China EFL Teacher Resources

As we indicated in the chapter on Finding and Applying for Jobs, the very best teaching positions in China are rarely advertised because they are filled through word of mouth and by personal referrals from teachers already employed by and known to the school or company. Obviously, these "insider jobs" are not an option for those seeking their first position from abroad, and, so, as a matter of course, you will have to rely on Internet-based job advertisements. We listed the links below to the most popular sites for finding EFL jobs in China with a note of explanation for each.

Reader Advisory

Please keep in mind as you visit the EFL/ESL job sites listed below that an acceptance of an advertisement is not an endorsement of that school's credibility or desirability as a employer. Websites accept advertisements to earn income, not as a foreign teacher public service. All China EFL websites that accept advertising regard the advertisers as their real clients, not the foreign teachers.

Regardless of how reputable a website may try to be, there is no practical way for any website administrator to monitor the ongoing activities of each of its advertisers, whether they be schools or recruiters. Irrespective of the job advertisement's source, you MUST use the information contained in this Guide to evaluate each and every potential employer.

• ESL Teachers Board and Transitions Abroad
  These are our two top choices for finding EFL teaching jobs in China owing to the caliber and integrity of the people who own and run each of these sites.
  
  The ESL Teachers Board is a well-established megasite for ESL teachers and offers job advertisements for English language teachers seeking employment all over the world with a sizeable section devoted to job opportunities in China. The site administrator does her best to weed out unscrupulous recruiters and schools that have been known to abuse foreign teachers and we have a great deal of faith in her judgment.
  
  Transitions Abroad is a megasite devoted to living, working, studying, and traveling all over the world, owned and operated by Gregory Hubbs. It is an outgrowth of the very well-known travel magazine of the same name started by Greg's father many years ago. Although it is not dedicated to just living and working in China, it certainly has a significant section devoted to EFL teaching in China with numerous job advertisements and many interesting articles. Transitions Abroad is an excellent source of information and a reliable place to find EFL employment.
• E China Cities
  This is a rather interesting multipurpose website featuring travel information, city guides, events of interest to expats, classified ads, and, more to point, a listing of what we consider to be boutique or higher-end English teaching positions in China. Definitely worth a careful look.
• China TEFL Network
  Sponsored by a recruitment agency, but has a disproportionately large number of university listings organized by province. Although most of the job listings are outdated, the contact information is usually still valid. Do NOT contact the agency. Instead use the contact information to send an application e-mail to the schools directly.
• Abroad China
  Abroad China has a large number of listings, but it's also a major hunting ground for unscrupulous bait-and-switch recruiters who send out mass mailings through the site's anonymous mailer with the hope that you'll respond with your real e-mail address. If you do post your résumé, delete all future solicitations from any recruiter. See Finding and Applying for Jobs for more information.
• Craig's List
  CraigsList.org is something of an American institution that emerged on the Internet shortly after it became commercialized, back in 1994. It is one of the busiest sites on the web offering classified ads, for just about anything you can think of, from all over the world. Although it doesn't have a large collection of China EFL teaching jobs, what is posted tends to be some of the better positions. Certainly, it is worth a look.
• Asia Xpat
  Asia Xpat is a company that hosts expatriate community websites in several major cities throughout Asia including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. If you are seeking employment in one of these cities or SAR (Special Administrative Region), it is definitely worth giving those sites a look.
• South China Morning Post
  The South China Morning Post provides all of its classified ads online and this is an excellent source for finding university and advanced teaching positions in all academic disciplines throughout Hong Kong and Macau.
• Dave's ESL Café: EXERCISE CAUTION
  One of the first websites of its kind and, therefore, it probably receives more job advertisements for English teaching positions in China than any of its competitors, which is both good and bad news. Best for finding jobs at private language schools and training centers only by experienced teachers who have been in China for awhile and know how to distinguish between the good, the bad, and the ugly.
  
