How to Teach English in China
Teaching Jobs in China
If you are looking for information about English teaching in China then you are in the right place.
Today, China is emerging as a global financial force, and as English is the established global language of commerce, science, entertainment, and aviation. It stands to reason that a primary focus of the Chinese government is improving English competency amongst its citizens.
That’s me having FUN teaching in China
They say that as many as 400 million Chinese people are studying English, which is one-third of the country’s population, and the value of the English-training market is estimated to be US$4.5 billion annually.
Great Opportunities
This offers excellent opportunities for those interested in teaching English in China or indeed those wanting to know how to teach English in China.
The English language market is growing fast, and many new positions are becoming available for those wanting to teach English in China.
Cost of Living in China
Although prices are generally rising, the cost of living in China still compares favorably to most industrialized countries. Eating out or even local food shopping and buying produce from the Chinese markets is still very affordable. Although they price things by the 500 grams, rather than 1 kilogram.
In the major cites there is a wide range of regional cuisines and eating out is the often best way to discover this variety and this is something you can do a lot of in China because it’s not expensive.
The cost of transportation in China is also inexpensive and the public transport is excellent and taxi rides are very reasonably-priced, (less than a cup of Starbucks) even if the experience can be somewhat harrowing at times.
Clothing is also very affordable and you never see anyone wearing the same clothes. Long gone is the standardised clothing from a previous era. Everyone dresses relatively modern and for more on clothing you may like to see my post here.
It Can be an Interesting Experience.
Mostly the people in China are friendly, and they treat you like someone special and will go out of their way to smile and say hello to you.
I remember in my first year teaching, way up north in Changchun, Jilin province, where they were not used to seeing foreigners and many times the people would stop and stare at you, even come up and walk around you, almost touching you, especially young children. People would even give up seats on buses for you so they could get a better look at you.
So much Delicious Food
Others would take photos with their phones and groups of teenagers would want photos and selfies with you.
Restaurant owners would want you to come in and they would seat you by the window and insist upon giving you your meal for free to get you to come back again and be seen by their customers.
These are not the sort of things that go on in the major cities like Beijing or Shanghai, as foreigners are a dime a dozen there, but it certainly makes for an interesting experience in the not so popular cities and lesser known locations.
It could even be a little intimidating being treated like a rockstar and having people stare at you out of curiosity, although for me having experienced a little momentary fame in a past life, I was amused by the attention I received just for being a ‘foreign‘ person.
China at a Glance – Quick Facts
China is considered to be one of the longest continuous civilization in the world and one out of every five people in the world is Chinese. They invented paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing.
“China consumes twice as much steel as the US, Europe and Japan combined and has recently undergone massive infrastructure development, and its economy has been among the strongest performing in the world over the past few decades. Everywhere you go you will see new buildings and infrastructure”.
Capital: Beijing
Population: 1,339,724,852 China is also the fourth largest country in the world.
Language: Mandarin Chinese
Currency: Renminbi (yuan) (¥)
Climate: Varied: wet/dry seasons
Government: Nominally Marxist–Leninist single-party state.
Religion: No really – perhaps; Buddhism, Taoism
Time Zone: Despite its size, China has only one, time zone.