ESL Blogs

Interviewing for ESL teaching jobs in China can be nerve-wracking and it’s all-too-easy to forget some pivotal questions.

We’re here to make sure that doesn’t happen!

When applying for teaching jobs abroad, here are the most important questions you need to ask:

1. Do you offer housing or a housing allowance?

Knowing if you’ll have long-term accommodation sorted for your arrival is undoubtedly the most important thing to know, straight off the bat. It can be very comforting to know that your employer will take care of your accommodation but this isn’t something you can enforce.

Housing assistance can come in all sorts of forms – your prospective employer may:

• Offer to house AND pay for it
• Offer housing but YOU have to pay for it
• Not offer housing but paying you EXTRA allowance to contribute to your rent
• Offer assistance ONLY in helping you find a suitable place (which you’ll have to pay for out of your salary)

There are a few instances where schools provide no assistance at all to in-coming ESL teachers but this is unusual.

2. Will you reimburse any of my expenses?

Moving abroad to teach ESL can be a pricy affair at first and, although some contracts include details about (possible) reimbursements of working visa for China, flight costs etc, it’s a good idea to confirm this during the interview.

As an example, China By Teaching surmises that teachers will need to cough up approximately USD 5,000 to move to China and that includes both pre and post-arrival costs, such as:

• passport renewal,
• visa,
• criminal background certificate,
• document authentication,
• medical check (if needed) and, of course,
• flight ticket and initial stay in a hotel upon arrival
• settling in expenses

If it seems like a lot to pay for what is supposed to be a profitable teaching position, do keep in mind that, in most cases, most or all of these expenses will be reimbursed by the employer.

Do you have any say in any of this? Yes, you do, although you should definitely keep your expectations in check. These are issues with which you can negotiate but it’ll also depend on what kind of salary you are being offered. Besides, whilst it may seem fine to expect some help with visa or flight costs, it might be a little rich to expect the employer to pay for all costs, including your VPN subscription, new SIM card or a new set of bedsheets.

Teaching abroad can be profitable but it usually isn’t in the first few months.

3. When will I get paid?

Some schools insist on your starting on the 1^st of a certain month and not pay until the 15^th – this is a way to always keep you two weeks behind in your salary. Unless you’re intending to break your teaching contract early, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue – but it’s definitely a point you’ll want to clarify.

4. What will be expected of me?

You’d be surprised how varied the world of ESL teaching can be! Despite what the job title states, it’s always a good idea to know precisely the kind of classes you’ll be teaching and what will be expected of you. You should definitely also know how many hours of teaching and office work you’ll be required to do every week – and note that the more varied your workload and classes, the more prep-work you’d be required to do.

Notice how we snuck ‘office work’ in there? That’s usually what will happen – a contract will nonchalantly include the term without going into specifics and, only once you arrive, you’ll realize that means 15 hours of tedious office work every week – be prepared and direct during your interview so you know exactly what to expect.

5. Is there any non-teaching work I’ll be expected to do?

Aside from office work (which will probably be related to teaching) many schools also expect foreign teachers, in particular, to get involved in marketing events, sporting events and even field trips that may or may not have anything to do with the subjects you’ll teach. Sometimes, you may be asked to supervise children at lunch-time or during after-school activities – find out if that’s the case and know just how many hours, all up, you’ll need to spend at work.

6. Can I do any prep-work from home?

Some schools will want you to carry out all your prep work and marking in school premises whilst others will allow you the freedom to work remotely when not teaching. Again, find out.

7. How much teaching guidance will you give me?

In some countries, the curriculum is set in stone so all you have to do is follow it – some may allow artistic freedom whilst others will insist you follow the curriculum to the letter. This is an absolute godsend if you’re new to ESL teaching and, even if you have a lot of experience, you may not want the responsibility (and workload) of creating your own curriculum.

In fact, it would be downright irresponsible for a school to assign complete curriculum independence to a teacher coming in from a foreign country, so don’t fall for this trick.

8. What textbooks do you use?

Once you start requesting details, it’ll be a lot easier to determine how serious the school is and how well they follow their curriculum. Are the books standard in their country? Are they found everywhere? Can you get a copy and familiarize yourself with the work you’re expected to teach?

Find out!

9. Is there any past or present teachers I can speak to?

No reputable school or employer should ever deny you access to teachers and, if they do, consider this a huge red flag. We find that chatting to two teachers is usually enough to get a good overview of what it’s like to teach in that specific school – speaking to one teacher may not be enough, especially if they have a personal gripe against their colleagues and/or employer.

Research as much as you can about the school and you’ll be in a much better position to make the right choice for you.

Asking a lot of questions during your ESL teaching job interview is very important – not only to clarify what hasn’t been detailed in the job offer but also to confirm what has been detailed. Sometimes, the two won’t match!

Equally important is your reviewing of your teaching contract if the interview results in a job offer. Make sure that everything that has been detailed in the interview is reflected in the contract.

For more in-depth information on moving to China, check our Complete Guide to Teaching in China

At China by Teaching, we’re in the business of hooking up great ESL teachers with amazing schools in China. We will help you find the destination and teaching job that’s best for YOU and get your overseas teaching stint off to a flying start.

Contact us for more personalised advice.