How Hard is it to Teach English in China?

I have taught English in China for nearly three years now and a question that often comes up from people who are curious to do the same is this: how hard is it to teach English in China?

Now, when they pop this question, they don’t mean how hard is it to get a job in China, because it is relatively easy compared to other countries around the world, and you could save a decent sum of cash as well. All you really need to teach English in China legally is a bachelor’s degree, two years of work experience (though there are ways of getting around this), a TEFL certificate, all the requisite background checks and of course, a healthy dose of enthusiasm. Then you apply online to one of many recruiting companies that are hiring for the upcoming school semester. Or you could simply fly to China, take a job at a private institution and work illegally, because China has yet to work out all the kinks.

I am in no way condoning the latter. However, considering how easy it is to secure a job in China, one must consider the difficulty of the work you’ll be doing. You’ll constantly be questioning yourself from day one, both nervously thinking it’ll be a nightmare or optimistically imagining it to be a piece of cake.

Here are some things that might make teaching English in China a bit overwhelming for you:

teach english in china

Class Sizes

In Western countries, 30 kids in a classroom would be considered big. In China, 30 kids in one classroom is wishful thinking. Prepare for upwards of 50 students per class, or if you’re lucky, maybe 45ish.

I remember the first time I walked into a classroom with 50-plus students all screaming at the top of their lungs, excited to begin class, and thinking: “how will I ever get through an entire year of this??” In that moment, I thought I was staring at my inevitable failure, that surely, I didn’t have the ability to command that many students all at once without morphing into Kim Jong-un.

When you teach English in China, this is probably the biggest adjustment you’ll have to deal with, but as long as you have the right mindset, it doesn’t have to be so bad. One of the upsides to having bigger classes is that you will always be able to find at least a few kids who will be able to answer your questions and keep the class moving, and it makes playing English language games a lot more exciting! There are many effective ways to control large classes, and you can read about them here.

Few resources

Most classrooms in Chinese cities will come equipped with a computer, a projector, a sound system, and blackboards or whiteboards with chalk. Some, especially in rural areas, will often only have a blackboard and chalk. With some creativity and inspiration, it is possible to do a lot with these resources. However, I often found myself struggling to take lessons deeper, to go beyond just a PowerPoint and a blackboard, with some props thrown in for good measure.

I eventually came to realize that, in a public school at least, I was not going to play a very significant role in improving my students’ English. Seeing classes of 50 students once a week was simply not enough to teach them complex language skills. Instead, I began to see my role as more of someone who would engage the classes to use English in some sort of useful context, and that job did not require as many resources as I first thought.

Many fun lessons can be done with very little (not all fun lessons, though!) Check out this page for some simple resources to provide a kick to your weekly classes.

Nobody understands you sometimes

Teaching students in a language that isn’t their first can pose a plethora of problems, chiefly being that sometimes, nobody understands what you’re saying. This can lead to a few things: complete silence, distracted uproar, or a stilted pace to your lesson as your tongue stumbles to find the right vocabulary or phrasing to use.

The best way to combat this is to always keep it simple, so you can be understood by most students. In this way, everyone (hopefully) pays attention and there is no confusion over the meaning of what you just said. Another way to combat misunderstanding is by not saying anything at all. Instead, mime what you want to be done and say as little as possible. Not all students will be comfortable speaking out loud, and in this way you encourage even the shyest students to be somewhat involved in the class.

In the end, I found that even though I kept things simple and risked alienating the more advanced students, those same students would nevertheless come and chat with me after my lessons. Then I would be able to switch up my English to make it more complicated and natural, because I knew they could understand me for the most part.

teach english in china

Unpredictable schedule

One of the great things when you teach English in China is the amount of free time you get. Most schools don’t require you to be at work all day, so you can make plans even during the weekday to develop a hobby, or go for a short leisurely hike up a scenic hill.

However, one must always be wary of making weekday plans as your schedule could change at the drop of a hat, and you’ll be expected to show up to class to teach a full lesson. That awesome plan to go rock-climbing in the afternoon? How about teaching a Grade 3 class at 3pm, because someone decided to change your schedule and tell you last minute?

I remember in my first year, my class schedule would change at least once a month. It was annoying in the beginning but I ended up (nearly!) getting used to it, as I had prepared some backup lessons in case I had to teach the same class twice in one week. My second and third years have been more consistent however, and it really depends on the whims of each school. You may get lucky, or you may get thrown around in the wind!

Additionally, school events like Sports Day or random staff meetings can lead to schedule changes as well, but usually it’s a cancellation of classes (yay!). Depending on where you live in China, your school district may also call typhoon days, where classes are cancelled because a typhoon is looming in the distance (or is already here).

An unpredictable schedule is essentially a tradeoff for having a relatively leisurely job, and in my opinion is completely worth it. Because I want to try that new dumpling house down the street at like, 3:52pm, okay?

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8 thoughts on “How Hard is it to Teach English in China?”

  1. Hi! I found this extremely interesting since I studied abroad in Beijing for two months while I was in school. I have always wondered what it would be like to teach English in China as I fell in love with the country when I went. I would love to talk more about it with you. For example, how much mandarin do you need to know? What is rent like? What kind of leisurely activities to you do there? etc. Would love to get in contact with you! Thanks, and good luck in your endeavors!

    1. Hey Ben, thanks for visiting my site! Glad that you have such an interest in China, it really is an amazing country to explore and there’s hardly ever a dull moment here. Teaching in China is probably your best bet if you want to spend some time here. You can check out my posts in the Money, Teaching, and China Life categories for more details. To answer your questions, you actually don’t need to know much Mandarin as teaching is done all in English, though you might want to brush up on basics for survival (ordering food, asking for directions, manners, etc.) Rent can be cheap to free, as most teaching companies will give you money for an off-campus apartment or provide you with on-campus housing (similar to a dorm room). As for activities, there’s lots! Roaming the streets, tons of cool hiking spots (China is really hilly), eating delicious local food, pub trivia at Western bars, relaxing on the beach, studying Mandarin, and more. If you want, I can shoot you an email and if you have any more questions, we can go from there!

      -Ivan

  2. Hi Ivan,

    Great article. I am moving to Shenzhen in August to teach English in a middle school and I’m excited but nervous! The big class size sounds tough, especially since I’ve only taught small groups before, but this was helpful for getting a better idea of what it’ll be like.
    Would you mind if I asked you a few more specific q’s about teaching in a school (there seems to be a lot of info about working in training centres, not so much about public schools)?
    Thanks!

    1. Hi Bea,

      I’d be happy to answer your questions! You can send me an email at ivanb@countryandahalf.com and I’ll do my best to help you out. Congrats and kudos to you for making such a brave decision to come here!

  3. Wooww.. 50 students… So many, I think I will give up to teach those kids. 😀
    Can the students bring their mobile phone to school?

    1. Hi Gunar, thanks for visiting my blog!

      Most schools have a “no phones in class” rule, but students usually have their phones in their bags or pockets and may play with them when the teacher isn’t looking! They had just better hope they don’t get caught… or ELSE…

  4. Hello, Ivan
    Your article in very informative. I have a question. I was recently contacted by a Chinese company who partners teachers with schools. So far, I have interviewed with two schools and both have said I do not meet their requirements. Does that sound typical?

    1. Hi Ava, thanks for visiting my blog!

      Being turned down by two schools does sound atypical, but it’s not unheard of. Just keep searching and I’m sure you’ll find something good soon. As for why those schools said you “do not meet their requirements,” I’ll have to know a little more about your situation to give you a proper answer. If you want, you can send me an email at ivanb@countryandahalf.com and I’ll happily answer any questions you have!

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