TEFL course in China

[lucylegs89]

Hi
My name is Jeannie I am from the UK and I am looking to take a TEFL course out in China
Any recommendations of which school would be really helpful.

Also I have heard that in China some employers can be very corrupt, this scares me a little. I do not want to be ripped off or left without accommodation or money.

I have trawled the Internet and still cannot decide.They all seem to be selling something. I have no problem to pay the fees I just want value for money. Also many of them guarantee a job placement ??!!!!

Help

[Chris Bishop]

Hi Jeannie,

You're right to worry about getting screwed in China. It happens a lot, and to varying degrees. I know it's not easy to "research" and it's almost impossible to tell who's crooked. But look for White Lists and Black Lists of schools online; also look for tales from someone who has had a good experience.

I had one bad experience which I won't mention because the school has since gone belly up. I spent one more year and had a good experience in Beijing New Oriental Foreign Language School at Yangzhou. They hire in August each year, so if you're looking for something more immediate that might not work out for you.

Another option is to just buy a plane ticket to a big city like Shanghai, head for a hostel, and find a teaching job on the internet (they usually want to meet you in person) or through others staying at the hostel. Once you find a job you like you can find an apartment there.

Best of luck!

[lucylegs89]

Hi Chris

I wanted to take a Celta/TEFL in-residence course in China some say accommodation extra $300 is it best to arrange my own accommodation?

Also I have heard that without a degree my choices of employment is poor on the other hand I have also read that China does not require a degree....
which course CELTA/TEFL ?????? and do you have any recommendations

Thanks for your help Chris I really really appreciate it.

PS where are you working at the moment?

[Chris Bishop]

Unfortunately I don't have any experience with teacher certification schools since I just got an online TEFL degree. This worked for me because I had a bit of teaching experience at the time and my school just wanted me to get TEFL so they could promote the classes better. The funny thing is, I didn't get the certificate in time but they said I had it on the ad. But I digress...

I don't know much about these different certificates, but CELTA seems to be the most highly regarded. Which one you should get depends on your future career goals, I suppose. Most schools in China accept any sort of teaching certification.

You can teach in China without a uni degree, but this will limit your options. Be sure your employer can get you a Visa. I knew one 18 year-old Canadian girl in Southern China who was working without a degree, but she was w/o working Visa (had to go to Hong Kong once a month).

As for $300/month, that seems pretty expensive for China; it would depend on the city I guess. U can probably stay in a hostel for 40 yuan per night ($5) so that works out to.... about $150/mo. And bargain a bit for a long-stay price to make it even lower. Getting an apartment there would obviously be cheaper, but not worth the effort unless you will be working in the same city you take the class in. Just for your reference, the avg. apt. in China is about $100/month. I lived in a pretty posh place in Shanghai for just $300/month, and I don't imagine that's what the school has for you, so they're probably pocketing most of that. One other option, if it's a big city like Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing or Tianjin you can check the expat websites for short-term room openings (or post there yourself). That extra few $100 will seem like more and more the longer you stay in China.

Sorry, I don't know too much about these degrees and TESL/CELTA schools. Perhaps someone else with first-hand experience can comment. Otherwise, check out Dave's ESL Cafe; they have a discussion forum about this.

As for me, I'm back in the U.S. working for the man. I really miss teaching and China though. Definitely give it a go! And good luck!

[lucylegs89]

Hey Chris

Thankyou so so so much for your help
I really need it even tho i am a brunette sometimes people say i am a dumb blonde...ha ha
I read on one of these forums that the eployers do not check your backgraound he said he was not advocating that I lie but black and white photo copies of a degree were acceptable in China and Thailand...
It seemed to me he was (in a roundabout way ) saying that with the gift of the gab a good calta/Tefl cert or dip you could con them when it came to producing the degree docs

Have you heard anything like this???

J

[Chris Bishop]

Shocking! But seriously, the school-owners in China (can't speak for Thailand) usually just require such docs so they can bring in more students by advertising your qualifications, or for the purpose of processing your working visa. If it's the former, it'd probably be easier to get away with a forgery than if it's the latter case.

Myself, I didn't bring my actual degree to China. I took a picture of it and emailed the file to myself. Whenever I needed proof of a degree, I just printed or emailed that one. I've never needed the original. I don't think they ever specified that the copy be in color, so B/W should work just fine. If you're good enough at Photoshop, why not? They certainly won't be doing any background checks - couldn't even if they wanted to.

My friend is teaching in China w/o a Uni. degree (the school didn't require one) and is considering buying a fake one online (those ones you always see ads for).

Lot's of people will tell you with a hint of nervousness that they don't recommend you con your way into a job, but this isn't the CIA you're applying for; nobody's going to throw you in jail or even kick you out of the country. The worst that will happen is that they'll see through it and you won't get hired, or your Working Visa application will be denied.

Remember that schools in these countries are businesses more than anything, so they are worried mostly about your marketability and will probably just file away the documents in case a student or parent ever wants to check. I do suggest getting TEFL/CELTA certified though, since it'll make you a better teacher and you'll have a better experience (as will your students) that way.

If you do decide to fake it, just be nonchalant and act like it ain't no thing.

Best,
Chris