Before joining one of our Teaching English, and Martial Arts programmes in China why you should get a TEFL certificate?
As someone who has been living, and teaching in China for over 10 years I get a lot of questions from clients asking about our teaching English and Martial Arts programmes. Normally, they are interested using teaching as a means to fund their stay and so want to know whether they “need a TEFL certificate to teach in China?”
The quick answer is no, you don’t need a TEFL certificate to find un-official teaching job. The key word here is unofficial. The truth is the days of foreigners coming to China to teach without proper credentials, are at an end.
What you need?
If you want to access a good job and be legally employed you now need to have the following:
- Bachelor degree
- TELF or teaching degree
- 2+ years teaching experience
- Health check
- Clean and up-to-date police check
“The days when recent grads backpacked around China could land job for a few months, teach, and continue backpacking across the continent, are quickly fading.”
At the same time, we all know that a good TEFL certification course can be expensive and the quality varies. This is why when you book through us we will be able to recommend you the best TEFL online courses to suit your needs and budget.
So, why should you get TEFL certified before coming to China? Well providing you have booked your martial arts training through StudyMartialArts.Org, and successfully completed 3-12 months martial arts training we can help you secure a good full-time English teaching gig.
Why you need it?
The demand for English teaching in China continues to grow as the population increases. However, the days when foreigners could just turn up and get good English teaching jobs without qualifications is gone. English schools, and teaching agencies have been driven by tightening controls on visas to require higher and higher standards for the teachers they hire. A TEFL certification is the most common qualification required but it is not the only one. It is also very common for a degree and teaching experience to also be a pre-request for a working visa.
Not only that, getting a TEFL certificate is a good thing to do, if you wish to take pride in your role, and teach well. As I always tell students coming through our English Teaching and Martial Arts programme, you have to be passionate about teaching to make the most of this opportunity. Gaining the right tools and experience to teach well is essential to do that.
Reasons why you should get TEFL certified:
- It helps you to teach to your students well.
- Gives you confidence in the classroom.
- Provides you with classroom management strategies.
- We can help you find good quality high paid employment.
- Having a TEFL certificate makes you qualified for legitimate, stable teaching jobs.
- It’s a way to test out if teaching is really for you. Most courses will have practice teaching components.
What can I expect to earn?
When teaching in China and if you have all the necessary qualifications you can expect to earn for a basic one year contract from 10k to 25+k per month. Much will depend on the type of school you work for, how you were recruited, and whether you are a native English speaker.
When you book through us we will provide you with excellent recruitment options and favourable conditions. Both for one to one private tuition, training centres, schools and even online teaching opportunities. Another great reason to book your initial martial arts training through us.
Conclusion
As a foreigner teaching in a different country you will be representing not only yourself but your nation. Being ethically responsible, and teaching with cultural sensitivity will be important.
Teaching a foreign language to non-native speakers is far more complex than some assume. If you’re teaching in a classroom having strategies to teach, different types of learners, and ages will be an advantage. Differentiation is important with mixed ability groups as is knowing how to set up the learning environment. Simply talking at the front of the class in typical lecture format will not work. You have to enter with a strategy, know your content and be able to deliver it in a way that engages the learners. All this as well along with tutorials on how to plan units and lessons will be provided when you take a TEFL course.
