Do I need a TEFL/TESOL or a degree to teach in China?

Many of our applicants ask us about the necessary qualifications to teach English in China as a full-time teacher and it’s a question that depends on a few variables. There is a lot written online on blogs and various schools/agencies will tell you different things so it can be a little confusing for somebody thinking about teaching in China. It can also vary from province to province what qualifications you do in fact need.

Graduates2china which is part of the registered UK company West-East connect is based in Hubei province the regulations are very clear about what’s required to work as a full-time teacher. Firstly all applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline and secondly the person must have a TEFL/TESOL certificate or 2 years work experience.

Now we are aware that there are other companies that may say differently and that there are plenty of teachers working in China without a bachelor’s degree however they may not necessarily be working legally as teachers in China and this is commonly seen and something we won’t involve ourselves in.

Often Chinese companies will not explain this fully to the teacher until they have arrived in the country and already begun to work. Only recently we spoke to an applicant who was looking to change jobs as he wasn’t given a Z-visa and is sometimes told to stay home by his school in case the police came in for checks. This is very common and means schools are free to abuse the contract and make changes at their own discretion and there is nobody the teacher can report them too for breach of contract because technically they aren’t working legally in China anyway which can leave teachers in a vulnerable position.

We strongly advise that nobody goes to teach in China unless they have the correct qualification and are working under visa (Z-working visa). If there is another company telling you that you don’t need it I can assure you they are lying for their own benefit. All full-time placements we make offer a working (Z) visa from the school you’ll be going to and your contract is directly with them.

Regulations for Shanghai

http://files.shafea.gov.cn/html/c03cab1b-b757-447c-96c9-5777eca7881c.htm

Regulations for Beijing

http://beijing.caiep.org/faq/content.php?id=14887

 

 

Unsung Heroes

Rainy Day Umbrella Sellers

It happens to everyone, you leave the house in the morning and the sun is shining, however by midday the skies have clouded over and a downpour starts. Unprepared for such inclement weather you have little choice but to carry on as you are and get drenched. This is a problem that is worse in Wuhan than some other places, because when it rains here it rains. In the UK you might be able to get away without an umbrella in a light drizzle however when the heavens truly open you really don’t want to be outside. What you see in Wuhan a lot is random vendors who will station themselves at crowded areas (Metro exits, bus stops etc.) selling cheap umbrellas for people caught unprepared. While this can be quite useful, it does raise the question – what do these people do when it isn’t raining? Do they have jobs that they abandon in a breathless hurry every time the sky clouds up to hit the streets with their wares? I like to think they spend their time poring over meteorological maps and population densities around the city plotting their next appearance in a far more sophisticated manner than anyone could have imagined.

Motorbike Men

Taxis are a fairly cheap and quick way of getting around, and there are huge numbers of them around the city. Having said that, depending where you are in the city and the time, it can be next to impossible to get a taxi. To fill this gap are random people in cars and on scooters who will offer to drive you to your destination for an agreed-upon fee. For some of the people in cars I assume that they are basically chancing it – perhaps they are on their way somewhere and see an opportunity to make some easy money. This is not the case with the scooter men though who are often found corralled in groups like a really scruffy, lame version of a biker club. Getting a scooter ride to your destination is invariably more expensive than a taxi, though depending on traffic it can be quicker. Having said that you really are taking your life in your hands, and on top of that I am not sure how legal it is…

Watch and Shoe men

In fairness this one is not confined to China, though probably my favourite thing is how specific it is. If you go to a busy outside shopping area (particularly Jianghan Lu) at some point you will probably be approached by shady-looking men trying to sell you watches and shoes. ‘Nice watch, nice shoes’ is pretty much the limit of their English, though just in case you were unclear what they were selling they generally bring accompanying pictures. As I said, my favourite thing is how specific it is – why shoes and watches as opposed to say – shoes and other items of clothing? Presumably they know the market better than me and when it comes to fake goods the true connoisseur knows that the real deals are to be had in the shoe and watch sections.

Huanying Guanglin!

Go into most large restaurants and stores and you will be met with a chorus of ‘Huanying Guanglin!’ (basically ‘Welcome’). Sometimes this will just be from the people who work there and happen to be close to the entrance, though lots of places will have people stationed at the entrance whose job it is to loudly welcome everyone into the premises (they also say it when you leave and welcome you to come next time). I can only assume that this is a way of creating jobs because I can’t really see any other reason – are there genuinely customers who feel treasured by being loudly shouted at every time they go into a store?