Do I have to be fluent in Chinese?

1.Do I have to be fluent in Chinese in order to teach in China?

No! Not at all. Although it helps if you learn Chinese, lots of people use language apps. It helps if you say, “Dui bu qi, wo de zhongwen bu hao.” Phonetically, you’d say, “Dway boo chee, whoa day chongwen boo how.”

It means, “Sorry my Chinese is bad.” Usually people will say, “mesa” which means, “no worries.” They will whip out their translation apps and you can communicate together. WeChat has a great and accurate translation feature, so if the other person is willing, you can add them and speak through the app.

What qualifications do I need?

2. What qualifications do I need to teach in China?

At least a four-year (bachelor’s) degree in ANYTHING, a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate, and a clean criminal record. If you’ve raped or murdered someone, or you have a record of inflicting domestic abuse on someone, that will probably ruin your chances. You should probably be under 55. The government is changing the retirement age, but it seems to be 60 for both men and women for now. I’m 57 and I’m obviously still teaching. Exceptions are sometimes made, depending on how hard it is to get a visa for the province you are teaching in.

Do I need a lot of money?

3. Do I need a lot of money to start with?

Depends on what you mean by a “lot of money.” I think I came over here with about $3,000, but ran out and had to borrow from my school. However, I did pay them back and I’ve been solvent ever since, even through some challenging circumstances.

That being said, to be on the safe side, you’d want to arrive with at least $5,000. And you should have an emergency fund started, so you can access that money. Always have at least enough saved for a plane ticket home if things get too tough.

Do I need any previous teaching experience?

4. Do I need any previous teaching experience?

No, although any sort of experience teaching/working with young people is good. I had two weeks of training when I started at my first job. However, after that, there wasn’t much training at all, which was really frustrating.

Should I sell my house if I decide to teach overseas?

5. I own a house. Should I sell it if I decide to teach overseas?

No. I would see if you can rent it out, if you have a mortgage on it, or have a trusted friend/neighbor keep an eye on it, if you don’t decide to rent it. If you belong to a church, maybe you can have your house serve as emergency housing for someone who needs it. Sell your stuff, or put it into storage. While a lot of people stay overseas for a very long time, and sometimes decide to stay permanently, your experience may not be that great. Same with the cars. Consider loaning/renting vehicles out if you can. If you decide to do this, call your insurance agent and get the proper coverage needed.

I have several mental illnesses and conditions. Will this be an issue?

6. I have several mental illnesses/conditions and need meds. Will this be an issue?

It might. It depends on what medicines and mental health support you need. While mental illness is recognized more and more among young people here, culturally, people don’t discuss it much. You probably won’t get much sympathy if you need to take a few days off. And living in China can be bewildering, even after a few years. If you’re easily triggered, moving to China may not be the best fit. Of course, maybe some of the stressors that bother you back home may not bother you here. For example, I feel very, very safe. I don’t have to worry about being shot here. And people are very chill. I learned how to deal with things by myself because I’ve had to. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy, because it most certainly isn’t.

I’m Overweight. Is there mobility assistance?

7. I’m overweight. Is there mobility assistance for people there?

If by “mobility assistance” you mean those shopping scooters you see at Walmart, I would say no. I call China, “The Land of the Stairs.” Because there are many, many, many stairs here. You’ll also have to walk quite a ways, because the subway stations are huge. That being said, I lost around thirty pounds the first year, and lost another 10 in the past couple years or so. My physical activity has really increased because I had no choice in the matter. If you can’t get around too easy because you’re really overweight, you won’t get a lot of sympathy. If you do say something, a response might be, “If you lost some weight, you wouldn’t have this problem.” Chinese people are pretty polite, but on the other hand, they don’t have to make concessions for really overweight people here, because honestly, you really don’t see a lot of ginormous people here. There are no plus-size stores or sections. You’re lucky if you can find an XL if you shop at H&M or Uniqlo. And if you go to the Great Wall and you’re overweight, take the Mutanyu location and opt for the ski lift up to the wall. Because if you climb the stairs to the Great Wall, (about an hour) once you get there, there are even more steps. Do yourself a favor and drop about 20 pounds or so. Trust me on this one.

What are restaurants like?

