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Q: I am African aspiring to teach English in china
How is the cost of living in China?
How long would it take me to learn chinese?
What are the chances for me to get employment as an English teacher and am African?
bro , china is racist as fuck. you should really reconsider your decision.
gatoloco12:
bro , China is racist not because they think the chinese are superior, its because they think the white race is the superior one, any white dude can stand on a random park and asian girls will let their vaginas be penetrated by the white man.
they dislike any other race , all not whites are hated here (south east asians, latinos, muslims, blacks, etc.)
Im already fucked , I will never be able to recover my 18000 usd I had spend living here. but you have the chance of not commit this mistake. pls read more before making any desicion.
being stared the entire day, eating shitty food, people who speak a difficult language, the scams to foreigners even in the smallest shop.
nzteacher80:
This explains the trolling, the dislike of Chinese girls and White guys. You've wasted a ton of money and haven't got laid in a very long time. Maybe it's time you went home.
Big place Africa. Lots of countries, languages, cultures, colors of skin, education levels, wage levels etc.
You might need to be a little more specific with your question.
ScotsAlan:
In that case you are most likely a native English speaker.. Unfortunately, not a country listed by the Chinese Government as a native English speaking country.
Also, Kenya's per capita GDP is ok compared to China, so you should be ok for getting a visa.
The thing to do then is apply for jobs... and keep applying till you get one. But be aware, as others have said, Chinese employers can be very racist. It's a sad fact that if you are a white Kenyan no problem, if you are a black Kenyan, you will have to apply for lots of jobs. If you are Asian Kenyan... maybe somewhere in between.
Good luck 
glado:
Swahili is the national language and English is the official language. I am black Kenyan but i need some more exposure and am aiming China. Discrimination is a big challenge today, i haven't experienced racism but i' ve heard its bad.ill try as much as possible to apply for many teaching jobs as i can.
Thanks ScotsAlan
ScotsAlan:
Do an internet search on "Xiaobei Guangzhou Africa", or variations of. Maybe include "Xiaobei Lu"
Xiaobei is an area of Guangzhou that has large numbers of people from African Nations. Lots of articles about it online.
By the way, Xiaobei also has some great Middle Eastern restaurants. Some of the best food to be found in Guangzhou.
Have fun
1. You can live on 5000 RMB/months if you live & eat local and if you don't spend too much to have fun (ie. going to a gym, to a bar, etc.).
2. In some very rare cases, people did that in one year. Count several years unless you needed a few months for each of the 15 languages you know already. You can have basic fluency in a couple of months, doing only that. Mandarin classes are usually expensive.
3. Low. Discrimination is the norm. If you are a white Namibian, I want to see the face of the recruiter having his mind blown.
It is possible to get a job as an African English teacher. I knew one that taught kindergarten. He was an American though. He accepted less pay than the Ukrainian teachers at the same kindergarten. This was in a small city.
I think you would be better aiming for younger children, since your English is not that good. No harm in applying, though you will get little response. You might get lucky
i sometimes wish I was African as i could get into trading more easily. Markets must be developing in your country? Get involved in it, much better way to go to china. Esl teaching was hard unrewarding and soul destroying at times.
WanderingTeacher:
What makes you think this person's English is not good? Kind of presumptuous...
diverdude1:
I will also be presumptuous and attempt to answer for dokken. I suspect that the reason that the OP's English language ability was called into question was due to the fact that his/her post has two spelling mistakes, a possible grammatical error (assuming if it was to be re-worded in a more standard fashion), and the phrasing is rather unorthodox.
Shining_brow:
I'm having a bad morning... where are the spelling mistakes? (or has the OP been edited?)
But anyway, I count at least 5 errors (mostty capitalisations).
However, other than that, perhaps there's some 'non-standard' English coming through...?? Not yet significant enough to stop one from being a teacher (although, this was a rather short piece).
expatlife26:
Dokken you could get into trade too, even as a white person from a developed country.
Its just about finding a network of merchants you can sell things too, that's how the africans do it. That's how anybody does it.
That doesn't mean it's easy though, but i bet if you really wanted to you could make more money than the vast majority of african traders.
hahaha, i'm totally just messing with you here, but i'm chuckling at the idea of this young western guy making 10-15K a month teaching, living in a decent apartment, legal Z visa etc looking at a guy from zambia probably clearing 3-4K/mth selling fake soccer jerseys back in zambia, livng a precarious illegal existence on bullshit visas with a fake passport and going "Man...some people have all the luck. That guy doesn't even have to teach!"
I joke on that being myself someone who absolutely despised teaching and probably had thoughts like that at one point or another.
But seriously if you want to get in trade, it's not easy, but if you really really really fucking apply yourself to finding stores that will sell car batteries or something you can source to them you can make way more as a US citizen in a first world market than the people shipping crap around.
diverdude1:
@shining - yeah, I hear you, I just counted the capitalisation errors as spelling mistakes.
