Without question, there are a lot of jobs that you can do that are going to make you feel satisfied with your life.  However, few are going to make you feel as good as you will when you teach Chinese kids English.  There’s something absolutely life-changing about the fact that you are going to be actively involved in teaching a little one English while also making sure that they feel encourage and supported throughout their language learning journey.  If this sounds like something that you are going to want to do, you’ll want to consider ESL jobs in China. 

Why China?

With a large population that is constantly on the rise, there are all sorts of potential students in China that are simply waiting for you.  There are plenty of opportunities for you to teach English in China and they are going all be rewarding and money-earning options that will help you to feel like you’re in the right place and teaching the right skills to help the majority of the people with whom you interact.

How to get started

If this is something that sounds like it’s going to be a match for your interests and career path, here are some details that you’ll want to keep in mind about getting started.

• Make sure you’re teaching in the right language: When you are looking at teaching ESL, you’ll need to make sure that you are qualified to teach in English. Most China-based jobs do require that you are a native speaker of English, or that you at least have a very high ranking in English with little to no accent.  It’s important that you meet those requirements and any other specifications that schools may have in your English capabilities.
• Take a look at the salary you’ll be making: Different education levels and different specifications with ESL will offer you different salaries. You can expect to make great pay while you are teaching in China, but you will want to take a look at the financials before you go so that you are prepared for any changes it may bring to your own current financial situation. 

• Focus on the quality of life you’ll be able to enjoy: When you teach in China, you are going to be entering a brand new culture with exciting customs and shifts. You’ll be able to appreciation this new culture and the quality of life that it brings, too. Living in China is often cheaper than most Western lifestyles, so it cam be a great way for you to enjoy travelling, working and still living life to the fullest — whatever that may mean for you.  If yo are looking at teaching ESL as a way to enjoy all of these things, you’re looking at the opportunity with the right perspective. 

• Choose the right kind of school for your goals: A huge part of getting ready to teach English is going to be in making sure that you are teaching in the right location with the right specifications for your wants, as needed. In China, there are a few kinds of focuses that you can look at when it comes to teaching children ESL.
  • Public schools: The public schools in China are much the same as they are in the Western world. These school systems are going to have large classes where students of all abilities and backgrounds are expected to learn English.  You’ll have more freedom to make your own lesson plan with a public school approach.
• Private language-based schools: When you are looking at an after-hours sort of design, a private school will be able to offer you the specification. This is only after hours and it focuses on making sure that the students are learning ESL in an immersive environment that compliments their education in the school system.
• International-oriented schools: If you are looking at enjoying a more multicultural approach, international schools combine together well-off children from various backgrounds and put them into ESL courses that you will be able to teach. These often follow more structured plans with equally structured expectations.  As such, they tend to be a bit more selective in their process, but they can be wonderful when you are looking at really broadening your horizons.
• Specialized kindergarten classes: Since English has become such a core part of the Chinese education system, you can now look at the idea of doing an immersion program in your kindergarten class that is going to be wonderful when you want to focus on teaching young minds in a true immersive experience from the very beginning. This is great when you like the idea of working exclusively with kindergarten-aged children as well.
• Enjoy the fun of teaching little ones a new language: Regardless of which schooling option that you choose, you’ll find that teaching ESL is fun, rewarding, financially stable, and great to consider for making use out of your natural skills. Even if you never considered yourself to be a teacher, you may find that teaching ESL is going to become so fruitful, you’ll realize that it really is your calling.  It’s pretty incredible to realize that you have found what you wanted to do, almost by accident.  Just further proof that teaching ESL in China could possibly be the best decision of your life.

When you are looking at the future and trying to determine how to best take advantage of the possibilities and the options that you have in front of you, teaching ESL in China should be a leading option simply due to the amount of positives that it is going to offer you.  When you want to get started on the right foot, with the right core concepts, these steps above will help you make sure that you are going about it the right way.  Better advice means better results, after all, so use this as your guide to make the absolute most out of your ESL experience.

If you are interested in teaching Chinese English online, check out the guide here. 

