Overview

 

START TEACHING IN CHINA

American Business Service Group Foreign Teacher Center offers free language teacher placement services to native English speakers from the United States. Teaching English abroad is stress free with ABSG Foreign Teacher Center. We provide simple answers to your questions ensuring you are informed every step of the way.

 

Why Teach Abroad?

As the country becomes an economic superpower, experience of working in China can be a great addition to your CV. People in China are keen to learn English and improving the language is a major focus for the government, so there’s a huge demand for teachers. You might find yourself at a private language school, a public school or an international school. You could even be teaching future world leaders!

Here are our top 8 reasons for you to go teach overseas!
1.Personal Growth; teaching in China is an unforgettable experience. You will be asked to take charge of a class of Chinese students, make new friends and explore China’s rich culture. Teaching is one of those jobs that often takes you out of your comfort zone. If you are looking for a stimulating and always changing job, teaching is as good as it gets.
2.We have teaching jobs for almost everybody; what other field of work is so open and accessible? We have jobs for fresh grads with a degree in any field. We also have jobs for certified teachers and administrators. So long as you have an open mind and meet the minimum requirements *Native speaker in possession of at least a Bachelor’s Degree, we have something for you.
3.Adventure; how many other fields of work afford you the opportunity to safely work in parts of the world that you would normally never have the chance to see as well as actually experiencing the culture of those locations?
4.Valuable Work Experience; teaching in China will enable you to develop many skills that are transferable to other types of work than teaching. You will lead a class of students and develop a good public presence and leadership skills; you get text books and teaching materials to work with but you plan the pace of the class and make sure all materials are covered, so planning and time management is important; you need to develop a good relationship with your students and do your best to understand their values. This means that you will be in good stead working in culturally diverse environments in the future.
5.Change your students’ lives; students in your classes will all have studied English before they work directly with you. Some of them will speak more advanced English than others, but they will all have a basic understanding of English. It is however likely that the students have worked with a Chinese English teacher rather than a native speaker of English. The students in China are very keen to learn English from a native speaker and will want to really make the most of their time with you. Many students are planning to attend universities in English speaking countries in the future, and you can help them get there.
6.Build your resume; even if a long term career in education is not your final goal, having some overseas experience that also involves a leadership aspect can be a huge advantage when competing in an ever constricting job market.
7.Save your money; the majority of overseas teaching placements offer a competitive salary by North American standards. Couple this with the fact that your accommodation and flights are generally paid for as well as the fact that the majority of our placements are in countries with a low cost of living and you find yourself in a situation where it is easy to save at least $10,000 a year. You may pay off your student loans, earn your money and enjoy new experiences at the same time.
8.Make friends and connections; that will last you a lifetime; remember, you will not be the only foreign teacher wherever you end up. You will immediately be a part of a community of other likeminded individuals that are looking for something more than a 9-5 back home. Still interested? Contact us, submit your application and take your career on a field trip.

 

How to Apply? ---4 Steps to Teaching Abroad
1. Send in a CV: Please send in a CV and cover letter to jobs@absgnow.com.
2. Phone/in-person/online video interview
Successful candidates are invited for a telephone, in-person or online video interview to discuss placement in China after submitting a CV.
The interview is about half an hour and we’ll discuss what teaching in China is like in some depth.
Teaching in China is an unforgettable experience but it is challenging as well.
Therefore we will discuss both the rewarding and challenging aspects of work in China in some detail.
Rewarding aspects:
•Integration in Chinese culture and day to day contact with Chinese people
•Developing experience in public speaking and leadership
•Opportunity to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle by local standards
•You will meet new colleagues and students and make new friends
•Chinese people are very helpful to foreigners and very hospitable
Challenging aspects:
•You will need to overcome a language barrier as few people outside the school speak good English
•You will need to be comfortable speaking in front of sometimes large classes and keep up a high energy level
•You will need to accept that work and living conditions are not up to Western standards
•You will need to take the initiative to make new friends and become comfortable in your new surroundings
•There are still relatively few foreigners in China outside of the biggest cities so people sometimes stare at foreigners when they see them
3. Full Application: We help you find a rewarding job
You will be notified with feedback one day after your interview.
Successful applicants have one week to complete a full application if they want to take up their placements so we know how many places we have available for other candidates.
You will be sent a link to our application platform where you will be asked to specify the details of your application and preferred placement.
•Which program you chose
•What your preferred location in China would be
•What your preferred type of school would be
•A short description of the type of placement you have in mind
•Specify your preferred starting date
In addition to these preferences you need to upload a number of documents:
•a scan of your degree certificate/ university enrolment document
•a scan of your passport photo page
•a recent photo (in jpg format)
4. Placement: Start teaching English abroad
After the successful interview and full application we are confident you are a suitable person to teach in China and we are confident we can find a school for you. We feel it is important that you have a clear idea of what’s involved in the rest of the process should you take up your offer, so here are a few important things about the application process to keep in mind:
1. We will send you details of a suggested placement in China about 3 months before departure.
2. The details will include information about salary and accommodation.
3. Once we sent you a suggested school it is important that we have quick feedback about the position so we can keep the process on track.
4. Once you have accepted a position the school will prepare a visa invitation letter for you.

