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teaching English in china

Hi friends so today I am coming at you with the video that I’ve been meaning to make for a while now because I know some people were interested in knowing about my experience teaching in China what to say on this topic so I’m not going to be addressing by everything in the city came to which is you apply to the program give them a list of preferences of location and age group that you’d like to teach and a place you with an agency in China which then places you into a public school is a public school that the benefits of using a program like this are you going to be working in a public school so you’ll generally have much hours and somebody who’s working in a private school you get reimbursed for your round trip ticket to China so you get reimbursed going there and coming back at the end of the year you’ll also get a rent free apartment so you have to pay utilities but you do not have to pay obviously you don’t get to choose the apartment yourself but the apartment that we were given my roommates and I was very nice and very big and I know this because she is like a smaller city in China and we were in an area that was very far from the city centre so we had a very nice apparently I wouldn’t say that the wages paid is be high but it’s definitely a livable wage especially when you consider that you’re not paying rent on your apartment you can definitely live comfortably with the teaching salary and still put away money if you so please you can also spend it all classes were generally an average of 40 children and I thought grade one now my preference was to teach high schoolers but I thought you’d agreed one that we saw B&Q is an average age of 7 years old it is their first year in school I just not really that used to like being students you know what I mean when we first started my agency called a meeting for another contact teachers and administrators of Oliver skulls basically making sure that we were on the same page and during that meeting or agency told our schools you need to give the teachers for teaching grade 1 a teaching assistant in every grade 1 class and you cannot take that teaching assistant away because these kids are just too young it’s just not going to work if you’re there is no teaching assistant in the classroom to my school from that meeting my contact teacher turned to me and said can we try for the first week having a teaching assistant and maybe you know maybe it’s because they know invited her out on field trips and they just all sound really nice and one day one day they were so they got a bit but they were teaching assistants in her classes so they were able to help me whenever they got to Audi A8 Wandsworth the students which was weird because that’s what happened at my school I would he wanted like other faculty and at the end of the day or contact me kiwis that was really sweet the 15-minutes before not knowing this I cannot ignore the thinking it was a mistake and I ended up being 10 minutes late for my class teachers at my school were very aggressive very aggressive the way they made should respect them was first year which is not something that I personally agree with and since the children do not fear me they do not respect me in the same way the respected respected their Chinese teachers and it’s also a huge reason why I had so much trouble keeping them in there were couple classes that I had where the teacher would occasionally sit in the back in grade papers and whatever they were present in the room the students were very well behaved that I would run out of things to teach them because so much of my time was spent trying to keep its students under control for the one downfall of having one in particular at the back of the class was that she also denied mainly there to teach conversational English and it’s really hard to teach conversational English when your students don’t have even like a baseline knowledge english you know I had TEFL training agency gave us in China was geared towards people who are teaching High School there was no information on how to teach students as young and inexperienced as my students were something that was really weird to me that china dolls when you have to miss school for a day or a few days they make up the days on the weekends say that you have Thursday and Friday off one week the following week you’re coming for an extra day on Saturday or Sunday to make it up which I found really bizarre and having a few times and it’s just a normal thing in China and I don’t think that you if you are going to be a foreign teacher is that your agency or school or someone is probably going to try and get to the same this time with great fondness and I do intend on going back to teach so it really did not scare me I don’t hold any real negative feelings towards my school or at work send you the teachers that I work with like I said I actually feel really lucky to have a job experience depending on what school you teach at the lowdown on my experience working at my school and teaching the children like I said if you’re interested in a video about the application process arrival my early experience teaching experience living in China email one of the really good idea because without them is very difficult in the language which unfortunately is let’s move on to Spain where we are English for three years anywhere between 700 to €1,000 hours of work a week is that is on the side around Europe visa to live in Europe which is very difficult for EU citizens after 3 years you can apply for residency in Spain and video about our experience program that the cost of living in she is a little bit more expensive than other countries so is the quality of life but it’s probably worth it is India tropical work to Indonesia a country of 18000 islands incredible scenery from especially for people from the Philippines where English is widely it is always used and it sounds very American actually in the Philippines news countries where English is very very widely used as that is what the situation is in the teaching English industry around the world are going to pay you to be an English teacher they are trying to give their customers with their clients with the students what does people want and that means there’s a little bit of a preference for certain countries as well as racism because in the Minds of people who are learning English around the world world what does an English speaker look like they often think about the thing about