  Avoid using or relying upon the anonymous forums for anything other than idle gossip or virtual socializing: They are trolled by unscrupulous recruiters, school owners, foreign affairs officers, and other foreign teachers who both unknowingly and deliberately post false information, often encouraging prospective foreign teachers to arrive and work illegally in China. Please, if you do use their forums (or any anonymous China EFL forum for that matter), never provide any information that could be used to identify you.

The following is a list of sites of interest to foreigners who are planning to move to China or already here.

Official Government Sites

• State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA)
  This is the home website of the agency in China that regulates all foreign experts in China.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC
  Department that handles all international affairs and diplomatic policies.
• China Ministry of Education
  The Ministry of Education is a central government agency under the State Council, responsible for China's educational undertakings and language work.
• U.S. Dept. of State Passport Service and United Kingdom Passport Service
  Government information about obtaining or renewing passports for U.S. and U.K. citizens, respectively.
• U.S. Internal Revenue Service and U.K. Tax Office
  Important tax information for U.S. and U.K. citizens living and earning income abroad.

Visa Proxy Services

• U.S. - Visa Rite Proxy Service or Ziere Visa Service and U.K. - China Visa Application Service Center
  These are online visa proxy services, for residents of the U.S. and U.K., respectively, who do not live close to the Chinese embassy or consulate. For a handling fee, these services will appear at the Chinese consulate in person on your behalf to obtain your work visa to China. The authors of the guide have personal experience with the two services listed for U.S. residents and can recommend them highly. The service listed for U.K. residents was gleaned off the Internet for the convenience of our readers.

Overseas Health Insurance

The following companies specialize in providing new health insurance coverage to Westerners who are traveling or living abroad. They are listed here only for your edification: We have no personal experience with or anecdotal evidence about any of the companies listed below.

• WorldNomads (basic annual premium of $951 provides $300,000 coverage for overseas residents in China up to 66 years of age; policy includes medical evacuation services)
• Liaison International Insurance (offers relatively low-cost temporary health insurance to those traveling abroad)
• GlobalSurance
• Goodhealth: An Aetna Company

Online English Versions of Chinese Newspapers

• China Daily and People's Daily Online
  China's two largest English language newspapers.

This section contains links to outstanding educational websites that provide EFL-related lesson plans, activities, tips, and English language references.

• Bartleby English Usage, Style and Composition
  Contains several extremely valuable English language resources and references including William Strunk's Elements of Style and Fowler's the King's English.
• One Stop English
  With over 6,500 resources, including lesson plans, worksheets, audio, video and flashcards, One Stop English is an excellent resource for English language teachers.
• EnglishPage.com
  Free online English lessons & ESL / EFL resources.
• UsingEnglish.com
  A megasite containing very useful information for teaching English as a second language.
• Inside Out
  This page allows you to register for a free weekly newsletter containing valuable English teaching lesson plans based on the EFL book series Inside Out by Macmillan Press.
• ESL PartyLand
  Mega website for both ESL teachers and students recommended by teacher Mrs. Beth Parsons and her students at Monument Charter Schools.

Below, are some useful resources related to the Chinese language.

• Nciku English-Chinese Dictionary
  A Chinese English learning dictionary including translations of technical, medical, and pharmaceutical terms.
• Chinese-English Language Dictionary
  Online all purpose dictionary. Can translate bilaterally and you have a choice of showing tones in either numerical notation, i.e. ma3 or with tone marks, i.e., mǎ.
• Chinese Tools
  Offers text and audio Chinese-English dictionary searchable in Chinese (simplified or traditional), pronunciation (Pinyin or Zhuyin - bopomofo) or English. Chengyu, proper names, examples, synonyms and calligraphy.
• How To Find Chinese Medical Terms
  Offers excellent advice for locating hard to find medical terms in Chinese and how to determine which term is best.
• How to Install Asian Fonts on Your Computer This is a "quick and dirty" guide for how to install Asian fonts on your computer so that you read Chinese characters on the web.
• Best Chinese Websites
  Features mega directory of links to virtually every website out there devoted to helping you learn some Chinese online.
• Learning Chinese Online
  Dr. Xie Tianwei (Tim), a professor of Chinese at California State University at Long Beach, offers dozens of links to websites for learning Chinese.