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Teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in China is big business. Reports indicate that EFL is a 10-billion yuan (USD $1.4 billion) business and that the industry made a 700 million yuan (USD $9,800,000) profit in Beijing alone. It is estimated that of the 37 billion yuan derived annually from book sales in China, EFL-related materials constituted no less than 25 percent of the total market (Qiang and Wolff, 2004, p. 1). This ever-growing market of English language education in China has resulted in a massive recruitment drive of approximately 100,000 foreign teachers per year (People’s Daily Online, 2006) and, in 2006, it was estimated that more than 150,000 foreign experts were employed in China, recruited primarily from Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and the United States (China Daily, 2006).

With so much money at stake, the Internet has experienced a burgeoning of China EFL-related websites all vying for the prospective foreign teacher’s attention and, ultimately, business. A Google search on the terms “teaching English in China” returns over 6.4 million results of websites run by Chinese recruiters, private English language schools, and veteran foreign teachers hoping to get in on all the action.

All these sites have one thing in common: They all glamorize teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) as a viable way to travel abroad and experience all the exotic mysteries and adventure China has to offer. Virtually every native English speaker with white skin between the ages of 18 and 60 is provided with “expert advice” about where and how to apply, and is presented with enticing advertisements for jobs, guides, manuals, travel gear and books, and just about anything else the traffic will bear.

The truth of the matter is that although some Westerners actually thrive as foreign English teachers in China, most do not. Obviously, if everyone who ventured off to China to teach oral English decided to stay, the need and competition for new recruits every year wouldn’t be as great and fierce as they currently are.

This article presents essential information that every prospective Westerner should carefully consider before making the life-altering decision to move to China for the purpose of teaching English as a foreign language. It is written by an American doctor and professor of psychology who has lived and worked in China since August 2003, and it contains valuable information adapted from the comprehensive Foreign Teachers’ Guide to Living and Teaching in China, written by the same author.

The Question of English in China

While the need for proficient English language skills among China’s 1.3 billion people might appear obvious to some, in reality, it is a highly debatable issue.

Chinese is the most commonly spoken language in the world today. It is estimated that there are 873 million native speakers of Chinese as opposed to only 343 million native speakers of English (NVTC, 2007). The vast majority of Chinese will never utter even one word of English after passing their comprehensive English examinations and graduating from college. A few will need to read materials written in English as part of their job function and far fewer than that will occasionally need to send an e-mail in English, but most will never need English to function effectively in their day-to-day lives—and Chinese students know this.

There is a small percentage of Chinese students, particularly those who come from affluent families, who have dreams of studying abroad and they will need a relatively high level of English language skills if they are to succeed. A few have aspirations of working at the front desk of an international 5-star hotel and others hope to find employment in jointly-owned Western-Chinese companies that may require the daily use of English—but most will return to their second and third tier cities working for the government or private Chinese enterprises where virtually no one uses or can communicate in English.

What most prospective foreign teachers do not realize is that English as a foreign language holds a very low position within China’s educational system. Students who score well on their national college entrance exam (the Gao Kao) will be assigned to or choose majors in the hard sciences or technological fields that support China’s 1978 economic reform movement referred to as the Four Modernizations, i.e., agriculture, industry, technology and defense. Fields of study in the humanities, including foreign language, are assigned to those students who scored too poorly on the college entrance exam to be admitted into the far more lucrative and desirable academic majors.

The bottom line is that most students simply do not see a clear association between proficient English language skills and direct future benefits. They look at their very successful fathers and the vast majority of China’s national political leaders who cannot speak a single word of English and wonder why they have to take extra classes in oral English with a foreign teacher when they are already studying English with Chinese teachers who, unlike their Western counterparts, can actually help them pass their proficiency exams.

If English as an academic discipline is so devalued in China and if the actual need for English language skills is questionable at best, why then does China need so many foreign English teachers?

The De-professionalization of English Teaching in China

The nearly insatiable need for foreign English teachers in China can be explained by two phenomena: one involving the public sector and the other involving the private sector. First, China’s Ministry of Education promulgated a highly contested and bitterly resented national requirement that states all students of foreign language must be exposed to a native speaker. However, China’s national labor laws prohibit any employer from hiring a foreigner for a position that can be filled by a Chinese national. So, in order to reconcile the two conflicting policies, the teaching of English in China was compartmentalized into two broad areas: professional and lay. The professional certified Chinese English teachers are assigned courses in grammar, reading, and writing, and the lay uncertified and often less educated foreign teachers help facilitate the practice of speaking and listening skills. Thus, although the State Administration for Foreign Expert Affairs (SAFEA) recommends a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and two years of field-related work experience, in reality, the vast majority of foreign English teachers in China have neither, because neither are necessary to help students practice their speaking and listening skills. The truth of the matter is any native speaker who is friendly, extremely patient, and enjoys children can do it successfully.

