Q & A

The basic qualifications are: being a native speaker of English, having a minimum BA degree and commitment to teaching, loving China and its people. Clear, well-spoken English and a good knowledge of the fundamentals of English grammar. Teaching experience and/or certificate is preferred but not a must. For those interested in a long-term career in ESL teaching, however, it is strongly recommended that teaching qualifications be attained.

Teaching conditions in China vary from school to school, but normally you will be teaching 16 to 20 hours a week. Class sizes vary from 15 in private training centers to 60 in public schools. On average, however, classes will have about 40 students. Normally, you will not be provided with the luxuries of a western classroom, and often the blackboard and a piece of chalk are your only teaching tools, so it is vital that you are a person with a imaginative and creative personality. Although it might seem challenging, the experience is highly rewarding and will give you a different perspective on life.

.We can recommend English teachers who are interested in year-long positions, semester-long positions and, through our volunteer program, short-term and summer teaching positions. What makes our service different is that instead of having to make a choice back home, we will give you a range of positions to choose from within a couple of days of your arrival. From our office, you will have the chance to talk to the different schools directly and make a more informed and considered decision, all of this with our staff on hand to give any advice or guidance needed.

we are different from most other schools and agencies. We do not offer you non-existent jobs or jobs that have been offered to dozens of other applicants. Most schools use different resources in hiring a new teacher. Often when you come through other agencies and schools that will offer jobs, you will find when you arrive that for some reason the position promised to you is no longer available, as that particular school hired another teacher through another agency or by themself.

Most teaching positions start in September and some in February/March (the beginning of the spring semester, depending on the Chinese New Year), so we will have more positions available in August and January/February compared to the rest of the year. The schedule at private institutions is a little more flexible than that of public schools and universities. Most of them accept teachers on an on-going basis. Due to the fact that demand exceeds supply, there are usually a number of positions available at any given moment.

Most of our partner schools are well experienced in hosting foreign teachers and will make every effort to assist you in settling in. As long as you keep an open mind, stay as flexible as possible and set out to enjoy your stay you should have the time of your life. In the days that follow your arrival, you will have the opportunity to learn more about what to expect from our staff and other foreign teachers.

One aspect upon arriving is the culture shock. Even though China is looking more and more modern upon first glance, you have to remember that you are in a different country with a significantly different culture. A positive attitude is important. You will have to be careful in traffic, you cannot drink tap water, and don’t expect the Chinese food to be the same as in “Restaurant The Great Wall” back home as most of overseas Chinese food is based on the Cantonese kitchen, but heavily to Western taste.

No, we do not charge for our placement services. Other charges may be incurred (Private Chinese lessons, company sponsored trips, etc)

If there are any charges we will let you know upfront before you arrive in China.

A tourist visa allows a foreigner to travel to China, but it does not permit a foreigner to work in China. To obtain a work visa, a foreigner has to be sponsored by a Chinese company or organization. Upgrading a tourist visa to a work or business visa is a normal procedure in China.

A medical exam is required in order to obtain a foreign expert certificate and a work visa, and this is performed in a local hospital. It takes about one hour and the cost is often reimbursed by your school. Two passport photos are needed for the exam.