Becoming an ESL Teacher 🌍

灵山大佛。The Buddhist scenic area in Wuxi city, with an 80-metre tall statue! You can see it towering over mountains! ⛰️

Introduction

In my experience, making life-changing decisions has always led to something amazing. At the very top of the list of ‘Life’s Best Decisions’, coming to China has to be ranked in the top 3, alongside my semester abroad in America and deciding to work out consistently. Maybe I’d even slot it as #1…

If you are interested in other cultures, have an interest in travel, or simply want a break from the norm, life abroad is something that will bring a whole new understanding of how people live and connect. I have divided this blog into three sections.

1. My Road to ESL - In this section, I’ll talk about my own reasons for deciding on teaching ESL in China.

2. Finding an ESL Position - Here there will be some suggestions for applying for an ESL position.

3. What to Expect Abroad - Finally, I have provided a section about what to expect while you are away from home.

My Road to ESL

After finishing my degree in 2019, I was in an interesting spot. I was studying in Liverpool, (not my hometown, which is Newcastle), and had a burning passion for philosophy. Digging into something to a somewhat needlessly complex level has always seemed more appealing than knowing a little bit of everything, and I was eager to do a Master’s Degree. At the time, teaching philosophy at a university was a huge dream of mine. However, because being a university student can often lead to people digging into overdrafts and struggling for money, living off a diet of beans on toast and (in my flatmates’ diet) Smirnoff vodka, it seemed to be the best decision for me to first take a gap year and make some money back. Going to America hadn’t been good for my wallet, either. After three years of digging into philosophy books, a short time away from deciphering page after page of muddling texts was also a really nice notion. As life isn’t something that should be rushed, the idea was to take a year to get back on my feet, and then continue climbing up the academic ladder.

After we finished our last third-year exam, all of the students from my class went to celebrate at Wetherspoon’s - the ultimate dining experience for every student in the UK. While I was there, a friend called Josh had mentioned that teaching English online is something that a few people do to make extra money. Throughout our time at the university I had helped other students to theory craft and test their thesis proposals, so his line of thinking was that I’d be a good teacher. I went online that night to see what teaching options I could consider.

Lo’ and behold, there seemed to be an incredible amount of ESL teaching jobs available! However, most of these jobs were advertising for aspiring teachers to travel abroad, as opposed to teaching from the comfort of your own home. The positions available included areas predominantly situated in the Middle East and in Asia. The two that stood out the most to me were Japan and China. There were only a few requirements, most of which I already met, such as being a native English speaker, a degree holder, and having no criminal record. The only one I had to go out of my way to do was the TEFL certificate, which seems to be required in almost all ESL teaching jobs abroad. This job was way outside my comfort zone, as I initially wasn’t a big fan of children, and I had no experience in both teaching and in speaking a foreign language. That made me desperate to try.

In the end, China won out over Japan. There weren’t any obvious factors leading to this decision, as we don’t learn Asian languages in our schools, and I didn’t really know too much about either culture. The main reason for my choice was that I was planning on learning some of the chosen country’s local language, and Mandarin is one of the most widely-spoken languages out there, as well as the country with the biggest population. Even in my hometown’s university there are a tonne of international students coming from China, and so going there seemed like the most logical choice.

The offer I settled on was posted from an agency called Echo Education. They asked me what kind of environment I’d like to work in, to which I mentioned that I’d like to work with younger students in a quiet city. To Echo’s credit, they immediately found me a kindergarten in a quiet city called 江阴. This was where I decided to spend my gap year, initially between August 2019 - July 2020. In reality, it was the place I’d spend my first three years in China, with no intention of going back to the UK to finish that Master’s Degree. I later travelled to a city in the south of China to spend a year as a primary school teacher.

Finding an ESL Position

You can find all sorts of offers online. Usually, offers for schools will be given by intermediary agencies, and offers for training centres can be given either directly or also through a third party. Using China as an example, if you are completely unassociated with any schools in China, or don’t have WeChat (a social media app widely used in China), it is very unlikely that you will be in direct contact with schools from the get-go. This is why agencies are so useful. In my case, Echo Education offered positions in both training centres and a select number of schools, and helped me to handle most of the paperwork.