The second explanation lies in the fact that private English language schools absolutely need white faces in the school in order to attract customers. Despite the highly debatable reality of the situation, Chinese parents (as well as most foreign English teachers) firmly believe that good English language skills will afford their children both an academic and financial advantage later on in life. Consequently, many will drag their children to private English language schools when they are as young as four-years old, often at great personal financial sacrifice. In order to attract Westerners into China, school owners must offer their foreign teachers up to four times what they are paying their certified Chinese teachers, and the added business expense is hardly appreciated. There isn’t one Chinese school owner or administrator who wouldn’t immediately replace every single one of his culturally-alien and costly foreign English teachers with a much less expensive and, often, better educated Chinese English teacher if he knew doing so wouldn’t cost him his business.

The Truth About Housing and the Myth of the “Comfortable” Salary

China maintains something of a schizophrenogenic relationship with its foreign English teachers. On one hand they are needed to satisfy a national educational requirement or to stay in business. On the other hand, they are deeply resented for it. This resentment is expressed in a variety of ways, both obvious and subtle.

In the vast majority of cases, the housing afforded to foreign English teachers is inferior even by middle-class Chinese standards. It is typically an 800 sq. ft. (or smaller) apartment that is usually in varying states of disrepair, undecorated, starkly furnished with a cheap, rock-hard “mattress,” and a 2-range countertop propane gas stove and a mini-refrigerator for a kitchen. The bathroom consists of a Western toilet, a cold-water sink with a water heater and shower head attached to the wall that is often not separated from the rest of the bathroom inside a shower stall. Requests for repairs or necessary improvements are almost always ignored or endlessly delayed in the hope that the foreign teacher will simply incur the expenses himself.

Outside of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, salaries for foreign teachers typically range from RMB3,800 to 6,000 (US$551 to $870) with an average of about 4500 yuan (US$653) per month for 14 to 20 hours of face-to-face teaching per week (depending on qualifications, location and school type). The reality is that this salary can only be considered as adequate, as opposed to comfortable, if the foreign teacher is able to live like a Chinese. Those who buy amenities like cell phones and Western DVD players, choose to eat at 4- and 5-star hotel restaurants for a culinary respite from cheap Chinese food, and otherwise try to replicate a quality of life they enjoyed back home will not be able to do so on 4500 yuan per month. The vast majority of foreign English teachers in China engage in outside part-time contract work in order to supplement their base monthly incomes.

So, Is There Any Good News?

In the context of students who, for the most part, could accurately be described as unmotivated to learn English, an educational role that is devalued and de-professionalized, managerial and collegial environments that are dismissive and resentful, and a remuneration package that is just barely adequate, does it make sense for anyone to teach English in China? Actually, as it turns out, it does for those who comprise one of two specific sociodemographic groups and go into it well-informed and with their eyes wide open.

Westerners who report the greatest degree of satisfaction with their decision to teach English in China comprise recent college graduates who are seeking a short-term adventure before resuming their normal lives back home and early retirees who already enjoyed a successful career, have some money in the bank, and are looking to stretch their savings and pensions in an Asian country. Those who report the least amount of satisfaction as foreign English teachers in China are Westerners between the ages of 30 to 50 who moved to China as a perceived forced choice as a result of having mismanaged their lives back home.

Western professors on sabbatical and certified primary and secondary school teachers—who are looking for a short-term teaching assignment—should only consider Project 211 universities and international schools, respectively.

Having just written this, there are some middle-aged Westerners who are able to beat the odds and do, in fact, carve out lives for themselves that are better now in China than they were before. Typically these are men who managed to acclimate to the vast cultural differences relatively quickly, married a Chinese national, can speak some Chinese, and now consider China to be their new home.

This article is just a brief preview of just some of the essential information contained in the comprehensive Foreign Teachers’ Guide to Living and Teaching in China. If you are seriously considering moving to China to teach English, you owe it to yourself to read that guide.

Notes

China Daily. (2006, April 4). Number of foreigners working in China soars. People’s Daily Online. Retrieved November 14, 2007 from http://english.people.com.cn/200604/04/eng20060404_255781.html

National Virtual Translation Center (2008). Languages of the World. Retrieved January 23, 2009 from http:// www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/november/worldlanguages.htm.

