Teaching English in Beijing

Beijing is one of the hottest markets for the prospective teacher of English. China’s eruption into a relatively more free market system along with the higher standard of living many Chinese are now enjoying has made for a great demand for English teachers. The main concern is not whether you will find a decent paying job, but which one you should accept.

Hoe to Choose a Job Teaching English in Beijing

First of all, be sure that the school you are committing to has a good reputation. You can talk to other teachers in the area in person or on the internet. The school should be willing to put the terms of your employment in writing and to answer all questions you may have about the conditions you will be working under. Make sure you know things like the population of students you’ll be teaching, class size, working hours, all details about pay, housing allowance or is housing provided, do they provide return or round trip airfare, do they have a license to hire foreign teachers and will they help with getting a work permit and visa, how many teachers renewed their contract in the last year, and will they give you references for teachers who work for them. This is not an exhaustive list of things to ask, but it gives you an idea of things to have nailed down before you commit. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing has a great guide on their website with more thorough guidelines (http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/teach.html).

Often you can get a job through a recruiting agency before you arrive in China. Make sure that you get a contract from the school itself and have researched both the school and recruiting agency. At times, the recruiting agency will not actually know which job they will place you with beforehand, and you want to avoid this situation.

Qualifications to Teach English in Beijing

You don’t need any qualifications to teach English in Beijing right now. The demand is that high. Of course the higher your credentials and the more experience you have the better job options and higher pay you will command. If you have no experience and qualifications, and you are considering teaching for more than the very short term, you would do well to consider getting a TEFL certificate from a reputable school. This will greatly enhance your earning potential, give you valuable skills, and if you choose the right course, get actual experience in the classroom using them.

English Teaching Opportunities

Teaching opportunities in Beijing generally fall into three main categories – university, private school, and freelance teaching. Universities are lower paid in general, starting at 3000 Yuan/month with free accommodation for around 15 hours of teaching a week. Students tend to be more interesting, and you will have free time to do other things or supplement your income in other ways. They tend to be more reliable in terms of paying on time and helping with visas than private schools.

You can expect to earn upwards of 5000 Yuan/month at a private school, with about 20 hours of teaching a week. Accommodation is often provided, or they should make provisions in your pay if it’s not.

Freelance teaching is easy to get either through the two former situations or clients you find yourself. Prices start at 100 Yuan/hour and can go as high as you like, but 200 Yuan/hour is not at all unreasonable if it requires preparation and travel. Legally, you still need a work permit, visa, and written permission for any other employer you may have to do this,

Again, make sure you know clearly what you are getting into before accepting employment in Beijing. It’s a good idea to bring cash reserves to fall back on in case things don’t work out, despite your thorough preparations. Good luck and have a great time!