popular culture and people who speak English in popular culture movies music things like that and so the people who hire English teachers are trying to please those people were using their teaching services whether that be a private Academy or public school program so that’s why there is a lot of frustration or round the industry from non-native English speakers stigma attached lemon because of perceived racism nonetheless I’m going to give you some advice on how to overcome them but check out the link below for more information on this and other countries that do and don’t have restrict what expectations you should have the timing always good things that we want our teachers to school would be a you to show me that you can teach me that you can teach if you don’t have a demonstration class video already for example if your new teacher and you’ve never talked before in your life you can just create a very simple demonstration teaching video with the link that I provided via the article below that be very powerful and it shows that you have committed that you have knowledge of basic teaching techniques that explains that you can anybody can do it no experience include those three things are going to help as he or she is english language learning and teaching there is an obsession with the native speaker and recently spoke with someone who explains exactly why that has to stop matic Hitchcock back from TEFL equity advocates this interview is essential viewing for anybody learning English especially for non-native I hope you enjoy it the job for native speakers and the very very common in English language teaching and lots of us have seen them as well language schools advertising themselves that they have made in response to that you know I started this campaign to promote professionalism in English language teaching that you know it’s not your mother song that makes you a good teacher or your nationality is your skills experience and training that makes a good teacher so the website now has a has a Blog there are training courses learn how to boost chances of getting high from from there are resources for teachers would like to promote equality and also practical resources to use in the classroom for for teachers and weekly blog do you think that the majority of this problem comes from do you think that it comes from the students who wants native speaking teachers or is it from the employers who only want a high mega speaker features do you have any idea maybe where’s the root of this problem is I don’t think there is a single root of the problem because if you look at something very similar let’s say sexism right to the idea that women are for example not suited for certain jobs because we think of them as week for example it’s very difficult identify what’s the root cause of that but there is just one of many factors I think that involved in perpetuating this idea that native language models better teachers definitely at the way schools advertise themselves right because if you are around your base in Spain right I believe you go round any Spanish city and look at how long will it be between you and me people have been disappointed with how little they have learnt in public schools right so people studying English for 7 years in public schools and they come out and they still can’t speak English and you know that but there’s all sorts of people who are proficient in English but they don’t they don’t know how to teach your rights and another point to have to make is that it also depends who you want to communicate with and I can understand that is too maybe go and live in Sydney right and and moved and completely integrated into that Society you probably need a teacher it was very familiar with the way people use English Insignia speaker from and non-native speakers is very familiar with that most of you and most people in the world use English for international communication when you’re in Spain from England made some Americans as well as plenty of Polish people jammers Belgian French people Italians coming to Spain and they will be speaking English to you because not everybody knows Spanish right in that case actually knowing some colloquialisms of some specific expressions from a native speaking country that only the speaker will know it’s actually a disadvantage because if you use them you’ll likely to confuse people just as confused as me because they use specific expressions from a specific region in Spain and I just don’t know that my family my wife giving them at least that’s what you need to have some sort of Central certification salsa Belter Trinity sad advantages as a teacher what can you bring to the table because we’ve been talking so much about why native speakers are supposedly better teachers right and all the language schools market themselves like that as well but I think you know the amazing English students to give you one example the fact that you have learnt English to the highest possible level is combined with with your qualifications and experience as a language teacher because you know that process of learning and allow you to better understand your students and the struggle that they’re going through you’ve also struggled with learning the present the same as students but you’ve managed to overcome this problem and surely you’ve developed Solutions practical Solutions that are not based on something that you read some of these Solutions Bisson something you’ve done yourself right and I think that’s really really powerful you know when you have for example students that for example rights developed countries such as Spain below be as an English teacher so many free resources available to you and I mean on the other hand that say is maybe language and they also told me that they are all starting to change the the hiring policy standards a while back some are doing it now and they haven’t really seen any drop in plants a lot of initial and some of them were understandably worried when they started doing it 15 years ago you know in small cities for example in Spain while having a British flag to be sold your your school life but what it involves is is changing everything everything about how you market your school so at the schools that have talked to and it’s you know it’s over 100 employers they removed any reference to native and non-native from their promotional materials from different countries so I think so I think I think that that might happen and you know in from a business perspective I honestly think that if you focus on