People’s Daily (2006, May 23). China to recruit foreign experts through Internet. People’s Daily Online. Retrieved February 23, 2008 from http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200605/23/eng20060523_267892.html

Qiang, N. & Wolff, M. (2004). EFL/ESL Teaching in China: Questions, Questions, Questions. Paper presented at the Sixth International Symposium on Applied Linguistics and Language.

. For those thinking of a teaching career there are many choices as to which area you can go into. Teachers have the ability to mould young minds, encourage students to make their own choices and become successful. The majority of people who choose to go into teaching do so for the love of it, to work with young people and to help society.

Being a teacher isn’t all easy, there are a lot of reports and other paperwork to be completed, planning and teaching can be stressful and teaching children exhausting. However there are just as many positives, for example the long holidays offered, a job that is motivating, and the pleasure you get watching an uncooperative child blossom.

Deciding on the kind of student you would like to teach, elementary, secondary, college, foreign students, etc. can be confusing. Volunteering or helping out at a summer school or your local nursery could give you a hint and some guidance. There is a huge difference teaching kindergarten to high school but they can both be gratifying in their own ways.

Once you have decided on the age level you would like to teach, you will need to find out the qualifications you need for teaching this group. Qualifications for teaching young children is quite different to secondary age and the last thing you want to do is to waste your time getting qualifications you can use.

Working in a high school, you generally need to specialize in a certain subject, such as math or history. Each state has different requirements so check with your local authority as to what qualification you need to gain for the area of work you are interested in and if previous experience can gain you credits.

Getting some experience as a teacher’s assistant is a good way to experience a typical teacher’s workload before venturing on this path yourself. You can see how the teacher interacts with their students and learn a lot from the opportunity. It can help you gain confidence and offer teaching opportunities that will develop your teaching style as well as looking impressive on your resume.

For teachers with qualifications and skill there will always be positions available. Teachers have to be able to think quickly, to capture the attention of a class of students and to motivate. It is important you know your subject and if unsure of any area you are teaching it will be necessary to revise yourself the night before or you will lose the confidence of your students.

Motivation and good communication are the key aspects to any good teacher. If the class is boring the student will very soon ‘switch off’ and learn nothing. Your aim is to make them want to know more about the subject you are teaching. You will find lots of colleges and universities offering courses that can provide the training you need to become a teacher.

There are also lots of opportunities to learn to teach online, or if you are already a teacher to further your career in this area. An online education degree can get you that job you want, and give you a better sense of worth as well as earning you a considerably higher income.

Online education degrees are offered at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate levels. If you are interested in a special certification or certificate, these can also be obtained at certain online schools. Go online and find teaching courses as well as teaching material and homework resources

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During my years of teaching I’ve been wondering what to do to improve math education. My own teaching philosophy is simple, but throughout the years it has proven to be effective. While the groups I have taught have been diverse, there are certain consistencies in their responses, particularly, students appreciate a clear and sound explanation of a difficult concept, and experience the greatest growth when they have the chance to express themselves by asking any questions they might have and feel comfortable in class. My first objective in any class is to create a safe atmosphere for learning. That involves encouraging students to express themselves freely, but respectfully.

It is always extremely important to set the tone during the first classes, telling the students what is expected from them, and what can they expect from me as a teacher. Learning the students’ names is a very good start to creating a personalized experience. Some students feel very intimidated by being in a math class, and treating them individually helps to bring them into the group, as well as to convey a sense that they are not just bystanders, that I care about their individual progress and am there to help them with their specific needs.

Secondly, there is no substitute for good teaching. The key to success is to teach well. It’s very rewarding to receive positive feedback from students about the quality of your teaching. I think it’s very important to find a way of seeing math concepts that appeals to students. Being able to translate difficult concepts into something that they can digest is a must. Still, every class is a new challenge, and some old tricks of the trade might not work all the time. We as teachers have to be prepared to adapt to each class and use our creativity and intuition to help the students learn.

Third, I think it is fundamental to be dynamic and entertaining. Math can be dense sometimes, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring or tedious. Being dynamic means to be proactive and receptive. We need to be proactive by taking the initiative to show

the students new perspectives they didn’t imagine before, and we need to be receptive in order to adjust our techniques to make them the most suitable for the specific needs of a group of students. It is a fact that every group of students is different, and each group needs different approaches. Flexibility is the key.

Fourth, I like to challenge students, with achievable tasks that can build their confidence as they stretch beyond their comfort level. I like to encourage them to do things they didn’t think they could do. I have noticed that the students find tremendous satisfaction when they achieve something that they didn’t think they could achieve. To see that is really rewarding. That’s one of the biggest payoffs of a teaching career, to see the students find unexpected talents in themselves.

