China is the fastest growing marketplace for English teachers in the world. Culturally and economically, china is the country. Salaries are considerably lower some countries, but having a lower cost of living you can still have a fantastic lifestyle. Just do not expect to save very much money. Thing to bear in mind is that many English teaching positions in china will generally have accommodations and return back to your home country included. Those advantages are definitely not typical in other nations anymore. There is a nearly insatiable demand for English teachers in china, meaning even nonnative English speakers will also likely find good employment. The Chinese government remains especially stringent; this is a communist state after all, so ensure to secure your work and employment visa before arriving.
Not all companies are trustworthy so get all your benefits and contract details sorted in advance and do your research on the web. It is recommended to stick with the bigger chain schools or public schools till you get more acquainted with the education environment. TEFL or other teaching certificates aren’t absolutely necessary but they do not hurt. Some prior teacher training will better prepare you to teach and you will have an edge over other applicants. China is a remarkable mixture of tradition slamming against contemporary development. In the bigger cities such as shanghai, you may notice posh shopping districts with high end brand name shops just blocks away from local stores selling complete meals for a couple dollars. Thousands of cyclists on older run down bikes compete with fancy English and China. In some of the posh shopping places you may spend 30 dollar or 40 dollar to get a pot of tea, while five minutes away you can have a four course meal.
Teaching English in china is not for everybody. It can be a significant culture shock and a number of teachers aren’t prepared for the roughness and overwhelming mass of humanity you will face every day. Pollution is also a significant problem in the cities that makes it almost impossible for outdoor exercise or individuals with respiratory issues. For the more daring, china is the only place in the world to be now. Economically, there are excellent opportunities for more entrepreneurial from teaching English in China. A rapidly expanding market with low cost employees will maintain china growing briskly for decades to come. There is still time to ride the boom. Check out this interview with a veteran English teacher in china to find out more.