Teaching English in China
A valid question may be why, why did I want to live in a place that so many people have no desire to even visit? Well, I have a few reasons: 1. I want to see the whole world 2. I had a childhood friend living there who was a great connection/ resource 3. I didn’t know much about China, therefore I had no previous expectations.
I truly believe teaching English abroad is the easiest way to make money and travel(which makes me wonder why I moved home). Anyway, moving to China is to this day is one of the best, most terrifying and rewarding things I have accomplished in these short 28 years of my life.
Okay, enough about me and more about the process and nitty gritty of teaching English in China.
Visa: I am going to break this into legally & illegally
I was working in China illegally, oops! To work there legally it is difficult to obtain the required work visa and China is always in need of English teachers, hence the reason I worked there illegally. I was working on a business visa in China, technically you are not allowed to teach English on this visa, but plenty of schools will hire you on a business visa. My good friend was already living in China, he had set me up with his company and this my friends is how I received my letter of proof of employment to then get my business visa(yay). Once I arrived in China, ten days later to be exact, I realized this was not a company I wanted to be working for and could be making more money at a different school. I immediately quit my job and started making almost double what I was offered at the first school. I then signed a “contract” with my new school, but it doesn’t really mean much when both parties are doing something illegal. With the business visa I had to leave the country every 60 days. This process was simple because I was living and teaching in Guangzhou and it is only two hours north of Hong Kong. The “visa run” was quite a joke, I would take the train into Hong Kong, walk across the border, walk back into China and get stamped back in. Bada-bing-bada-boom, good for another 60 days!
Now, here’s how to get a work visa legally:
Have a Bachelor’s degree
Have two years work experience in your home state & be certified by your secretary of state
Be a Native English speaker
Google another blog to help you…
Accommodation: I did not have this set up before leaving, I would not suggest having a place before moving there. You will want to make sure your apartment is in a good location and in decent condition before deciding. Join an expat Facebook group (always super helpful) and book an airbnb or couchsurf for a few days/ weeks until you are able to find a place that suits you. When I was living there in 2013, my rent was less than $300 including wifi, water & utilities. This will vary depending on many factors such as the city you choose, size of the apartment, location, etc.
Cost of living: Cheap, cheap & did I mention CHEAP! I could eat Chinese meals for about $1-$4. Western groceries, meals and drinks are definitely going to be on the pricier side. A Western meal will cost about $10 (again this depends on your city and how fancy the restaurant is). The only thing I truly spent my money on was drinking (obvz) and a western meal here and there. P.S. McDonalds delivers (dreams do come true). The metro, taxis, phone bill, etc are also extremely affordable and will not break your bank (promise).
Pay & hours: I worked “40 hours a week” and what I really mean is I worked about 15-20 hours a week. My school started at 8 A.M. and ended at 5 P.M., but during that time the kids had recess, nap time, lunch time and any other break you can think of…No matter what, you will be expected to be at school during these hours, because that is what your “contract” says and what the “contract” says is what goes. I was making 14,000 Chinese Yuan a month, at that time it was about $2,300 a month, not too shabby if I do say so myself.
China is unlike any place I have ever traveled to or lived, from the people to the culture to the food…It has not been Westernized, people will lack manners, your personal space will be invaded, you will be stared at, you will catch people taking photos of you, BUT all of these things is what made the experience so amazing and incredible (believe it or not).
Being abroad isn’t for everyone, but what do you have to lose? Worst comes to worst you hate the place you moved to and book a flight back home. If you never take the leap, you will never know.
You will also get the opportunity to meet some of the greatest people and make the best of friends, who I love and miss dearly!
