For the English teachers in the world, China is the fastest-growing market. Its burgeoning middle class is hungry to learn English as it has recently become the second-largest economy. China is the country to be in culturally and economically, and this is the reason behind the growing demand to teach English in China.
Salaries
Compared to Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, the salaries are substantially lower, but you can have a good lifestyle with a lower cost of living. You should not expect to save more money here. Most of the English teaching positions in China will typically have accommodations and return airfare back to your home country that is included in the thing that should be remembered here. In other countries, these benefits are definitely not common.
Growing demand
Even the non-native English speakers will also definitely find decent employment as there is an almost insatiable demand for English teachers in China. This is a communist country, after all, as the Chinese government is still specifically strict, so it is important to make sure that you are securing your employment and work visa prior to your arrival. You need to get all your benefits and contract details sorted in advance and do online research before landing here. Until you get more familiar with the teaching environment, it is advisable to stick with the larger chain schools or public schools.
Teaching certificates
It does not hurt when it comes to getting teaching or TEFL certificates, although they are not a necessity here. You will have an advantage over the other applicants as some teachers who are training will better prepare you to teach here.
Traditional combination
To slam against modern development, China is an amazing combination of tradition. You will see the posh shopping districts with high-end brand-name stores just blocks away from the local shops selling full meals for just a few dollars in the larger cities like Shanghai. With the fancy European and Japanese sports cars, thousands of cyclists are on an old run-down bicycle. While you can have a four-course meal with a beer for $5, in some of the post-shopping areas, you can pay $30 or $40 for a pot of tea.
Something not for all
It is not for all to teach English in China. Some of the teachers are not prepared for the roughness and overwhelming mass of humanity that you will confront each day as it comes as a major culture shock. To make it hard for your outdoor exercise or people with respiratory issues, pollution comes up as a major issue in the cities.
Adventure
China is the only place on the planet to be now for the more adventurous beings. There are some great opportunities for more entrepreneurial teachers who are prepared to embrace the culture economically. It will keep China growing briskly for decades to come with a rapidly expanding economy with low cost workers. To ride the boom, there is still quite a lot of time.
