Get PAID for Teaching in China

[Hypiereon]

Aww Shucks. Twern't nothin'.

Actually, I really wish other people would shed more light on their own experiences here. By no means do I have the market cornered on all the information available out there, (maybe only for my own small little corner of it).

School information, updates to old or outdated information, are all useful things to look out for and add here or on another thread. I'm really glad everyone is finding all this stuff helpful, but most of all, I hope that if you've been helped by this information you'll turn around and help other foreigners. Don't keep it to yourself -spread the word so everyone else stops getting burned on sorry contracts, and make it harder for others to burn you with some latrine-worthy slip of paper.

Helping others will help you in the long run. Get educated, and show someone else how to do it so we can all start making more money.

[Keith Norrie]

What about just arriving with out a work visa?

[ichini]

Suppose it's always possible to teach under the radar in China.

China, Thailand, Vietnam and similar countries to me seem as the easiest places to get teaching jobs even if you have no qualifications or visa.

Would you be comfortable teaching illegally though? That's the question you need to ask yourself.

[Hypiereon]

You can arrive without a work visa, but you're not going to be able to stay long without one. At most, you're going to be here on a tourist visa, and then when it expires there is a fine - per day - each day you overstay your visa expiration date.

Getting a work visa is no problem and is handled and paid for by the school, so there's no reason you couldn't arrive without a work visa. Staying and working without one is something I would NOT do. The work visa also entitles you to get a Foreign Expert Certificate - again, handled and paid for by the school - which guarantees you certain legal rights, compensation, and benefits. Working illegally, you have no rights, and the school is not under any obligation whatsoever. You'd just be setting yourself up to get burned.

See my "What is the school responsible for?" in the "Teaching and Living in China" Forum for more on that.

[frpprfiii]

Thank you Hypiereon for the wealth of knowledge you possess and share with us fellow newbies to China. The more I read about how things really work in China, the better educated I become and will be the wiser the next go around with a new employer. Great job! and thanks again.

[celine]

Thanks Hypiereon for giving us such valuable information. I'd like to know if non-native speakers of English stand a chance in being offered a job as an ESL teacher in China although he/she has 8 years of teaching exprience in ESL in one of the ASEAN countries?

[BBrian]

This has been asked so many times throughout these forums. You just have to try and give it your best shot. You must realise you are only going to be compared with native English speakers so you MUST have something special to offer.

[vare2]

Hi I'm a Chengdu native haha and I had to agree with what you said haha.. People here generally look out for their own interests so you have to take control of the situation to gain the most. That aside, I think Chengdu is a great place =D

[rwall7943]

This has all been some great information. I have been looking for more information on how it really is, teaching in China. I feel very much informed now. Thanks for all of the great information.

[exported_kiwi]

Celine, generally in China, non native speakers aren't employed to teach English. It kinda depends on your looks and colour sadly. I've seen some Africans teaching here as well as Filipinas and the feedback I've got from students is that they can't understand the non native speaking teacher very well, if at all. It might be that having worked in an ASEAN country could help but it'd pay to get a job before you arrive and that the employer/school know that you're not a native speaker.
Good luck!

As for flying under the radar in China, NOT recommended at all. As Hyperion said, fines/penalties are prohibitive and, as far as I know, only the real ratbags and illegal schools would even look at you. It's always best to be legal wherever you go. We're not only teachers, but also respected role models and, in my opinion, how can we expect the students to look up to us if we're doing things that we know are illegal.... just doesn't compute!

Just another 2 cents worth.