That's why I prefer university job. A Chinese woman shared with me that in her American high school class, she simply couldn't let a boy's leg off the table. We think it very rude to see someone's foot on a table while teaching. I'm intimidated with American teenagers.

As for how to be a "boss", I totally agree with you guys, "it depends", True, the relationship depends on the teacher's personal charm. Danb's experience with Chinese learning teaches me that a teacher must be honest or at least can't overflatter her students while encouraging them.

Is dnoblett Charles? He gives us more information outside of school campus. So teaching is not the only option.

Xiexie ge wei !

[Thomas Promise]

Randy, Do you discipline Chinese students for some certain things? I must work out a good way to deal with some big boy students in America. I guess I won't have problem with them, but still I'm preparing myself mentally.

I have 3 cousin that where teachers here in the USA. They had a simple formula in handling students. They would make friends with the biggest boy in the class and award him teacher's pet. They didn't have too many problems in their class rooms for over 30 years of teaching.

[Catherineli]

lol-----

Destroy the leader and the gang will collapse.

To catch a snake by the head is good advice.
To catch bandits , first catch the ringleader.

[xiaoyan1985]

Thank you so much! All your amswers reallu helped a lot. I have another question, like some schools requirea bachelor degree, i have a bachelor degree in china, which is English for teaching, is that ok? Or i have to get american bachelor degree?

[xiaoyan1985]

Thank you so much! All your amswers reallu helped a lot. I have another question, like some schools requirea bachelor degree, i have a bachelor degree in china, which is English for teaching, is that ok? Or i have to get american bachelor degree?

[dnoblett]

Typically you would be required to have your degree and transcript evaluated by an at acrediting agency, and more than likely would need to attend some college. Degrees tend to not transfer easily.

 

http://www.spantran.com/academic-evaluation-services/chinese-degree-evaluation-services/