Shining_brow:
@Diver - ah! In IELTS, they'd be considered grammatical errors, not spelling.
glado:
Dokken i have got good oral and written English skills. I speak fluent English.
dokken:
I was judging from your question, i did not mean to cause offense. Didn't want you to apply to places where you'd be wasting your time. Chinese are quite adept at judging other people's level of English, even when their own English is not that good.
Your questions should have read:
What like is the cost of living in China?
As an African, am I likely to get a job as an English teacher?
"And am African". Would you teach your students to write this? Would that be fair? For younger children it would not matter. You're getting them to say single words or simple phrases. Absolutely fine. For teenagers or IELTS students you would do them damage. It would not be right
Cost of living varies greatly depending on your salary and living habits. When I first got here, and I live a small developing city with no other foreigners, I would blow through 10,000rmb a month every month. That was a year and a half ago. These days however, I barely spend more than 700-800 a month, including all of utilities. 1000rmb a month would take some effort. I've adapted and changed my living habits a lot. I live very Chinese style now haha
Being the only foreigner I was almost forced to learn Chinese. I didn't try, it just happened. I've been here a year and a half and I am quite fluent now. No verbal communication problems, now I'm focusing on learning more hanzi (Chinese characters)
The chances are ok. Depends on where you go, but discrimination does exist. I'm black/Puerto Rican, but I'm American. I remember when I first started applying I got a little discrimination here and there. But being American sort of saved me I guess. But I know a lot of Africans working in big cities teaching English, especially Guangzhou, so it's possible. Even in smaller cities, if they have no other foreigners available then I'm sure they would hire you by default. Sounds fucked up I know, but it's just how it is. It took a year before most of the people here stopped calling me African or thinking I was African. I own my own school now so I don't deal with this anymore, and being the own foreigner gives me advantages, but I think it also has to do with the fact that I'm American. But like I said it's definitely possible, it just might take you a whole to find the right school for you. Assuming your pronunciation is good, you should be OK.
Good luck!
Sinobear:
I'm so glad, as a person with your experience and position, to hear that you've offered glado a job in your school! It's great when people actually take action rather than just post platitudes and motivational drivel.
glado:
Thanks wandering teacher..
discrimination is everywhere but i hope i get an opportunity to be a teacher in china
well
china?which china? shanghai, beijing or where?depends
bro , china is racist as fuck. you should really reconsider your decision.
gatoloco12:
bro , China is racist not because they think the chinese are superior, its because they think the white race is the superior one, any white dude can stand on a random park and asian girls will let their vaginas be penetrated by the white man.
they dislike any other race , all not whites are hated here (south east asians, latinos, muslims, blacks, etc.)
Im already fucked , I will never be able to recover my 18000 usd I had spend living here. but you have the chance of not commit this mistake. pls read more before making any desicion.
being stared the entire day, eating shitty food, people who speak a difficult language, the scams to foreigners even in the smallest shop.
nzteacher80:
This explains the trolling, the dislike of Chinese girls and White guys. You've wasted a ton of money and haven't got laid in a very long time. Maybe it's time you went home.
Cost of living varies greatly, even in the same city. You can spend as less as several hundred yuan or as much as thousands.
If you speak Chinese every day, you can pick it up quite fast. It is amazing some foreigners speak Chinese better than most of the Chinese.
A teacher? You have to figure out whom to teach. Do you want to teach in a public school or university or a language training center. I have to say English teachers are in great demand here in China, And do you want to teach Kindergarten kids, elementary or junior and senior school students, or university students or adults? Do you want to teach grammar or oral English. Most foreigners will choose to teacher oral English, as that is what they are good at. And they do not know much about how our English exam works in school.
And when you are familiar you can just start teaching oral English at home.
Just do it and I believe you can get what you want.
Shining_brow:
"Most foreigners will choose to teacher oral English, as that is what they are good at."
Rubbish!
Most foreign teachers are only hired to 'teach' oral English (well, actually, to provide face value to the school by having a white face!).
I'm a specialist in Academic Writing... but nope, oral English only... :( Training schools don't want their students to learn too much - cos if they do, they leave, and the school doesn't get any more money from them!
Universities generally don't care, and think that the local teachers' grasp of grammar and writing (or at least, the teaching of) is superior to that of the FTs. Locals obviously cost less than us, but I think the loss of face of giving their jobs to us is unbearable!!!
DrMonkey:
It's a bit more complex than "do it and it will happen". To work in China, you need a work visa, which mean you have a job. Finding a job, in the situation of that person, won't be easy.
xunliang:
Chinese teachers can explain things in Chinese if needed though. If someone's having issues with a difficult grammar structure, you explaining in English probably won't help them. If you could explain grammar in Chinese I bet you'd have better luck finding a job that teaches written English as well. Plus let's not pretend that their written English is so much better than their spoken. What you teach them in a speaking class is something they can use in their writing. They don't need to be taught Academic Writing because their English is nowhere near good enough to make use of it.