hiring qualified experienced professional skills language teachers regardless of where they from you looking at yourself just especially in the ear you need teachers working in the Britain and Ireland basically very very nice of you can just imagine how you open yourself up to all the teachers from the EU if you’re a language school owner in in Spain before you’ve been missing out on some incredible language teachers that you just even have a look at the TV because they were non-native speakers with more highly qualified staff and I think so I think first class I’m going to do something a little bit different is an absolutely fantastic way to learn vocabulary and to absorb all of those those grammatical structures of them to observe them being used in a natural way and ethical and about how to be better people and they made music soft grass for a the gossip 4 hrs but Bertha and Briggs whenever contents on money and Riches there two minds were Bennett there was so many wonderful things they would do only then would they really be happy they knew they set off for the town the noise of the traffic alarms the two peaks but perfectly entitled to the but the cause of the trouble just could not be found the Long As He struggled the matter he got a spare parts they wanted to do everyday it’s like a story about something you know you think that you will be happy if you have money and things you know and then you get those things and you realise that doesn’t make you happy that you just want the simple things right moan and complain I wish I had my vocabulary is based in onomatopoeia where pigs live look at the two parts call Mum for what do you think if you are from probably when you when you were apparent very good friends exactly the type of person that you would tell his gossip to buy so when you’re talking to them when you’re doing all this gossiping with people who are close to you with your godparents he is bent I am bent on becoming the best English teacher in the world kelvin with the end of his snout snout have different names for the butt my favourite thing is how because he is another route and that gives us so much for February so here we go and clutching the trust they set off for the town the noise of the traffic alarmed the two pigs and Bertha plum tights to the Trotter of look at this week so the clean and then we have clutch similar thing animal because you windows 4 hours games in Italian which was which mariah Carey Glitter watching sorry Mariah exactly it’s a cat on the floor I will give you some cash if you will find this Simple Rules when you pay you see because this is full of jewels it’s not related to Joy shopping spree help me if your friends help me here so so is 7 years ago quite well what is the difference between the lowest point on the wave and the highest flight so the showrooms was not very far but they hurried to buy an expensive new car this model is the latest the car salesman said in the head please good writers break the rules they use language in unexpected ways it’s not about being safe tornado in a day it’s just not probably really they went to bring some pictures of houses just pigs the house with most charm I think the mafia is going to hunt you down my friend don’t talk about that bailey and very good behaviour which means he did nothing in particular like looking around she is cleaning the house so both called dinner and red he made some phone calls and they watch tv in there now feeling breathless with nothing to do with busy preparing a stew the very important thing in in in Spanish in French in French and I mean a hot bath if you go to Turkey with all of the Steam turkish man a type of ingredients made the vegetables in a pot with water and boil 4 hours lock is is the name for a group of sheep maybe you know this word from the word which means I care and repair with the comparative adjective and then the further the worse the pain electronic or mechanical devices that that we don’t know and this comes from Sainsbury’s so there is a word in French which is a part of a lock stand anymore grabbed yes the vegetable garden gates for a role in the markets in the mud the toothpicks couldn’t wait to be careless and free and to run play was all they wanted to do everyday that night as they lay gazing up at the sky again gazing with love enjoyed enjoyed reading a book in a hallway hello everybody and welcome to another English class today as you can see here at my desk and explain why early because I wondered if I wondered if any of you had any questions about yesterday’s class about about the vocabulary class that we were talking about that’s why I started a few minutes early so that I can hopefully answer any questions you have about some vocabulary hello to everybody here there’s some students here who’s been who’s been here for a long time today I would got a letter with gods crab and salmon words what motivates teachers and and how teachers can survive doing such a difficult job on the answer is the answer is whiskey what about the passion the same as yesterday the same as yesterday at the end of this class I’m going to be talking to some students via Skype so if you have Skype install telephone or on your computer and find me the search for me ok is my email address info at kangaroo english.com search for me and you find me and hopefully later on hopefully later on we can chat yes absolutely has any questions about about yesterday’s class so that’s good so let’s get started there was there was a guy who proposed something called the noticing hypothesis and he said that I’m noticing as one of the most important things that you can do in language learning but unfortunately his his hypothesis has never been proved and and one of the reasons is probably because it’s a very difficult to test something like that notice and what exactly is noticing what is it how do we test if it works is it conscious or subconscious noticing it’s a very difficult thing to test but we do have we do have some other science which what does tell us about the importance of noticing and actually actually I’m going to talk about this this is the name of the paper fortune favours the bold and the italicised effects of this fluency on education and this was published in cognition if you watched any of my previous life glasses then you know that my my handwriting is really bad it might be the worst handwriting in the world maybe but what was interesting is that this research proves that my terrible handwriting actually helps you to learn English so I’ve