Working in china
Thinking about living and working in China?
We interviewed Rhian, and what her personal experience of living and working in China was like.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT GETTING A JOB IN CHINA?
This was my first TEFL job after completing my CELTA and I first applied to a large international education company, but after some more research and thinking about what I wanted, I found a position through Gold Star TEFL Recruitment, who put me in touch with SEAIE (now called Teach Discover China) who arranged my placement at a university in Sichuan. I would really advise doing lots and lots and lots of research; talk to as many people as possible who have taught in China to hear about the many different types of experiences on offer. Some people I spoke to worked long hours in kindergarten academies but made a lot of money and had amazing apartments, other people, like me, worked at a public university with enough money and plenty of holidays to explore Sichuan and beyond. There are of course plenty of scams, and if an offer seems too good to be true it probably is! With a degree and TEFL qualification, getting a job itself is very easy, but there after comes the admin; medical checks, police certificates, visa applications etc. I asked an untold number of questions to SEAIE and they were really patient and supportive throughout.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU MOVE AND BEGIN WORKING IN CHINA?
Before I moved to China, I watched a lot of YouTube videos and nearly all of them advised to ‘go with the flow’ and I would also recommend this. The way things were organised and the circulation of information was different to what I was used to, and although I had great support, it was at times confusing or frustrating. It is just a different way of doing things so just breathe and go with the flow.
Like all new places, a way into a country’s culture is getting to know some local people. I had so many fascinating conversations with my students about their perspectives and hopes for the future. The language barrier is significant so they aren’t always so forthcoming, but when these conversations come along, listen listen listen – there’s so much to learn!
Something I found surprising and frequently overwhelming was how friendly and generous nearly everybody was. There was a lot of staring, but I experienced some amazing hospitality; a stranger giving me dumplings on the Great Wall; lunch bought by my new sleeper train buddies; a random family inviting me to their dinner table when they saw I was alone. Yes, all food related and all brilliant.
Another thing that took me by surprise was the scale of China. I’d heard from people who had visited go on about the size of the country but I couldn’t really understand it. Until I arrived. There were 40,000 students at my university, Beijing was over 1,600km away and my unheard-of city had a casual population of 5 million; the scale of the country was incomprehensible. Everything was just large and informed my whole China experience. Expect epic journey times and epic crowds.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WORKING IN CHINA AND WHERE DID YOU WORK?
At my job I taught classes of about 30 freshmen and sophomore students conversational lessons including modules in Public Speaking and British Parliamentary Debate. I was also responsible for assessing and grading my students at the end of term, which was slightly daunting, but thankfully I was surrounded by more experienced colleagues who were able to help. There is a wide variety of jobs, hours, salaries and benefits available so I would really recommend doing as much research as possible. Legitimate jobs will sponsor your visa, so you shouldn’t be applying for anything less. Lastly, depending on where you live, costs in China are generally much cheaper and your salary can go a long way.
HOW MUCH MANDARIN DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO LEARN BEFORE STARTING THE JOB?
I took an evening class for about 6 weeks before I left and downloaded all the prerequisite apps, but I was in no way equipped for China. Luckily there were plenty of students and fellow Chinese teachers who spoke English and could help when needed. Like most TEFL jobs I wasn’t required to speak the local language and so all my classes were taught in English resulting in some creative challenges at times. I continued to learn Mandarin throughout my stay and was approaching survival Chinese when I left 6 months later. Outside the university and hostels on my travels, I encountered few people who spoke English and a lot of conversations at train stations required translation apps. But I found it an exciting challenge and it encouraged me to make an effort to learn. Mandarin is a difficult but not impossible language to learn, and gaining the small amount I did was really interesting and gave me another (tiny) insight into Chinese culture.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE DESTINATION OR EXPERIENCE IN CHINA?
Spending time around Guilin, near the karst mountains in Yangshuo and the rice fields in Ping’an, was probably my tourist highlight. Off the back of a busy sightseeing week in Beijing, I found myself cycling along the river Li early one morning with the place pretty much to myself. Living my best Eat, Pray, Love life. The next week in Ping’an a group from my hostel walked through the rice fields at night to look at the Milky Way; all very beautiful and impressive. Another highlight was going to a favourite restaurant near my university campus on a Tuesday evening, having just played badminton with some Chinese teachers, ordering my usual noodle dish in appalling Chinese and being struck by my ordinary routine in a new and fascinating country.
by Rhian
