China isn’t just home to the world’s oldest civilization, with a rich cultural heritage (and delicious food). It’s also a great location for new and experienced teachers alike looking to teach English in China.
As the fastest growing market for teachers abroad right now, with an estimated 300 million students learning English, it’s not hard to see why China remains the holy grail for licensed teachers and ESL teachers the world over.
So, why the massive growth in the Chinese ESL industry?
As China’s economy continues to grow exponentially and trade with other countries increases, the number of Chinese people looking to learn English – the international language of business – shows no sign of slowing down.
English language learners in China are also getting younger by the year, as Chinese parents increasingly realize that the ability to speak English fluently can offer their children a better chance of acceptance into universities overseas and a well-paid job in the future. Recent estimates show an additional 100,000 teachers are needed in China right now – meaning there are more teaching jobs in China than qualified teachers.
Without further ado, let’s quickly cover five reasons why China should be at the top of your list of countries to teach abroad.
China is set to be a powerful influence in the global marketplace.
While having international teaching experience, in general, can benefit your resume, it’s an undeniable fact that over the past few decades, China has risen to be a global power player.
This means that having Chinese work experience on your resume can give you a competitive edge in the global job market. Teaching in China also gives you a chance to immerse yourself in one of the most universally useful world languages – Mandarin language lessons are often subsidized by teaching programs in China.
Cultural diversity.
The country is as big as the US with around 56 ethnic groups and lots of regional languages, habits and favorite sports.
There is no such thing as official religion here because everyone has different practices (some have none).
You see, China is extremely diverse and full of wonders – you just need to step outside familiar districts, leaving your prejudices and stereotypes behind.
If you get to visit different regions, you’ll see how diverse and unique their lifestyles, clothing, traditions, and food are.
Even houses are very different – compare high-perched Diaojiaolou houses, boat-shaped village huts, and Siheyuan residences – how beautiful and unlike each other are they!
Advance your career.
China’s economy is constantly growing, which means, that there are vacancies and good specialists are needed – especially those with good knowledge of English and preferably speaking Chinese.
If you plan to stay in the country for more than a couple of years, then you might like to know that teaching opportunities in Asia do not end with one-year contracts for foreigners.
Ambitious teachers are welcome to stay at the school and help it grow, becoming a senior teacher, being able to influence the way English is taught, improving teaching materials etc.
In fact, coming to China might be the right career move for you, because here you can advance faster if you are a hardworking and creative kind of person.
Meet people
Making friends in China is easy: people are very open, kindhearted and loyal.
Most of them might seem indifferent or cold at first, but once you’ve talked to them, you’ll discover their true nature.
They are also very genuine and nice: your new friends will probably invite you to their homes, take you out for dinner, tell you lots of interesting things about the city and help you learn some Chinese as well if you wish.
To make it short, locals are usually willing to spend time with a newcomer and to make new friends; moreover, you are likely to keep in touch even after you leave, because the Chinese are very serious about friendship.
Assistance for foreigners
Foreign specialists in China are never left alone, especially if they are lost, have problems or need assistance.
If a newcomer doesn’t speak Mandarin, he will survive just fine, because colleagues from school and administrators are always ready to help, translate and share a useful tip on where to escape on the weekend or which store is best.
Remember, that all English teaching jobs in China for non-native speakers and natives include the help of a local teacher during the class and outside (meeting at the airport, renting an apartment, etc.)
Low cost of living
Actually, our clients say, you should try really hard to spend all your monthly salary and not put something by.
Living here is a lot cheaper than in Europe or North America, especially if you are ready to eat national dishes instead of Western food.
Otherwise, you’ll spend a lot in local restaurants, because Western cuisine is way more expensive here.
A Chinese vacancy for English teachers will get you a high standard of life here, since $1000 in Asia can buy more, than anywhere else.
In fact, to imagine how much you could afford in China, you have to triple the sum.
Now you see, that you can easily put by up to 50% or even 80% of your wages, which is a common practice among foreign teachers.
With $1,500 alone you could rent a comfortable apartment in the center of Shanghai or Beijing, eat out every day and still save for traveling or other things, isn’t it amazing?