been looking for an excuse for i’ve been looking for an excuse for my terrible handwriting and I think that today I have it right so so let me let me tell you a little bit more about about this paper this paper what they did was they talk text I took some different text and they had the text in a kind of normal a normal easy to read fonts like maybe like Arial or something like this and then they took the same text and they put it in another fonts like comic sans comic Sans and and what else are which which are fonts which are very well you can see a couple of examples here in the in the title of this paper you can see the for example this is a very unusual front here and this is also unusual and and what was that when the students read text with a kind of difficult to read font difficult to read font they remembered more of the text and we need to ask why that is ok now they do explain you know why in this paper but I want to I want to ask you the question so who here which one of you who has a theory as to why you would remember more if it was difficult to read any any ideas and ideas about this why is better if the font is difficult to read why would a difficult to read text better so basically is actually broken so you’re flowing with the text and then boom your your your phone is broken and and and according to them the reason that that it makes the text easier to remember is actually because it reduces your confidence so I think about that so it reduces your confidence you feel less sure about what you’re reading so your brain goes ok so my terrible handwriting and this is evidence write my terrible handwriting helps you to focus and helps you to learn and the reason I’m sitting at my desk today is because we are going to to cut a butt by using our powers of concentration I want to show you how you can study Alone by yourself and really you know really am really learning a deep way so I’m going to simulate you in your house Reading some text now yesterday yesterday I asked about what people were interested in because as as I showed yesterday ok when when we talk about things in class that that students are interested in then you know that that just engages you a lot of people yesterday said they were interested in history so I I just happened I just have them to have I think this was my old school book from history from Australia a profile of modern history now personally I hate history I couldn’t think of anything more uninteresting in history but my job is to teach what you were interested in you know a good teacher doesn’t focus on being in the front of class and talking about what they want to talk about a good teacher is focused on what the student wants that’s actually what is so I chose a random a random paragraph from this book and the chapter the chapter is the second idea they are the chapter is the second World War II World War my goal is to show you how one little paragraph about history can really tell you an incredible amount of things about the English language and you can also be actually really interesting and if I think that history can be interesting then I promise you that anybody can find the history interesting ok so the first thing I want to do is I want to read this paragraph second world war was fought not by throwing repeated human waves against the enemy but by men and shapes submarines and to a lesser extent aircraft and tanks used in the first world war but in the second world war battles were decided by tanks motorised troops heavy artillery anti submarine aircraft and aircraft carriers both widened the front of battle and gave warfare a new mobility using a supported Shipbourne invasions Japan extended its way over a vast area of the Pacific in 1940 exploiting the speed of the tank and motorized Infantry Hitler’s generals knocked France out of the war achieving in 6-weeks the cost of 27000 lives what had eluded the German army during 4 years of bloody trench fighting after 1940 paragraph in the world ok let’s go and let’s be entertained by this cos there’s plenty to be entertained by so let’s engage our noticing hypothesis rather than rather than read this of the first the first time you know we read this text we read this text we absorb the message now let’s let’s let’s notice notice so I have a question the very first sentence that was very bad Christian so you should be carefully i’m going to try and put some pressure on you can anyone tell me which verbal tense the sentence is in so no no let’s have a look at it easily identify the passive because the passive is always the same structure ok the passive is always to be plus the Verve in the card is support that is that is the passive it’s always the same so you can see here we have the verb to be was and then we have the verb forms in the participants now that’s that’s not particularly interesting so my question is because this is a question why is it in the passive why not use the active or maybe have used the passive voice again because the door is not important ok and because the action is done by people ok then we don’t talk about the subject and it says that someone is telling the story so again watch out for that is not a history it’s a story and we don’t know who made it or maybe the right I didn’t want to say it exactly books about Style and say the same thing they say you should never use the passive voice if you can use the active voice and and you know one of those books for example is the elements of Style by strunk and white which is the most assigned textbook in the United States basically if you go to school in the United States then you have read that book the problem with that book is it’s full of terrible prescriptivist old-fashioned thank you but instead of the active why because because of the exact reason that the altimeter and other people have said because there’s this idea there’s this idea that the passive voice is for cowards you know what that means for chickens for people who are weak and pathetic and afraid because because when we use the passive we don’t put any responsibility on the subject right so here if we look at the text right the second world war was fought now the question is who did the fighting well you could say you could say for example the Americans the British the Germans the French that fought the second world war we could do that or we could say you know people thought the Second World War it’s not it’s not because there’s too many different subjects in this case is not thing with noticed one little thing everything is

