This section includes the most relevant information a prospective foreign teacher will need to know for deciding whether teaching English in China is in one’s best interests at this time. This section consists of six units: 1) A description of the EFL industry in China today; 2) The realities of teaching English in China from an vocational, sociodemographic and personal perspective; 3) Teaching qualifications by law, and, in stark contrast, those currently in practice; 4) Teaching in China in terms of school type, salary and benefits, contracts, location, as well as opportunities for teaching in other disciplines; 5) How to find and apply for jobs, and finally; 6) How to prepare for your arrival in China.
Teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in China is big business. Reports indicate that EFL is a 10-billion yuan (USD $1.4 billion) business and that the industry made a 700 million yuan (USD $9,800,000) profit in Beijing alone. It is estimated that of the 37 billion yuan derived annually from book sales in China, EFL-related materials constitute no less than 25 percent of the total market (Qiang and Wolff, 2004, p. 1).
The first English language school in China can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty in 1862, officially opened by the Chinese government to train ten men for the newly created diplomatic corps (Ibid., p. 2). Today, according to the Ministry of Education, it is estimated that there are more than 50 million Chinese learning English at schools and language institutes across the country with more than 800,000 college students majoring in English across 900 universities (China View, 2008).
This ever-growing market of English language education in China has resulted in a massive recruitment drive of approximately 100,000 foreign teachers per year (People’s Daily Online, 2006) and, in 2006, it was estimated that more than 150,000 foreign experts were employed in China, recruited primarily from Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand and the United States (China Daily, 2006).
China has one of the world's oldest civilizations with a rich and fascinating cultural history. It is also a country of stark contrasts and contradictions. Life in China is heavily influenced and adversely affected by gross overcrowding, ubiquitous air and water pollution, as well as some unfavorable climatic conditions. It is also one of the world's fastest growing economies, particularly since its admittance into the World Trade Organization in December 2001.
Consider just a few representative statistics: In 2004, China contributed one-third of the world's economic growth. In 2005, the country achieved 14 percent of the world economy on purchasing power parity basis, second only to the United States and, in 2006, the average annual income in China rose to USD $2,025, up from only $293 in 1985 (World Bank, 2008).
As China continues to develop and reach out to the rest of the world, the importance of learning English appears obvious. However, some have raised provocative questions about the practical usefulness of English for most Chinese in their day-to-day lives. In fact, most Chinese have never met a foreigner in person, nor do they have much opportunity to use or practice English outside of their English language classes. Nevertheless, it is required curriculum from 3rd grade in primary school through the third year of university. College students must pass the College English Test, Band 4 (CET-4)1, or an equivalent, in order to receive a bachelor's degree: Those who do not, only receive a 3-year college diploma instead.
Currently, the majority of employers who hire recent graduates require some evidence of English language proficiency, despite the fact that the vast majority of their employees will only need to use English in a marginal or peripheral way, at best, throughout their entire careers. Despite this reality, it is the widely-held and firmly entrenched perception of future economic advantage that ultimately prevails and Chinese parents, many at great economic sacrifice, will pay tuition for their child's English language lessons from the time the child is as young as four years old.
Depending on location, one hour of English language classes with a foreign teacher can cost anywhere from 15 to 50 yuan (USD $2.15 to $7.15) per child, for classes up to 25 to 30 students in size, and as much as 250 yuan (USD $35.75) per hour for private tutoring. To place this into proper perspective, the typical cost of a six-month course of English language study at most private language schools will run the child’s parents around 25 to 30% of one month’s combined family income, when you consider that the national monthly average per capita income in China is currently about 1,500 yuan (USD $210). Despite this significant financial sacrifice to both parents and adult learners alike, private English language schools remain one of the largest and fastest growing businesses across the country.
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