THE TRUTH ABOUT TEACHING ENGLISH IN CHINA

You've seen the pictures: smiling teachers and students playing fun games while learning English. It looks like the best time ever, right? While this is often the case, is teaching English in China always that great? Many people only share the good parts; I am not many people. Being an ESL teacher brings great material for a standup comedy routine which would also be good therapy for ESL teachers; picture kids and all the crazy things they do and couple that with language and cultural differences, it's crazy real-life for ESL teachers here in China! So here it is, the absolute truth about teaching English in China.

Ok, all of that may have sounded a bit harsh, so on the converse side of the difficult stuff about teaching English in China and regardless of how demanding the job can be, it is also one of the most enjoyable jobs out there (in my completely biased opinion). Essentially, we get to play games with kids for a living! If you plan the game activities to correctly correlate to the aims of a lesson, the students will have so much fun during class that they won't even realize they're learning.

With older students, you don't play as many games but rather begin to build rapport with them which allows opportunities for banter and conversation in English. I often say that once a student can be funny in their second language, that's when they really start being proficient at it.

Even during your first year with EF, you will witness the incredible progression your students make in speaking English. Watching them grow as children and as students, with your help, is one the best feelings ever. And a valuable reward of this job is the positive impact your teaching has on your students. The effort in creating engaging and fun classes encourages student's enthusiasm for learning English and keeps them coming to class week after week, and this makes it all worth it!

Well, there it is— the truth about teaching English in China. It requires planning and effort, and it is taxing emotionally and mentally. But though it can be one of the toughest and most demanding jobs, it's also one of the most incredibly rewarding and special jobs I've ever had.