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Spending Money in China! How much RMB do I need to live?

How much do you spend per week in China ? How much do things cost ?

How does RMB compare to USD ? Is it value for money ?

Is it cheap to travel or buy food ? Check this Video out from Steven Ayy

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Teaching in China without a degree? My thoughts

Check out this excellent insight and sound advice from black girl in the rok .

 

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5 Countries With Huge Demand for ESL Teachers

ESL teachers are in high demand all over the world. This allows a great opportunity for travel. It also guarantees a job and experience like no other.

Some countries need teachers more than others. If you were ever interested what those countries are, please continue reading and find out.

1) Vietnam

Teaching English in Vietnam is still one of the most memorable experiences. Vietnam tends to be the greatest growing market for ESL teachers, in all Asia.

This may not come as a surprise for those who were following the trend. As Vietnam’s economy has seen a boom lately. This opened up a lot of opportunities for ESL teachers.

This all is a good thing as you will find plenty of amazing things in Vietnam. Things to do and to experience. The salaries are respectable. While the costs of living are low, comparable to other countries like Thailand.

2) China

At the moment, China is the second largest economy in the world. Their population is well educated. As a country, they invest a lot in higher education. There is some basis in the truth about that stereotype.

It is no wonder that China is the biggest and largest market for ESL teachers in the world. The salary is not as high as in some other countries on the list. Despite that, it is the country where finding a job as an ESL teacher is easy.

You can be employed by a private school or company. You can find a job in a public school as well.

3) Taiwan

If you are interested in teaching in an urban environment of major cities, Taiwan is a place for you. The demand for ESL English teachers is not as high as in China. Nevertheless you will have enough opportunities.

The jobs are all in cities like Taipei. A metropolis is known for its amazing museums, giant skyscrapers and much more.

You might eventually get tired of concrete jungles. If that happens, you should be glad to know that Taiwan has some of the best beaches in the world. If you travel inland, you will find untouched mountains. Places ideal for bike rides, hiking, or even mountain climbing.

4) Japan

In recent years, Japan has seen an influx of freshly graduate ESL English teachers. As the requirements for getting a job was increased, the number of teachers has decreased.

These numbers are not large, or noticeable. As more and more new teachers came to live and work. That is not surprising considering that the salaries for ESL teachers are one of the highest in Asia.

There are more reasons to teach in Japan than just the high salary. The food is one of the best in the world. The people are some of the friendliest you will find.

Consider that many foreign English teachers have left Japan in the wake of the tsunamis, earthquakes and the Fukushima. Despite the problems, it is still one of the safest countries in the world.

5) South Korea

South Korea is becoming more and more popular among foreign English teachers. It is not surprising, considering that the salary is comparable to that in Japan. The benefits that come with the job are often even better.

It is considered that South Korea is the best destination for ESL teachers who want to start with high income. As not only can they earn considerable salaries, but they can also earn a lot from private lessons.

South Korea is a safe country with a lot of unexplored potentials. It allows teachers to take it easier. As the market is not as competitive as it is in Japan. Or even in China. While the country retains all the benefits found in those countries.

Conclusion:

The choice of the country you want to travel to is up to you. This is a small sample of the ones we consider the best.

It always depends on what is it that you are looking for. Job safety, or excitement. High salaries, or easier jobs. It also depends on your experience. As it might be more difficult to start working in more competitive environments.

There is always an option of teaching in more than one country. If you feel really adventurous that is.

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Rating TEFL Jobs

We have added a new way to investigate Job post and recruiters on this website. When you visit a Job post page or recruiter page you will see a Star rating option and a Facebook Comment Field – so now if you have a strong disagreement with the job post or serious questions – or maybe you just really like or even love the job post you can make your self heard by indicating your Love or Loathing on a Star Rating Index or a Facebook Comment.

So now if you’re NEW to TEFL so can benefit from the experience of others by reading their ratings and comments. Its a dangerous world out there and we hope to provide you with as much info as possible for you to research and weed out the hidden clauses or down right scams.

You can see the comment section below and the Star rating above each post (including this one). Also the Highest rating Job Post will appear on the top of the Jobs List.