An issue that can arise is that these agencies are aware of their hiring power, and as such they can sometimes be unprofessional or negligent in their hiring process. For example, Echo Education are a fantastic company for getting you to a foreign country and settling you in a teaching environment, but also had some extremely unprofessional aspects, and were sometimes known to have illegal contract clauses and a negligent outlook towards Visa-applications. I myself was subject to both of these. Because of issues like this potentially arising, I’d highly recommend doing thorough research into whatever company you choose, and even asking the company for the contact information of some foreign teachers they have hired. This way, you can ask them for more details about how the workplace operates, what kind of workload to expect, and the layout of a common day. If the company refuses, this is likely a red flag, as they may be worried about what employees would say!

Suggested websites to find reviews:
Trustpilot (no account needed)
Glassdoor (account needed)

Despite what is mentioned above, there are many advantages of using an agency to begin your ESL adventure. A huge benefit of working with an agency is that they offer the most freedom. If you don’t like the place you have been allocated, the agency will likely have other positions you can take. This allows you to really explore and find out which kind of teaching befits you the most. They also have English-speaking staff who will be able to help you with most of your queries and concerns, and help you to set up things like bank cards and permits. No muss, no fuss.

In my opinion, the best choice is to leverage an agency to find your feet in your chosen country, and then do your own research post-arrival on other teaching opportunities which can directly hire you. Why? Many schools struggle to hire internationally, and as such they won’t appear on our job-seeking websites, which are usually dominated by agencies and ‘EF (English First)’. However, once you’re in your chosen country it becomes much easier for employers to hire you, and the salary will often see a significant improvement, too. This is for one simple reason. As mentioned, schools and training centres struggle to hire international visitors, so they need to pay for the agencies’ services. This is an ongoing transaction, and it is taken from the potential salary that could be offered to an employee. In my case, my school was willing to spend 25,000元 per month on international teachers, yet my agency had a monthly fee of 14,000元. As such, while I was with the agency, I received only 11,000元 per month. After leaving the agency I was awarded a higher salary.

What to Expect Abroad

If you do make the decision to come to a foreign country to teach English, there are a few things that you should be prepared for. I have highlighted what I believe to be the top five. These aren’t relegated to teaching, as I believe that these points can apply to most expats.

• Language Barriers
  This had to make the top of the list. Unless you already speak the local language, which would be an incredible benefit, there is a high chance that you won’t understand a lot of what people are saying to you. There is a reason that you are in that country, after all, and that reason is that the standard of English there is probably quite low. This isn’t a cause for panic, as there are plenty of translation apps to help you, and your school will likely have English-speaking staff, too. However, language barriers are something that you can expect to encounter whenever you are with that country’s local people.

• Dietary Changes
  Every culture is known for its food, and it’s unlikely that your diet will remain exactly the same as in your home country. During my time in China I have ate everything from insects to brains, and while this wasn’t an everyday occurrence, I would highly recommend being willing to experience new things and being open to different cuisines. International markets are a common sight in most developed cities, though, and you’ll be able to find food that is more familiar in these areas if you are picky about what you eat.

• Travel Opportunities
  Most contracts for teaching ESL will run the course of one year, and while most jobs offer paid holidays, some people choose not to go home and instead go travelling. This is an amazing opportunity to see some breathtaking sites and have a truly otherworldly experience. Travel packages can be found fairly easily online too, which means that you can use your native language to book tours and make sleeping and transit arrangements. Many sites I have personally visited will also offer English-speaking guides, although this will drive up the price! Weekend time is often plentiful, and when you finish work there is plenty of time to go exploring your surroundings and discover new spots.

• Homesickness
  Most people go to a different country either alone or with a partner. It’s extremely rare to see full families who took this opportunity together. As such, you will leave people behind as you go on this new adventure, and while you are away all sorts of changes can happen back home. Be prepared to miss weddings and funerals, as well as other big life events your friends and families are experiencing. Make sure to use the internet (your most valuable resource!) to keep in touch with people you care about, and stay connected and aware of what is happening back home.

• New Social Circles
  ESL teaching offers a great experience to meet people from all walks of life. You will meet teachers who have lived abroad for many years, as well as those who have just started. Old and young. Native and non-native. Extraverted and introverted. Early birds and night owls. This is an amazing experience to not only experience the culture of your chosen country, but also the cultures of your fellow ESL teachers. The best news is you all already have something in common which is also happens to be an amazing talking point.