Graduates find an opening in China

“Free accommodation, free health care and working 12-20 working hours a week would be a dream job in the UK, the US or any country for that matter.” Lawrence Phillips said, a 26 years old English teacher living in China for four years said.

Teaching English as a foreign language in China has become a new choice for graduates in the UK.

With more people learning English in China, there are plenty of opportunities to teach English there. Hundreds of graduates in UK are sent to China to teach English in colleges or high schools.

Choose China as a target

A survey by High Fliers Research in 2012 found that, 42% of students in the UK made applications for a graduate job by the end of October in their final year, while 61% had applied by the end of February, compared with 59% last year.

Because of mounting competition to find a well-paid job in the economic downturn, some graduates choose China for their future plan. Rather than just be a tourist they want to fully experience another culture and become a part of a different community.

Besides experiencing a different culture and traveling, most of young people think China is a good chance to enhance their employment prospects. The hungry job market of language teachers in China was what initially attracted them to the country.

Amy Wright, a third year undergraduate in Sociology and Social Policy of Sheffield University is planning on teaching in China next year. “I want to visit somewhere that seems very different from what I'm used to. I'm also really interested in learning Mandarin, which seems a useful skill to have when looking for a job.”

“I find teaching English really rewarding - English is not something I find difficult, so it is quite fun to teach, and think of creative ways to get students talking in Englis,” Evelyn Cooper said. She is an undergraduate in Music, has travelled to China twice and plans to teach there after graduation.

Sinead Hegarty, studying English Literature, stayed in China for a year in the town of Tianshui in Gansu province. She wants to return to China to teach English again. “After living there for a year I realized how friendly the Chinese people are. The students I taught were very polite and well behaved and became good friends of mine.”

An exciting opportunity for young

A 72-year-old leader of Teach English in China (TEIC), Professor Phil Thomas, who has given law classes in China, is now fixed on introducing UK graduates to teach in China after his retirement.

“It’s such an exciting opportunity for young people to go there, in terms of global experience, learning Mandarin, seeing a different culture, and showing international solidarity."

"It’s a chance to get young people together and give British graduates exposure to China. Chinese love Europe and they are fascinated by the music, the culture, the fashion here. So both parties benefit neutrally. This is why I do it.”

TEIC is a programme dedicated to sending qualified applicants to China. It is run in conjunction with the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), a not for profit wing of the Ministry of Education, Beijing. TEIC are recruiting new teachers every year and they place most teachers twice, in August and February.

TEIC is an international work-travel programme with a difference. Neither a degree nor a second language is required for a course and no extra training is required.

TEIC and CEAIE have responded to this requirement by offering free TEFL training. It follows the Ministry's own training programme. The 60 hour course is undertaken on line in the UK prior to departure.

A dream job or a "free-ticket"

“Foreigners are treated very well in China and often get benefits they might not otherwise receive in their own country. Free accommodation, free health care and working 12-20 working hours a week would be a dream job in the UK, the US or any country for that matter. China is extremely welcoming to foreigners and has high regard for what they can offer students who hope to improve their English.”

Lawrence Phillips, a 26-year-old English teacher, has lived in China for four years. When he studied Multimedia in the University of Chester, a company offered him a job travelling to different events and countries as a reporter.

The experience gave him a lot of confidence in English ability and then he moved to China, “although I initially worked as a journalist, I swapped to become a teacher because I believed it could provide better for my family and also because I enjoy helping others. Just it’s a good job for a foreigner in China and it’s well-suited to my character.”

The downside is many foreigners treat China as a free-ticket to an easy life and become too comfortable with the new lifestyle that they soon realize they will no longer be able to fit in back home. For this reason many foreigners stay in China for many years but perhaps do not really develop a strong connection with China or the Chinese culture. So the benefits that are awarded to foreigners teaching in China are also a recipe for success if the individuals are not able to keep themselves grounded. Also because China does not really have a good system to weed out the “free-loaders”, many schools tolerate or put up with behaviour from foreign teachers that is highly out of order.

Voice from Chinese students

China may be the largest and most developed economy among non-English speaking countries. English has been a compulsory subject for primary school children in China since 2001. The government takes the view that a command of the English language is a prerequisite for China to compete in the global economy, and thus English becomes a required subject of academics and profession, which leads to a relentless desire for education in this country.

For teaching English, native English-speaker teachers have different duties with local teachers in China. The former focuses more on speaking and listening, while the later has to help students more in examinations.

Yashan, a Chinese girl, whose major was English in undergraduate, now studies in the UK. “During my college time, I was taught by three foreign teachers. One professor was easy-going and the most considerate. He encouraged us to speak out no matter whether it is native or not."

"But one young teacher had a bad reputation. He was single and charming but irresponsible. He dated several girls at one period and even had sexual relationship with students. Such behaviour was not allowed in Chinese universities. Thus he was fired.”

by Naqing Qiu