Best Advice - Teaching English

Teaching English is the staple work for a large number of expats in Shanghai. In the quest to make Shanghai a truly international metropolis, local people are soaking up the English language as fast new teachers can show up. It definitely is one of the best ways to work reasonable number of hours per week at a rate (in most cases) that is liveable.

There are two major routes to English teaching. Private business to business training companies and state educational institutions, such as colleges and universities. The private companies pay more. The universities offer a relatively risk-free stay in Shanghai by providing accommodation, travel allowance, and enough money to eat on. In any sense, if you have the temperament and the education to secure a teaching position, you will find yourself in Shanghai.

Here are what a few of the community members in the forum had to say about it.

How is the English teaching job market in Shanghai?

You will do well finding something that makes your English an advantage. Teaching is a place to start around 120-180 RMB per class hour in private companies. Universities pay the pits (maybe 3000 RMB a month plus a room). Enough to pay the bills on a modest place and get you into the scene here. If you have a TESL cert, you will have no problem getting something at the best schools, like Wall Street in the Jinmao Building. A friend got his through Teach and Travel and it seemed to be widely accepted. There is a huge range of quality. Some may look for practical as well as academic training (meaning distance-learning only certificates are considered a notch below those that give actual hands-on experience).

Only some places seem to require TESL, most places only require that you're a native speaker with some sort of diploma - it doesn't matter in what discipline.
(By Michael)

I am also an Aussie living and working in Shanghai as an English educator for 8 months now, so here is some good advice. Do not sign any contracts! Once you do these companies that promise you so good a deal always find loopholes to alter the contract -- what do I mean? Hours for example. Make sure your hours are blocked as morning or evening shifts otherwise like with Wall Street, you will find the money good but hours like Russian Roulette -- two in the morning, four from lunch to afternoon, etc. The company has a big turnover for this reason. Also, make sure you get two consecutive days off!

Many expats come here on a business visa, easily obtainable in Hong Kong, and teach part time (my husband is Chinese so I don't have to worry about visas). I earned almost 20,000 RMB/month part-timing, there is lots of work around and you are in control If you can't manage the class, if it's really far to commute to, you can say "thanks, but no thanks." The going rate for part-time is 150 RMB/hour -- don't accept anything less. Places like Informatics will pay your travel expenses to and from your destination.

Apartments are not difficult to obtain. In other words, take some time to live and look around in Shanghai first before you commit to any particular institution, as there are some really good and some very disreputable places.

4000 RMB is a paltry salary, and once you sign up you can' t alter it. Informatics offers 12,605, Wall Street, 14,000 check out Dave's ESL Café for more.

There are English jobs and then there are ENGLISH JOBS! Meaning for the inexperienced, you can really be taken for a ride if you've never taught overseas/in China before, in regards to contracts, salary, benefits etc.

I suggest you check out

• Dave's ESL Café (very useful for international jobs and also has a teacher's forum with peoples' past experiences in China)
• Tefl.com
• Monster
• That's Shanghai (classifieds)
• South China Morning Post

One-year contracts are good as they give you the security of a visa/work permit, but always check the details and get everything promised in black and white.
(By Indigo-8)

Note: Sgali dug through the forum posts to find these pearls of wisdom from our community. Thanks to all who contributed.




From the Shanghaiexpat archive. Still valuable,but previously published in older versions of shanghaiexpat.

Submitted by angelmae701 on Wed, 2003-03-12 12:13