Sinobear:
Your proof, "It is amazing some foreigners speak Chinese better than most of the Chinese."?
Shining_brow:
@Xunliang...
Point A - agreed! Knowing the L1 of the students is always a great benefit, regardless of the L2 or other languages involved. It can make things so much easier and quicker. Although my Chinese sucks, I can occasionally make a point that they can get, eg 'you' 有 meaning both 'is' and 'have'.
Point B - about my Chinese ability... maybe! And that's a big maybe!! That would probably depend on the sort of place you work - your own qualifications and experience compared to the local teachers. But writing isn't just about grammar! And, while many Chinese can teach grammar, many cannot teach writing...
Point C - very true! Their written English tends to be only marginally better than their spoken - and I suspect this is merely because of the time factor - time to think (and correct). I'm an IELTS examiner, and I can tell you, there's not a hell of a lot of difference. - and nothing that can't be explained through either rote repetition/copying, or having time to think/correct.
Point D - I think it depends on your students... I teach 'young adults- 15-20 years old. Spoken English is much different to written, because they've been using these more formal styles for a while, but aren't very good with more casual speech. They know academic vocabulary (and words I've never used in my life... or at least the last 10 years) but can't adequately tell me different shades of colours, or weather conditions, and only the most basic of body parts.
Point E - relates to the above - I disagree! At least for the level of students I have. Academic writing isn't that hard to teach. It takes what they know (vocab & grammar),and focuses it. More passives, more simple present, more perfect forms. I taught one of my students the Toulmin's Model of Argument - claim, warrant, evidence, qualification, etc etfc. Also, opening paragraph with summary of points, constant reference back to it, theme and rheme, reiteration of main points, etc.. And logical fallacies, referencing, critical thinking skills. (ok, mine are usually A-levels, looking to go to overseas universities in the next year or 2)
xunliang:
If you're teaching kids with decent vocabularies, then it makes sense. But the people I know taking IELTS are nowhere near good enough to make use of any writing skills a foreigner could teach. A Chinese teacher can tell them the basics of how to structure an answer and then its up to them to flesh it out and memorize the vocab. I think the majority of students in China are nowhere near the level needed to fully make use of a foreign writing teacher. I'm just guessing. I don't teach English. Could just be because they don't care and Chinese teachers are cheaper. Problem is most of the Chinese teachers are shit and their English is so bad they shouldn't be teaching any English class.
Shining_brow:
Again, Xun, I will respectfully disagree with you.
With regards to IELTS students, they're assessed on 4 criteria. Granted, the vast majority of IELTS candidates will get between 4 and 6 for Lexis and Grammar, and those towards the bottom bands are tougher to teach academics to.
But - as I've recently been saying - the TR/TA and Coherence & Cohesion are basically the same in any language! All essays need to be structured a certain way, and in my experience, they're not taught this! (Ok, FTR, I just did my Master's degree research on precisely this topic... and the over-riding assumption is merely - intro paragraph, 2-3 main body paragraphs, conclusion... and NOT much in between!!!**)
Task - answer the question, stay on the question, justify what you say... and yet so many don't!!!
These aren't linguistic problems... they're stylistic. And very simple to teach. the problem is, the kids here just want to sit in a class, do nothing, and magically get to know everything... and when they are taught 'real' stuff... it's just copy copy copy copy, with no thought involved.
Do local teachers know this stuff? TBH, I can't really comment! I know they don't really teach it, but that doesn't mean they don't know...
** with luck, it'll be submitted in a couple of months, accepted, and then published in some international journals... and copied. It's also been suggested that I'll be doing seminars on this...
xunliang:
Well we'll have to agree to disagree. With most people aiming for between a 5 and 6, they can get what they need from a Chinese teacher; because that's what they're doing now. So why pay more for a foreign teacher to teach them to get a 7 when they don't need it? Sure, it would benefit them in the long run, but we all know the Chinese are pretty short-sighted. I agree it sucks, but unless they can see you supplying something a Chinese teacher can't, why would they employ you to teach the writing aspect? Maybe a university would let you teach writing? I know I'd be pissed if I paid for a university course in Chinese and all my teacher had was the equivalent of a TEFL certificate.
Shining_brow:
@Xun... I'd up-vote that if I could. Yes, you're right.
The place I work(-ed??) at had the results papers from their better students up on the walls - lots of 7.5-8.0 for Reading and Listening... very few even getting 6.0 in Writing and/or speaking.
It's about doing the bare minimum, and with no thought of a future. So much more face is gained from just getting into the overseas university... odd that there's no shame attached to failing badly and getting kicked out :(
Sinobear,
There are many dialects in China and people often speak theirs unless at school, in the office, or in big cities. Most of us Chinese do not speak standard mandarin. Maybe you guys think that all Chinese speak mandarin well.
I hear several foreigners talk in Chinese very fluently and they have a really good pronunciation. Some of them even know some slangs and the newest words.
glado:
I had no idea..but i guess a persons determination matters too in learning the language.
