Most of us have been their. You've decided to teach in another country. Deciding to teach in any country where the native tongue is different to your own can be overwhelming, especially when geographically and culturally the differences can be huge. China is no exception. You only have to spend a few minutes on an ESL forum to see page upon page of horror stories: visa problems; broken promises; salary discrepancies; problems being released from contracts.
The trouble can begin before you even try to get an interview. For schools and recruitment agencies trying to secure a foreign teacher, the 'fight' can be quite determined and what is advertised can sometimes be very different from what is the reality. But how on earth can you read between the lines to make a fair decision? It's difficult. This Q&A article is designed to give you some insight into what employers and agencies say and what they are likely to be able to deliver.
Why are there such large differences in salaries?
There is a huge difference is the cost of living from one part of China to the next. The most expensive cities, by far are Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. Salaries quoted are generally between 10 to 15,000rmb/month. That may or may not include the cost of rent. Many national schools and agencies tend to display Shanghai/Beijing/Guangzhou salaries in advertising to get candidates attention. This is not helpful as salaries in other parts of China can be half or less and reflect the cost of living and often can provide a higher standard of living.
What, exactly, is paid leave?
This is a tricky one. Some schools offer 22 days paid leave. But this includes the 10 national holidays, which you are entitled to anyway. This means you only get 12 days of paid leave and not the 22 that is advertised. Also, when classes are cancelled due to a national holiday, the teacher usually has to make up the classes at another time, so it does not feel like they get a day off at all. This is pretty standard practice in China and applies to BDW School. However, our teacher do get 28 additional days completely off, paid and with no classes to make up.
What's the deal with teaching hours?
University teaching posts boast how they only contract around 14 hours a week. What they don't tell you is the amount of planning and marking that goes with that. Teachers at the 'language mills' (private English schools) tend to work 20-25 hours in the classroom. On top of that, they may be expected to spend 'desk time' in the school for lesson planning/marketing purposes, taking them up to around 40+ hours per week. At BDW the hours on your contract are the hours you need to be in school. That's typically 20-25 hours, depending on your contract. Lesson plans are provided and can be modified with the manager's approval and can be done at a time and place that suites. At home or at the pub, it's up to you.
The trouble can begin before you even try to get an interview. For schools and recruitment agencies trying to secure a foreign teacher, the 'fight' can be quite determined and what is advertised can sometimes be very different from what is the reality. But how on earth can you read between the lines to make a fair decision? It's difficult. This Q&A article is designed to give you some insight into what employers and agencies say and what they are likely to be able to deliver.
Why are there such large differences in salaries?
There is a huge difference is the cost of living from one part of China to the next. The most expensive cities, by far are Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. Salaries quoted are generally between 10 to 15,000rmb/month. That may or may not include the cost of rent. Many national schools and agencies tend to display Shanghai/Beijing/Guangzhou salaries in advertising to get candidates attention. This is not helpful as salaries in other parts of China can be half or less and reflect the cost of living and often can provide a higher standard of living.
What, exactly, is paid leave?
This is a tricky one. Some schools offer 22 days paid leave. But this includes the 10 national holidays, which you are entitled to anyway. This means you only get 12 days of paid leave and not the 22 that is advertised. Also, when classes are cancelled due to a national holiday, the teacher usually has to make up the classes at another time, so it does not feel like they get a day off at all. This is pretty standard practice in China and applies to BDW School. However, our teacher do get 28 additional days completely off, paid and with no classes to make up.
What's the deal with teaching hours?
University teaching posts boast how they only contract around 14 hours a week. What they don't tell you is the amount of planning and marking that goes with that. Teachers at the 'language mills' (private English schools) tend to work 20-25 hours in the classroom. On top of that, they may be expected to spend 'desk time' in the school for lesson planning/marketing purposes, taking them up to around 40+ hours per week. At BDW the hours on your contract are the hours you need to be in school. That's typically 20-25 hours, depending on your contract. Lesson plans are provided and can be modified with the manager's approval and can be done at a time and place that suites. At home or at the pub, it's up to you.