Teaching mathematics requires great sensitivity and perceptiveness. There are people taking math classes who have no interest in the field at all, and take the class only because it is a requirement for their major. It’s also common to find people who are very frightened of how hard math can be. These are instances in which the teacher must convey to the student that even though math can be challenging, it is like any other subject, and is accomplishable through discipline, persistence, and hard work. These students’ preconception of math as difficult and abstruse is often their biggest stumbling block, and as a teacher I help them to break down these mental barriers by providing alternative ways of looking at problems until the information “clicks.”

Positive leadership is the key to making students feel that they can get a lot from the class they are taking. It is our role as teachers to let them know that math is an incredibly exciting field and that the possibilities are endless. But it is also our role to show them that achievement does not come for free and effort is a primary factor in the formula for success. I feel that we have the tools now, more than ever, to make teaching a very rewarding experience for both my students and ourselves.

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Pre-Primary and Primary School Teachers –

To become a teacher, more than the academic records it is the personal skills and aptitude that is more important. In India, there are a number of vocational training centers which provide training for pre school teachers. To apply for this training, students must be 12th pass with an aggregate of 50 percent marks to become a pre-primary school teacher. .

One should be a graduate with a nursery training certificate / diploma to become a primary school teacher. Usually, all those candidates who have a Bachelors’ Degree in education (B.Ed.) start their career as primary school teachers and gradually climb the career ladder. The home science graduates can also be selected for primary school teachers. Candidates applying for primary school teacher training must be graduates or post graduates with at least 55% marks aggregate and must hold either a diploma or degree in education or teaching. Another thing which is important is that the candidate should have at least studied one of the teaching subjects during his / her graduation.

Secondary and Senior Secondary Teacher –

To apply for secondary and senior secondary teaching, the candidate must have a post graduate degree in the subject and a Bachelors’ Degreee in education (B.Ed.) degree. The Bachelors in education course scrupulously prepares the teachers for secondary school teaching. All those teachers who have a B.Ed. degree after their graduation are called Trained Graduate Teachers. To apply for secondary school teaching, it is preferred that the candidate has some previous teaching experience. There are a number of teacher’s training colleges in India which provide this B.Ed. course of one year duration. Some of the universities also offer correspondence courses for training teachers who are already in the service. There are different training institutes for special teachers such as teachers of the blind, deaf and dumb, mentally retarded, art, craft, music and physical education.

NCERT runs a number of Regional Institutes of Education at places like Mysore, Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack and Ajmer. These institutes offer basic Graduate Degree in Art or Science along with a B.Ed Degree. It is a four year course that one should apply for after school. Universities like Shivaji University; Kolhapur conducts a BA, B.Ed course of four years duration. Barkatullah University, Bhopal conducts a BA, B.Ed and also B.Com, B.Ed. course of four years duration, and there are many other colleges in India who offer courses for B.Ed.

Lecturers –

To become a lecturer, one requires a post graduate degree in fields like Arts, Commerce, Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Foreign Languages and Physical Education from an Indian University. All those candidates who have a University or an equivalent degree from a foreign University, with at least 55% marks can also apply for the same. One has to clear Eligibility test for lecturers (NET) which conducted by UGC, CSIR or similar tests accredited by the UGC, to become a lecturer. For those lecturers who have completed 8 years of service after regular appointment and participated in at least two refresher courses of approved duration are appointed in the senior scale. Their appraisal report should also reflect a consistently satisfactory performance. Senior scale lecturers who do not have a Doctorate degree or equivalent published work and also don’t meet the scholarship and research standards, but fulfill all other criteria and have a good overall record in teaching, get the Selection Grade.

Professors –

All those eminent scholars who are actively engaged in research, whose work has been published and appreciated, and also have a minimum of 10 years of experience in postgraduate teaching can be appointed as professors. Besides that, those who have done research at University or National level institutions and have the experience of assisting students in research work at doctoral level can also apply for teaching jobs as professors.

Future Prospects of becoming a teacher -

Teaching is a good option for those who are comfortable with flexible schedules. This profession welcomes all those who are late entries and those who are changing careers. It is a most suitable career option for married women as it allows them to work again after they have started a family. But it should be kept in mind that teachers who do return after a break are entitled to their old salary only. In case of most professions, once a person leaves, it is difficult for him / her to catch up since new things are always being learned and discovered, but teaching is one of those professions where someone is always needed. So, becoming a teacher is one of the most viable career decisions.