How to be qualified?

1. Qualified
In order to secure any paid teaching job overseas, you’ll firstly need to have completed a Bachelor’s degree. This is a basic requirement to obtain a working visa in almost all countries. You’ll also need to have the relevant teaching qualifications for each role you apply for and the right experience. Be sure to read the job requirements carefully to check that you'd be a suitable fit before submitting your application.
2. Culturally aware
Having a broad knowledge and understanding of other cultures and customs around the world will allow you to adapt much quicker to life abroad. You can increase your knowledge by researching your region of interest on the internet - there are hundreds of articles, factual websites and blogs out there. Your students may be from a variety of backgrounds, nationalities and religions, so it’s crucial you can be sensitive and respectful towards their beliefs and values.
3. Open-minded
Different cultures think, act and behave differently to what might be the norm for you and where you call home. If the idea of this bothers you, perhaps this experience isn't for you. If you're excited to embrace this, then great! Every day may surprise you, but you’ll begin to grasp a whole new perspective on life and education.
4. Flexible
The way institutions are run in other countries may not be what you’re used to. They may be less or more organized and you may have fewer or greater responsibilities. Plans may change last minute - always be prepared to expect the unexpected! Also, remember you’ll need to be able to commit to living in another country for the length of your contract.
5. An outstanding communicator
The message from recruitment agencies, employer surveys and the like is familiar, loud and clear: you must be an outstanding communicator if you want to get to the top of your profession. An ability to communicate effectively and build rapport with students and your fellow staff is essential. You’ll no doubt need to overcome a lot of language barriers! While it’s not essential to speak the native language when teaching abroad, being able to get your point across - and having patience and determination in doing so - are important skills to possess.

 

Salaries/Benefits & Types of Jobs Available
When you go to China, you can expect your teaching salary to provide a comfortable life for you. The norm for salaries now is $1,500-$2,500 a month. We have even seen some positions paying $3,000 and above. Your return airfare, housing, and health insurance are all covered by your school, so you’ll also be able to save up for the future (or for travel). Contract completion bonuses and travel allowances are becoming common as well.

Most teaching jobs in China are with a private school – either a large chain like Disney English and English First, or individual private schools. Student ages range from preschool up to adults and good job descriptions detail the makeup of the student body. As a foreign teacher, you will be teaching English – other subjects are rare, with the exception of some university-level and international school positions for experienced professional educators.

Teaching hours are very reasonable and are frequently capped at 20-25 a week. Your contract will be for 1 or 2 years, with definite prospects of renewal and raises. It’s rare to come teach in China for 6 months or less, as just about every school requires at least a 12-month commitment due to the paperwork and logistics required to host a teacher.

Teaching work is predominantly concentrated in urban areas, but that doesn’t mean your choices are limited to Shanghai and Beijing. Did you know China now has over 160 cities with a population of a million or more? There’s an opportunity to live and work in virtually any corner of the country and to see its regional and ethnic diversity for yourself. We have had recent jobs in over 30 cities in China – from megapolises like Chongqing, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Chengdu to smaller, more exotic locations such as Sanya (an island beach town in the South), Wuhai in beautiful Yunnan province, and European-influenced Dalian in the north with its ski resorts and hot springs. With such a breadth of possible choices, it’s best to do some research on provinces and cities to find the best balance of cost of living, salary, and quality of life. Reports from other expats, cost of living comparisons, and even air quality indexes are available online and can help you decide among cities. Hong Kong and Macau also have frequent openings for teachers - both maintain close ties and easy access to mainland China.

 

FORM: TEACHING ENGLISH IN CHINA
How Much Can I Earn?
Monthly Salary:	5,000 - 16,000 CNY or more 810 - 2,670 USD or more Depending on qualifications and the city you work
Private Tutoring per Hour:	100 - 250 CNY 20 - 40 USD
Income Tax Rate:	3 - 25%
Ability to Save per year:	500 - 20,500 USD
What Are My Benefits?
Accommodations:	Usually included or allowance given
Utilities	It depends
Airfare:	Reimbursement (full or partial) usually given
Health Care:	Usually included
Holidays:	Usually paid
Travel Allowances:	Usually included
Free Mandarin Chinese lessons:	Usually included
On-going training and academic support:	Usually included
Airport pick-up upon arrival:	Usually included
Contract completion Bonus:	It depends
Promotion opportunities:	Usually included
What Will Teaching Be Like?
Teaching Hours:	20 - 30
Typical Contract Length:	One year preferred; short-term may be available
Typical Start Date:	August/September, February/March, or Year round
Application Timeline:	1 - 3 months
What Do I Need?
Passport holder from USA or Canada:	Required
Work Visa:	Employer sponsors
Education Requirements:	Bachelor's Degree, TESOL/TESL/TEFL Certificate
Additional Notes:	Most regions/schools require Bachelor's Degree; TESOL teachers are in great demand
The ability to obtain a clear background check:	Required
The ability to live abroad for at least one year:	Required