Teaching English in China: Harriet’s Story
If you want information on teaching English in China, check out Harriet’s story on her whole experience!
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Why I chose TEFL
Throughout my twenties, I always wanted to live abroad and experience a completely different culture. I’d planned to travel when I finished university, but the recession made it difficult for me to save enough money to make my plans a reality.
Five years later, my partner and I decided that we wanted to travel while working and living in another country.
How I became a TEFL teacher
We both liked the idea of teaching English abroad, so we enrolled in the 120-hour online course from The TEFL Org. We both had full-time jobs then, so the course was perfect for us as we could complete it at our own pace.
We both knew we wanted to teach in Asia, and it seemed China would best suit us. Many schools offer great packages for international teachers, where accommodation, meals, and decent holiday periods are included as part of your contract. The opportunity to learn Mandarin Chinese was also really appealing, and we were eager to plunge in and experience a culture completely different from our own.
With that in mind, I landed a job at a kindergarten in Phoenix City, a suburb of Guangzhou, the third-largest city in China. Up until that point, I’d never even heard of Guangzhou, so the idea of moving halfway across the road to live there for a couple of years was daunting but exciting.
Where I went and what I did
Arriving in China for the first time was a culture shock. We arrived in August, so the city was like a furnace, but it was still a welcome change from the drizzle of the UK. My first few days in Guangzhou were a blur of medical checks and visa-related admin, but I quickly fell in love with the place. I remember my first venture into the downtown area of Guangzhou. The skyscrapers and bright lights blew me away! The architecture is so different from what we’re used to back home. The Guangzhou skyline is still one of the most spectacular I’ve seen, and I never tire of looking at it.After a few days of settling in, I was ready to start at Phoenix City International Kindergarten. Here, I started work as a homeroom teacher for a class of 25 students from ages 3 to 4. I’ve since moved up a grade with my class, who are now aged 4 to 5. It’s been great to watch them grow, and it’s amazing how much they’ve changed and grown up in a relatively short period of time.On an average day, I start work at 8am, before breaking for a three-hour lunch at midday when the children nap. The students go home at 4.30pm each day when we usually have meetings or office time before finishing at 6pm. My classes include language, phonics, maths, and science, but as a homeroom teacher, I spend most of the day with the children, preparing their snacks or helping them get ready for different activities like PE.
One of the other obvious perks of the job is the opportunity to travel. We often spend our weekends exploring the local area or visiting other Chinese cities, including Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Zhangjiajie. One of the other reasons we opted for Guangzhou was its close proximity to Hong Kong, a city that has now become a firm favourite for us. Guangzhou is also a great hub for travelling outside of China, and we’ve been lucky enough to visit countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Reflection and future plans
Over the last couple of years, I’ve had some incredible experiences I would never have had if I hadn’t enrolled in a TEFL course. I’ve feasted on so much weird and wonderful food, gazed at incredible skylines, chilled on beautiful beaches, belted out tunes at KTV bars and even attended a Chinese wedding. It’s been an experience I’ll never forget and one that I would recommend to anyone!
Are you interested in taking your teaching talents overseas? Find out more about teaching English abroad through The TEFL Org.
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