The Highest rating Job Post will appear on the top of the Jobs List
The Highest rating Job Post will appear on the top of the Jobs List
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Teach English abroad : Indonesia

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While it was always my intention to live for an extended period of time in another, completely alien country, I never thought it would be in Jakarta, Indonesia. I thought I was quite well-versed in Geography, yet until a few years ago would have struggled to identify it on a map, let alone provide another with a brief outline of the culture and environment. Upon completing University three years ago, where I admittedly had a very good time, I was very apprehensive about dedicating myself to a particular career straight from graduation, a route which so many of my friends have courageously attempted and more-often-than-not, succeeded at. I, however, lacking a certain self-confidence and only a vague identification of a chosen career, knew it was approaching an approachable time where I could finally cut off and accept my own full responsibility and safety, something which had been introduced at University but with the umbilical cord of living in the same country. English had also always been my academic strong-point and travelling, like most, a developing passion over the past few years. Originally applying for South Korea, I was eventually alerted to Indonesia.

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The exact reason I cannot recall, but I remember there was an early morning advert for the country on a now obsolete English travel channel I managed to catch upon returning from a late-night shift at a bar I was working at the time. I had completed an intensive TEFL course alongside my studies in my final year of University, pre-empting the possibility of teaching abroad. I had the philosophy that even if I didn’t use it immediately at least I had an additional skill under my belt. The process to apply to Indonesia was a lot simpler than the one I had encountered with South Korea, but I think this was mainly to do with their desperation for English-speaking teachers and a lack of comparative stature. I was informed I had to provide my TEFL certification, Drug and Health checks, and a couple of references. The Education First organisation was quickly introduced to me and I was contacted by the head of the franchise group based around Jakarta. I was determined to reside in Jakarta more than any other city after being informed of the diverse and fairly immersive social life and its upsurge in economic and political standing, as well as a vibrant expat community that would allow me the freedom to become as familiar with local people but also have a foundation of similiarity from like-minded people.

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I was contacted pretty soon after submitting my documents with an early morning phonecall (6 to 7 hours time difference between Jakarta and England at different points of the year) and after initial questioning about both personal and academic questions was offered a position in the North part of Jakarta, in a more Indo-Chinese residing community. I was provided with the basis of my contract which would be signed in Jakarta. I was to be paid approximately 10million Rupiah a month, taking away 1million for the housing that I was to share with other teachers. That amount of money equated to around £600-£700 when I first started 2 years ago but has now increased which the exchange rate. After 2 years my wage has increased by 2million with the potential to increase further with various promotions offered. There are also bonuses for travel time to the schools I might be placed in around the city, as well as expositions and events that appear on the calendar, and now bonuses for working Saturdays if you choose to. The usual working hours are between 20-30, depending on the amount of teachers available at any given time, with around a month’s worth of holiday time to organise the various holidays in the Indonesia calendar (it’s worth looking at the Ramadan holiday in particular to attach onto), with full reimbursement for my flight over every year and a contract break of 1 month (negotiable). I have now moved further away from Education First with a school they deployed me in over a year ago, working between the hours of 8-1 every other day. Working in a city school provides great satisfaction; the students are appreciative, attentive, and receptive and I’ve built great connections with the principal and the other local teachers. I have been privileged to experience an inner-city school, improve my teaching, and notably my English-teaching understanding, and have a healthy social, adventurous life as well.

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Teach English abroad : China

If the 20th Century was an American Century, then the 21st looks set to belong to China. But rather than making everyone else learn Chinese, they’ve decided to learn English! Which is great news for TEFL teachers…

Training & Experience
A respectable TEFL qualification can go a long way! China is one of the biggest TEFL hotspots with a huge demand for English teachers… but experience and training counts for a lot. If you want to get one of the best paid jobs, you’ll need top TEFL training and/or teaching experience. Remember, i-to-i TEFL offers you internationally recognised TEFL courses as well as internships in China to give you solid teaching experience!

Education Required
China can be a tricky one! To legally work in China,
you require a university degree for work visa purposes. However, many programmes exist to enable non-degree holders to live and work in China. The Teach in China Internship is a great example as it’s open to people educated to the age of 18. You can learn more about the Teach in China Internship here.

Teaching Types & Opportunities
TEFL jobs in China can be found in a number of different settings, from state schools and kindergartens to one-to-one tuition and private language schools. The rise in demand for business
English classes in particular is due to more employers taking advantage of the huge growth that the Chinese economy has seen in recent years. If you hope to work in universities, you’ll probably need a degree and a recognised TEFL course.

