Teaching English in China: My Cross-Cultural Journey

Hi there! My name is Irene, an English teacher from the Netherlands. I would love to share with you my story of how I started my overseas teaching career in China, and my best tips on how you can do the same.

When I was a student of Communication & Design back in the Netherlands, I always knew I wanted to do an internship far, far away. I was excited to explore new cultures and new places. I had never even left Europe before, so I knew this was my chance. I had no idea what opportunities awaited me, but one internship offered by my university stood out to me immediately as the most exotic and exciting one. It consisted of six months of living and working with Chinese students in Xiamen, Fujian, China.

Preparing for a new culture and language

Before I went to China, I wanted to do some preparation. I started by doing some research online and got some information from students who had been on the same internship previously. Having heard that English was not of much use in the place where I would be living, I figured a good start would be to try to learn the local language.

Of course, learning to read and write Chinese characters can seem incredibly overwhelming at first, but rather than seeing Mandarin as an unapproachable wall, I tried to look at it as a fun challenge, a challenge like nothing I have ever attempted before.

Initial impressions

When I first arrived, I was surprised at many things. The food was so very different. The island of Xiamen was a tropical place, so it was incredibly hot and humid. Scheduling and time are considered less important there, and almost nobody spoke a word of English.

Overall though, it was exciting, and there were lots of new places and things to explore. Most people were also very friendly. One thing you might have to get used to is the concept of “relationships”, this means that having connections can really get you far, and it is actually how I landed my first job as a teacher.

My classroom experience

After my internship, I met a friend who happened to be teaching kids in Xiamen. He asked me if I was interested in teaching and I said I was, since I had hoped for an opportunity to live there for a longer time. He introduced me to his boss, and that is how I ended up working at one of the company’s schools. Before this time, I had never imagined being a teacher and had never taught anything. The only thing I had to recommend myself was my fluency in English.

Fortunately, many schools offer plenty of orientation training before you officially start teaching, and there are also convenient online TESOL/TEFL TEFL courses that can help you prepare for ESL teaching.

When I first started working in the school, the training consisted of simply sitting in on other teacher’s classes. This way, I would get familiar with their style, as well as the topics the school used for the different classes. The school I taught at was mainly a cram school for teenagers and adults, so the curriculum was aimed more at adults. Most of the students were working in international business, whereas others were adults who simply wanted to improve themselves.

Schools like these usually ask you to work five days a week, with around five to six classes every day. It seems like a lot, but most of the time they give you the materials you need. If there is a good book available, you will not need to prepare very much by yourself, and you can simply follow the lesson plans provided.

When I first started, I felt quite nervous about appearing in front of the class. I was not used to speaking in front of so many people. However, I found that this quickly changed the more I did it. With the help of my training and additional time spent in the classroom, I quickly gained increased confidence as a teacher.

My favorite part about being a teacher in China was that I got to meet so many different kinds of people from all walks of life. I can honestly say that some of the students have taught me a lot about life.

The visa process

If you want to apply for a work visa, you usually need to do that in your home country. You need a letter from your workplace (or university) to get approval to enter, but the requirements can vary somewhat from country to country, so be sure to check with the closest embassy what applies to you. This process can be a bit time-consuming, so it’s good to start your preparations early.

If you arrive on a tourist visa, you will have to leave the country in order to switch to a work visa. Most people end up going to Hong Kong, where you can get it done in one day. It’s also an easy and convenient place to travel to from China if you’re looking for a quick weekend getaway. However, if you want to switch teaching jobs later on, it will be much easier to extend or change your visa inside China.

For the visa process, you need to submit a copy of your degree, a clean criminal background check, undergo a medical exam, as well as an apostilled 120-hour TESOL/TEFL certificate. The degree and TESOL/TEFL certificate are not only necessary for the visa process, but employers will also often want to see them when you apply for teaching jobs.

Key tips for China

In general, basic Mandarin skills can help you get along just fine in everyday life, but if you need to fix something important such as a getting SIM-card or a bank account, be sure to bring a native Mandarin speaker along. If you have a university or a workplace already arranged, they are usually very willing to send somebody to come and help you.

Once I got a job, I used an agent to help me find a new apartment. At the time, I searched online specifically for an agent who knew English and could show me some apartments. Some companies offer dorms for their teachers, where you can live at a cheaper rate.

You can also approach one of the many real estate agencies you can see on every street corner, and ask them about renting an apartment. You will usually need to pay 50% of the rent price to the agent as the agent fee, and landlords will usually ask you for a deposit of one or two months’ rent on top of the first month’s rent as well, so you need to prepare quite a bit of money.

Reflections

China has changed me beyond my expectations. It has made me realize that going with the flow sometimes is an amazing thing. I have seen some of my classmates and colleagues struggle with this particular cultural difference, as most of them come from a culture where heavy emphasis is placed on planning and scheduling.

What I have learned is sometimes you need to let go of your plans, as well as your pre-defined expectations. Learn to accept change, and accept things that you would not normally accept. It not only helps you to lead a more relaxed lifestyle, but you will also be able to experience new unexpected places and make some lifelong friends from new cultures.