Teaching English in Beijing

Teaching English in Beijing

It is one of the most famous destinations for ESL teachers. It is a strong blend of East and West, where you can see and feel both sides. The capital of China is known for its cultural, political and educational development. A population reaches more than 21 million. There is abundance of local institutes and people, who are willing to speak English, and no shortage of teaching jobs. Everyone has a chance to discover forgotten places and immerse in Chinese historical heritage. Beijing remains a sought after for people, who teach English as a second language. It teems with energy, gorgeous places and exquisite restaurants. It encourages inspiration and fascination. If you are on the fence, looking for a perfect spot to move and work, Beijing will amuse you with enviable standard of living for foreigners. There are some key points below, which helps you to understand that Beijing is a wonderful place for English teachers.

Average salary for English teachers

There is a surprising blend of decent living conditions and well-paid jobs. Beijing is in demand for native and non-native English speakers, especially for young learners. Students of 3-17 age seem to be diligent and motivated to learn English. Parents consider it as a long-term skill, perspective to find a job, and apply for a prestigious University. There are many options to choose a work place. Public or private primary, secondary and high school will be glad to hire high-qualified teachers. Salary ranges between $1400-2800 each month. Usually schools oblige you to teach at least 25 hours a week and spend 15 hours weekly on office things. If you want to earn more, there is a chance to take some extra classes. If you want to teach adults, consider private tutoring and teaching at University. There is a requirement in terms of degree. Bachelor's one is required by schools, kindergartens and language centers; whereas PhD or master's is mandatory to teach at college or University. Taking into account the fact that schools usually reimburse start-up costs, that is a chance to leave the capital after one year contract with more $20,000 in your pockets.

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Types of teaching jobs

The education system is similar to Western countries. Children begin to study in early fall and finish in late spring. If you are ready to teach at school, you should start preparing in advance. There are many recruitment agencies that help with Z visa before the school year starts. You don't have to apply for a job personally. It is much better to search a job online considering all perks, which an employer offers. If your decision is spontaneous, and you are in a hurry looking for a job, be sure, that training centers and some companies are always in demand for English teachers. Also, there is a room for improvement for every professional. International companies located in Beijing are interested in upskilling their staff. When it comes to English, it includes work on pronunciation, public speaking, communicative skills and critical thinking. Check our article to choose a job on the famous websites in the world.

Basic requirements for teaching

There aren't so much requests to work in Beijing regarding ESL teaching. Needless to say, a potential employee must speak English fluently. And thankfully, your home country doesn't matter. Personal traits also mean a lot regarding hiring. Don't hesitate to notice your soft skills. If you are a good team player or sensitive and supportive, let everyone know.

Here are some significant requirements:

  • Ability to commit to a 12 month contract.
  • A bachelor's degree.
  • TEFL/TESOL certification.

It's an obvious question that you may hear during an interview. When are you ready to start? Are you ready to sign one-year contract? Public institutions want to be sure that you won't suddenly leave them. That's the reason of huge amount of perks that they offer such as covering house rent and reimbursing flight tickets. They provide it to make you feel comfortable, while you are abroad and far from your family and friends. So, it's not surprising that you will see these regulations in terms of your contract duration. Otherwise, you'll have to pay company expenses incurred.

If you don't have a degree, there is no chance to work legally in China except to teach English online. A necessity in any degree doesn't relate to school requests. It's a government regulation. You have to have a degree to obtain Z visa, otherwise it considered work under the table. It won't take so much time and efforts to get visa before visit Beijing. Fortunately, recruiters always help to deal with it.

In spite of having a degree, TEFL certified English teacher will be given preference in comparison with that, who doesn't have it. TEFL courses always illustrate an ability to teach affectively depending on an age. Also, it proves teaching knowledge regarding methods and approaches to speak English. Such certificate will give you an advantage among other candidates. As we discussed, Beijing has a lucrative labor market and decent conditions for foreign workers. It means only one thing. There is cut-throat competition. Be ready to stand out of the crowd and show your professional skills. Get TEFL certificate before you start teaching English in Beijing.

Experience seems to play an important role in teaching English. But there are no strict rules regarding it in Beijing. However, you need to understand that your salary and working hours depend on it. Some kindergartens and primary schools will willingly hire you even without a wide experience in teaching. But, if you want to work with adults and specific purposes, it's likely that an employer will ask you about it. As we discussed, teaching at University require more things in comparison with conducting lessons in public schools. Beyond PhD or master's degree you have to boast 2 years of teaching experience to work at college.

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Teaching programs in Beijing

Probably, you have a question after everything that you've read. Where am I supposed to find teaching jobs in Beijing? There are some companies, which are ready to streamline your ESL teaching in China. It is a perfect chance, especially for those, who can not boast education achievements. Such programs handle all problems that you may face during hiring or moving process. They offer different work places, contract durations and free-rent accommodation. Let's get familiar with three the most famous.

Program 1

One of them provides a lot of benefits for potential candidates such as competitive salary, free apartment and reimbursing your start-up costs. This program promises to support you 24/7, while you are in China. It's free to enroll. 

Requirements fit inexperienced teachers:

  • Fluent English speaker.
  • Passionate, outgoing and open-minded.
  • TEFL certificate and degree aren't mandatory.

Also, you will get $450 as a contract completion bonus. They offer to teach children of 3-12 age. You just need to have money to transfer to China and live there till you get the first salary. But as we have figured out, flight ticket will be refund.

Program 2

CIEE has more programs depending on your goals. There is an abundance of options such as internships, summer camps, online teaching. You can choose a duration of your contract and a work place. They will assist you with paperwork to get Z visa and tell everything that you want to know about China.

Some key points of that program:

  • competitive salary, free-rent apartment and top notch support;
  • you have to pay for such help, price ranges between $800-3000 for the program;
  • works with non-degree holders and provides online TEFL course.
Terms used:

ESL, TEFL, TESOL

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