Teaching in Shanghai: A Fabulous City Worth Exploring

            There’s never been a better time to start traveling the world.  But, if you want to enjoy the joy of international living and still be able to earn a salary, you aren’t alone.  That’s why you are going to want to look at the idea of looking ESL in the diverse and exciting modern world of Shanghai.  Not only is it going to be wonderful when you are looking at the travel aspects, it’s also going to be worth your time when it comes down the details of the financials.  This makes it even a better option to seriously consider when you want to do about doing this the right way.

Teaching ESL abroad:

            When you teach ESL abroad you are acting as an ambassador for your home country.  This means that you are going to be responsible for displaying yourself as a professional and do your home country justice.  That being said, you are also able to really let loose and enjoy your life when you are teaching abroad.  Outside of school hours, your time is your own and you can do whatever you want to do with yourself. You can enjoy more travel, head out for some nightlife, or do anything else that really excites you.  You’ll be able to make of it whatever you want to.

How to do it

            Teaching in Shanghai requires you to have a TEFL in order to make sure that you meet the requirements for teaching English to children or teens.  This is easy for most people to obtain, and it is often superseded by those with any kind of higher education as well.  That being said, make sure you are prepared to do the testing for the TEFL so that you know that you’ll be able to enjoy this well-paying position. 

            You’ll also want to take a look at the requirements for work visas.  Most ESL teaching programs have them worked into their systems so that you aren’t inconvenienced. Take a look at the background check requirements and more to make sure that you know you’ll be cleared to pass one of those tests should the need arise. 

Why Shanghai?

            So, when you’re considering the options why you are going to want to be looking at teaching English in China with a salary, Shanghai should be your reason.  You’ll be equipping yourself with a great job in the best possible place to teach ESL.  Don’t believe us?  Just take a look for yourself. 

• Metropolitan center: Shanghai is wonderful first and foremost because it is a metropolitan center in China. You’ll be in the middle of a bustling and chaotic city so that you can enjoy the overall quality of life that comes with being this centrally located. There will be no shortage of options just right outside your door.  You just need to take full advantage of them.

• Great public transportation: Shanghai is fantastic for its quality of public transportation. Rated as some of the best in the world, the public transportation erases the need for your own wheels, and it’ll be so affordable, you’ll wonder why anyone even has cars anymore.  Just another way in which you can take on a little bit of everything when you are looking at convenience.

• Wonderful nightlife scene: Along that same lines, Shanghai is going to be do-able for the professional who likes to let their hair down and simply enjoy what life has to offer at night. Since it is such a busy centre, you’ll be able to enjoy a wonderful nightlife with a focus on partying and visiting and simply letting everything out.  When you want to explore a centralized version of night-based city living, Shanghai will be the right place to have it all come together.

• Cheap living: Last but not least, you’ll be able to enjoy cheap living in this bustling city. This is especially when compared to the Western cities that you are going to be leaving in order to teach overseas.  You can enjoy this otherwise expensive and fun life while knowing that you aren’t going to be spending every penny that you make.  All the better to really make the most out of it.

Salary

            We understand that you want to know exactly what you can expect when it comes to salary and teaching ESL.  The school and the program do differ in their rates of pay, but when you average it all out, the general salary often works out to be about $1,500 per month plus benefits, as they appear for your particular program or living situation.  This amount is required to house you, but you’ll find with the cheap living in this city, you’ll have plenty of room to play and still know that you’ll be putting aside money in the bank.  You’ll be able to enjoy a rewarding job that will pay you well, even if you wouldn’t think so.

            There are so many perks to the job to teaching ESL that it’s one of those things that you are just going to want to jump right on.  It’s totally understandable and, of course, a great idea.  You’ll learn new skills, see the world, enjoy a life that is a full adventure, and earn some serious money that will help you to get out of debt and even put away quite a bit of earnings for a nest egg. 

            The world is yours and you’ll be able to take full advantage of it by teaching ESL in the innovative and exciting city that is Shanghai.  The time is now to make sure that you are ready to take advantage of what it can offer you, so take a look above at all of the benefits that this exciting city can offer you, and get ready to make all of them yours.  That’s what you’ll be getting when you enroll yourself to teach ESL in Shanghai.  You’ll create memories of a lifetime in a beautiful city.  All while making a paycheque.