Letters from Zibo: Tristan in China
TEFL Org graduate Tristan now works in China for the Aston Education Group and tells us about his journey.
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Why I chose TEFL
The idea of being able to work and travel attracted me. I have relatively vast amounts of international experience for my age. On this point, I have to say how fantastic it has been so far to see the real China and everything it has to offer. I must have a list 100 points long of what else I want to do and see here.
My school, part of the Aston Educational Group, has been more than helpful in helping me plan and book my travels and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
Now, having a good income with relatively low living costs was not necessarily of the highest importance to me; however, talking with my fellow foreign teachers, teaching has allowed them to pay off debt or student loans. The cost of living is indeed incredibly low here in Zibo.
Going out and embracing all the riches Zibo, Shandong, and China have to offer is truly an incredible experience.
Where I went and what I did
The most significant advantages to teaching English as a foreign language are only flirted with by the advertised benefits. Time allows you to learn that language and explore all the wonders your host country has to offer.
TEFL teaching will provide more time than you could possibly dream of. My former student self could never have utilised such an opportunity to its fullest. TEFL teaching is giving me the greatest opportunity to develop myself, not just what I learn on the job but what I learn and do for myself away from it.
Learning from my missed opportunity, I arrived here with a list of the things I was interested in, put them in a hierarchy, divided them into chunks of time and then made a plan. I am now pursuing more writing, assisting in creating content for DailyDOOH, Beasts of War, the leading news website on the Tabletop and Board Game Industry, and hopefully soon ESL Magazine. A book is in the pipeline.
I am “attempting” to learn another language. There is no other job I can think of that allows such an opportunity to develop yourself. While these interests are not directly linked to my current position, who you are has as much to do with TEFL teaching as the content itself. I have quickly learned here that foreign teachers are a significant selling point for the school. That is why they are willing to invest in you, so I suggest you do the same.
Of course, you can only invest in yourself if you are able to cope with the external forces forced upon you. There is nothing bad about living in a foreign country; it is just the simple fact that it is far more challenging than living in your home country. I have a few suggestions on what you can do to ensure your transition is as smooth as possible.
Reflections on China
I have come to the realisation that the single greatest challenge to moving to China, or any country, is the loss of your support network, whether that is family, friends, or loved ones. Their loss drastically alters how you perceive yourself in the world. My four suggestions on what you need to survive in China all in some way help deal with that loss or reduce hassle and stress when you are already here.
A good coping mechanism is social media. Unfortunately, the Great Fire Wall blocks all the usual suspects: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. So my first suggestion is to get yourself a decent VPN. I did a bit of research before arrival and was offered a few suggestions. Eventually, I settled on ExpressVPN, and I was glad to know that when I arrived, most of my colleagues used the same. I have had little to no issue with it.Unless you plan on settling here permanently, you will need a way of easily getting your earnings home. So, before you arrive, make sure you have a plan for getting your money out of the country when the time comes. I personally use PayPal, which is user-friendly and secure.
My third suggestion could easily be redundant simply because 99.9% of the people I know own one. It is what you nearly always have in your pocket: a smartphone. Life really does revolve around your phone here, with WeChat and AliPay being the big two apps. I came with my phone unlocked to put in a Chinese SIM; if you are also to do that, make sure you note down whether your phone is a GSM or a CDMA. They use both types here.
Going out and embracing all the riches Zibo, Shandong, and China have to offer is truly an incredible experience. Living here requires endurance; mental exertion is something to be aware of. A simple task that takes five minutes in your home country can take significantly longer here. You look different, and you are treated differently. The language barrier, if your Chinese is a work in progress, compounds the issue.
That is why my final advice is to ensure you have a nice apartment. Most teaching contracts I came across included an apartment; I myself pay a little extra for a nicer apartment. My colleagues at Zibo Aston did a great job finding one before my arrival. From what I have learnt, I am glad they did. Your apartment becomes so much more than a place to eat and sleep. It becomes a safe haven, a place to mentally and physically recharge.
Tristan completed the 120-hour TEFL course at the end of 2016. You can keep up-to-date with his journey in China through his regular Letters from Zibo and follow him on Twitter. Excited about TEFL but unsure where to start? Find out which route is best for you with our TEFL course quiz!
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