Teach English in China

  China

• Beijing: 
Beijing
• Shanghai: 
Shanghai
• All Other Areas in China: 
Nanjing,  Wuhan,  Tianjin,  Jinan

Length of Position: 5 or 10 months

Description: Orientation

All Teach in China participants receive a week-long orientation in Shanghai upon arrival. Conducted by CIEE staff and local experts, the orientation program will provide you with important cultural and practical information to help you adapt to life in China. Some local sightseeing, housing, and meals are included. The training course will give you the resources you need to be an effective teacher and will help you develop essential skills for teaching, including a study of the theories and practical applications of teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

Most assignments will be for English language teachers. Those wishing to teach more specialized courses must have relevant experience. A Master's degree in the subject field is usually required. CIEE cannot guarantee placement in any subject other than English.

Employment
Placements for Teach in China participants are available at an elementary, middle or high school, college or university in a wide range of urban and rural locations. Placements are driven by the demand for English-speaking teachers and the requirements of each host institution, so CIEE cannot guarantee to honor your placement requests.

A typical teaching load is 16 classes per week, depending on the school. In addition to actual time spent in the classroom, participants are expected to devote time to class planning, presentations, faculty meetings, and a modicum of extra-curricular activities. Participants should assume a 35-40 work week. In return, you will receive:

- A minimum local salary of 3,000 RMB per month

- A free flight home from China (one-way) provided by the host institution if you successfully complete a continuous 10-month contract (academic year)

Housing
Housing is provided free of charge by the host institution to all participants of the Teach in China program. Accommodations will be in the 'foreign visitors' quarters, usually on campus. All accommodations have heat and some have air conditioning. Most include a fully furnished bedroom, sitting room, bathroom, and access to shared cooking facilities. The quality of the facilities varies greatly from school to school and may be quite different from what you are accustomed to in the U.S.

Details, details
School levels: Elementary, middle, high school, college, university
School locations: Urban or rural
Typical teaching load*: 16 classes/week
Contracts begin: February and August
Application deadline
February departure: November 15
August departure: May 15

Program Fees
- 5-month contract
      Application fee $ 50
      Program fee $ 1,325

- 10-month contract
      Application fee $ 50
      Program fee $ 1,575

CIEE program benefits
- Orientation in Shanghai for seven days, including:
    - Classes on TEFL theory and practice, language training, and local culture
    - Accommodations and meals
    - Sightseeing trips
    - Transportation from orientation to your host institution
- Insurance (health, accident, medical evacuation, repatriation, and baggage coverage)
- 24-hour in-country emergency support services (from the CIEE office and the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the institution where you teach)
- Pre-departure advice to help you plan and prepare
- Handbook with useful cultural and tourist information, teaching advice, medical information, and local resources program fees

Program fees do not include airfare or in-country incidental expenses.

Highlights: China is in the midst of a slow explosion. Five thousand years into its history and not yet anywhere near past its prime, China today is very much a nation under construction. Chinese history is a staggeringly long tale of civilization, conquest, and expansion. Everywhere old buildings, roads, traditions, and ideas are being torn down as new frameworks are erected, some making careful use of the past, others branching out in new directions altogether. China is dynamic and exciting, with sprawling, sophisticated cities. It is diverse, with dozens of minority nationalities, cuisines, and cultures. It is a place of tremendous natural beauty, with vast, fertile plains and expansive mountain panoramas. Don't let the world's most populous country intimidate you. Get to know the people, places, and pleasures of the real China, as it will be an experience that will surpass all of your expectations.

From temple-hopping to bar-hopping, there is a great deal to see and do in China. Those with specialized interests can indulge to their hearts' content, and those without will find no better opportunity to develop them. China's neon-lit cities, fascinating age-old customs, incredible sense of history, and gorgeous sights will quench the soul of even the most travel-thirsty explorer.

For centuries, "Zhongguo" or the Middle Kingdom was an enigma to most of the outside world. Hiding behind a culture with over 5,000 years of history, the Chinese seemed content to remain this way. Images of China such as emperors ruling with a mandate from heaven, imperial courts, Tang dynasty poetry, Ming dynasty vases, calligraphy, Confucianism, Taoism, martial arts, dragons, jade, temples, and the Great Wall to more contemporary events such as the fall of the last emperor, the Republican move to Taiwan, the rise of the Communist Party, use of traditional versus simplified characters, the current debate of reunification, as well as the modern figures in Chinese history, Sun Yatsen, Zhou Enlai, Chiang Kaishek, Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Lee Tenghui, and Jiang Zemin all contribute to the fascinating history and legacy of the world's most populated country.

Qualifications: People of all professions and recent graduates make wonderful teachers of English (and culture). All you need to be eligible is a bachelor's degree in any subject. Teachers current, former, retired are particularly welcome, although Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification and teaching experience are not essential; anyone with excellent spoken and written English skills may apply. Your organizational skills, creative flair, and adaptability will be more than enough to delight your eager-to-learn class.

Go because . . .

- you've always wanted to teach
- it'll put your teaching to the test
- the world has taught you much that you want to teach others
- you've wanted to be part of China
- you've wanted to see Thailand
- it's the perfect transition between careers
- it will add an international dimension to your resume
- you want to eat congee for breakfast
- your family needs a change of venue
- it will revitalize you and your way of thinking
- you want to change your life and someone else's

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to American and Canadian Participants.

Participants Travel to China Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Written Application

CIEE's Mission Statement: Since 1947, the Council on International Educational Exchange, known as CIEE, has been in pursuit of its mission, "to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world." Our services to young people studying, working, teaching, and traveling abroad are more important than ever. As we look ahead, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles and values that guide this mission statement.

Year Founded: 1947