Money
Currency: In China, the official currency is the ‘renminbi’ (RMB) and you will often hear the ‘yuan’ referenced as well. Yuan refers to the actual currency units, such as dollars, pounds or euros.
Salary & Perks: Like any job in any country, salaries
will always vary, but here’s a basic guideline for you. Private schools will generally pay higher (10,000 RMB)
than government schools (about 8,500 RMB); additionally, salaries will always be higher in the bigger cities and for the more experienced teachers. Sometimes your employers will also offer you accommodation, flight reimbursements and bonuses!

Cost of Living: The cost of living and your lifestyle choices go hand in hand! If you’re not looking for a 29th story penthouse in the centre of Beijing, you should be fine! China can be a really cheap TEFL destination for the westerner, especially if you choose to live like a local, using local transport and going to incredible local restaurants. A bottle of water can cost less than 5RMB… roughly 15 US cents!

Top Cities

Beijing – An obvious choice really. The capital city is home to around 22 million people with more people streaming in every day. It is one of the key centres for international business and the demand for TEFL teachers is high. It is a relatively easy place for Westerners to live in with a big ex- pat community to help you settle in.

Shanghai – The city boasts the world’s largest cargo port and is considered to be the most important commercial center in mainland China. These factors, and also its status as a tourist destination, have fuelled a huge demand for English teachers – especially those with experience of, or certification in, teaching business English.

Kunming – The capital of Yunnan, Kunming is home to the headquarters of many of Yunnan’s biggest businesses, which creates a huge demand for English teachers. It is also regarded by many as one of the more pleasant Chinese cities to live in due to its location high in the mountains.

Destination Types & Weather
China is a massive country with a very diverse landscape, so the climate will change as you travel across the Yangtze River as well as during the year. With cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers, you’re in for the best of both worlds!

Food
Dishes vary between regions, but typically there is a great variety from restaurants to street stalls. Chinese food is traditionally based on opposites, which is a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy. It is not unusual to find hot and cold food paired together along with pickled and fresh or spicy and mild food.

Things to try:
Skewered bugs, butterfly cocoons and rats from the night markets. Also, the ‘thousand-year-old eggs’ are not for the faint-hearted! Coated in red earth, garden lime, salt, wood ash and tea, these eggs and stored in airtight containers for 100 days!

TEFL Here If…
You want to sample a new culture whilst having the relative safety of Western escape routes if things get intense. You’ve got to be motivated to get out there and TEFL to a high standard and make new friends in a bustling environment.

China

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Teach English abroad : South Korea

South Korea_SMALL

Teaching English in South Korea

“It wasn’t the best deal but I was happy ….. 2 years later I was working 3 days a week for a prestigious university, getting paid 3.5 million a month with 5 months paid vacation.”

After I graduated from NUI Galway with a degree in Physics I decided it was time to start my world travels. I didn’t want to take the usual Australia or USA travel and work route. I wanted a new culture, new experiences and to be totally out of my comfort zone.I heard about Korea and how you could get jobs teaching English there. I always liked English and figured I’d make a good teacher.
I enrolled in Bridgemills Language Institute in Galway and started my CELTA course. As soon as I finished I moved home for a few months and started looking for jobs in Korea and decided on a job in Pohang.The next step was the red tape ; Sealed transcripts of my university results, an apostilled copy of my degree, a police back-round check and a basic interview in the Korean embassy. After that it was easy, I booked my ticket to Korea (which was reimbursed upon arrival) said goodbye to my parents and hit the road.I was pretty anxious upon arrival but was picked up by my school and taken to my new comfortable and free accommodation. The first few weeks was daunting but teaching is a quick learning curve and before I knew it I was confident in my job and teaching ability had made plenty of friends and my life in Korea had taken off.The job paid 1.7 million won (1,700 USD) a month for 40 teaching hours
It wasn’t the best deal but I was happy and had more than enough money to save for my travels and have loads of fun.
But like in every job in every country there are ladders to be climbed and after a couple of years I was working for a University earning 2.5 million a month (2,500 USD) and getting 3 months paid vacation a year to feed my travelling urges and also visit my family.2 years later I was working 3 days a week for a prestigious university, getting paid 3.5 million a month with 5 months paid vacation.
The rest as they say is history…….

S.Korea