Latest from the China Teaching Web

Why is it difficult for English speaking Asians to find a teaching job in China? This is a question I get many times from fellow teachers of Asian descent. Let’s face it. We Asians don’t make good poster boys or girls for schools that want to attract more students. Many schools in China want Caucasian [...]

“I make almost 30,000 RMB per month,” a new foreign teacher friend recently bragged to me. I was somewhat taken aback by this figure. As a university teacher here, I make less than 1/4 of that amount. “How in the world do you manage that?”, I asked. “Are you so good at teaching that they [...]

My weekly lunches with a foreign co-worker  have too often degenerated into a recap of all of the ‘rude’ behavior that we have observed (or been subjected to) since we last met. Like being shoved into the side of a bus by a crowd or having someone almost run us over with their scooter as [...]

Or can we be both? Most of my university students hate their Chinese teachers. I don’t blame them. And I don’t blame their Chinese teachers either. I blame the system. In China, classes are taught around exams which means that they are predictably boring and sleep inducing. That’s why foreign teachers in China are lucky. [...]

It’s time for an update on the current visa situation in China. This post is based on emails that we receive here at the China Teaching Web as well as conversations that I have had with teachers and schools around China. Choose carefully before you come to teach here. Due to the increased difficulties of [...]

Obtaining a work visa in China has become considerably more difficult during the past few years. It is no longer possible in most places in China to have a tourist visa (L-visa) converted into a working permit. And while it used to be possible to have this processed in Hong Kong, the Chinese government is [...]

Here are a couple of random lessons that I have learned while teaching in China. I have learned most of them the hard way: – Don’t let the school get away with being vague in your contract – A few years back, I signed a contract which stipulated that the school would pay me extra [...]

I am happy to announce the relaunch of our popular support group for teachers – the Teach Abroad China Alliance. If you are already here or you are interested in coming to China, please consider joining our free support group. Our main purpose at TACA is to provide a place where teachers can help and [...]

Usually, common sense would dictate that you come to China first and have a look around before you settle on a place to teach. That would be nice, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, common sense is often not found in great abundance here – especially in the annals of China’s Foreign Experts Bureau. You can come here [...]

I used to be what many would call a ‘traditional’ teacher. After taking attendance at the beginning of each class, we would quickly delve into the book and remain there – much to the chagrin of most of my students – until the end of the class. I would endlessly scribble new words and phrases [...]

I recently spent 10 days in a little town way out in the west of China – in a mountainous region – about 150 kilometers outside of Chengdu.  There were no KFC’s or McDonald’s to be found in this remote area – not even fake ones (that should tell you how far out I really [...]

My weekly lunches with a foreign co-worker  have too often degenerated into a recap of all of the ‘rude’ behavior that we have observed (or been subjected to) since we last met. Like being shoved into the side of a bus by a crowd or having someone almost run us over with their scooter as [...]

Or can we be both? Most of my university students hate their Chinese teachers. I don’t blame them. And I don’t blame their Chinese teachers either. I blame the system. In China, classes are taught around exams which means that they are predictably boring and sleep inducing. That’s why foreign teachers in China are lucky. [...]

It’s time for an update on the current visa situation in China. This post is based on emails that we receive here at the China Teaching Web as well as conversations that I have had with teachers and schools around China. Choose carefully before you come to teach here. Due to the increased difficulties of [...]

Obtaining a work visa in China has become considerably more difficult during the past few years. It is no longer possible in most places in China to have a tourist visa (L-visa) converted into a working permit. And while it used to be possible to have this processed in Hong Kong, the Chinese government is [...]

Here are a couple of random lessons that I have learned while teaching in China. I have learned most of them the hard way: – Don’t let the school get away with being vague in your contract – A few years back, I signed a contract which stipulated that the school would pay me extra [...]

I am happy to announce the relaunch of our popular support group for teachers – the Teach Abroad China Alliance. If you are already here or you are interested in coming to China, please consider joining our free support group. Our main purpose at TACA is to provide a place where teachers can help and [...]

Usually, common sense would dictate that you come to China first and have a look around before you settle on a place to teach. That would be nice, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, common sense is often not found in great abundance here – especially in the annals of China’s Foreign Experts Bureau. You can come here [...]

I used to be what many would call a ‘traditional’ teacher. After taking attendance at the beginning of each class, we would quickly delve into the book and remain there – much to the chagrin of most of my students – until the end of the class. I would endlessly scribble new words and phrases [...]

I recently spent 10 days in a little town way out in the west of China – in a mountainous region – about 150 kilometers outside of Chengdu.  There were no KFC’s or McDonald’s to be found in this remote area – not even fake ones (that should tell you how far out I really [...]