8. What are restaurants like?

Lots of McDonald’s and Starbucks and KFC. There’s even Burger King. But Taco Bell will be nonexistent unless you’re in Beijing or Shanghai. Most restaurants here are small, cozy places with basic seating—stools. Pick a place where they have pictures of the dishes. Then, take a photo of it and show it to the staff. If they serve you water, it will be warm. Ice is not a thing here. Free refills are also not a thing here. There won’t be salt or pepper on the table, either. But you’ll probably pay $3 or less for a plate of food and bottled water. If you eat like a native, you’ll save money.

Is it weird living under communism?

9. Is it weird living under communism?

Not really. I’m not over here to stir up trouble. I don’t talk about the government. I have had at least one person say she was tired of the way the government was handling the Covid situation. But this was after about a year of showing our health codes when we went out in public. I showed my health code and didn’t complain about it. I’ve also noticed people here are very motivated by money. Lots of people, old and young, sell stuff on the street corners or the beaches. It seems like over here, you’re more likely to get free stuff in the form of samples. Like, if you go to the grocery store, you’ll see glass mugs taped to six packs of yogurt. Or you might get a free tote bag for Women’s Day, courtesy of Lay’s Potato Chips. If you’re old enough to remember the free stuff you got back in the 1970s, from records on the back of cereal boxes, to free samples of products in the mail, that’s sort of what the vibe is like. I’ve had to pay for my apartments until my current job where my apartment is free. And it’s a new apartment, too. As long as you don’t criticize the government here, or wave a flag that says, “Capitalism Rocks!” you’ll probably be fine.

Are Apartments Expensive?

10. Are apartments expensive?

Depends on if you want to live in the center of Beijing, or if you want to live in a tier two or tier three city. I will say every apartment I’ve had has been fairly convenient, with a grocery store down the street, and also several restaurants and a pharmacy. The most I paid for an apartment was $910 a month, at the fifth outer ring of Beijing. The least amount I’ve paid has been nothing. In Xiamen, the rent for me came around $392 for a two bedroom in Jimei district, with a plenty big living/dining area. When I lived on Xiamen island, the same price would get me a one bedroom apartment, with a bathroom and a kitchen. Stuff will cost more on the island. But even working a low-paying pre-kindergarten teaching job (making approximately 14,000 rmb a month or $1,960 USD) meant I had more than enough to rent an apartment. And this has been the first time in my life I have been able to pay rent on my own.  

Is it hard getting around?

11. Is it hard getting around?

I took a lot of buses and Didi (Chinese Uber) when I lived in Xiamen for the first time. But it wasn’t until Beijing that I took the time to learn how to ride the subway. It wasn’t hard, because the subway is in both Chinese and English. Also, on my Apple phone, it took me years to discover this, but on Apple maps, you type in a destination and it will tell you how long it is to drive there, take the Didi, the subway, the bus, or to walk it. Sometimes there aren’t any subway options, but it seems there’s a bus option or vice versa. Didi runs about $5 or 6 for my usual route to get to the other campus. The bus is crazy cheap—like 14 to 28 cents a ride. Every trip I’ve taken in China to another city I’ve used high-speed rail. It’s very relaxing.

Will people stare at me?

12. Will people stare at me?

Sometimes. Sometimes people will ask to take a picture with you because they have never seen a foreigner before in person, or maybe they’ve never met an American. This is your chance to feel like a celebrity! This doesn’t happen to me a lot, but it’s fun when it does.

Is it safe to walk around at night?

13. I’m a single female. Is it safe to walk around at night?

Super safe! China is not exactly a late night country. But I’ve walked from a bar back to my apartment in Beijing past midnight because I just felt like walking. No one bothered me. Very close to my apartment a police officer did talk to me, but I think he was concerned I was out so late. But aside from him, no one else spoke to me when I was out.

Will people harass me?

14. Will people harass me because I’m not Chinese?

I don’t think so. It might be different if you are African-American, however. But no one has gotten into my face and said, “You’re in China, speak Chinese!” (not that I would know what that sounds like because my Chinese is so bad, LOL) but people are very zen here. You might see the occasional argument or fist fight, but you can rest easy that guns won’t be involved. There might be machetes/knives, however. But people try not to embarrass each other here (saving face culture). So people might stare at you, but mostly it isn’t out of hostility. It’s probably because they don’t see foreigners on a regular basis.

Is the water drinkable?

15 Is the water drinkable?

Not from the tap. Buy bottled, or boil the water. And remember, if you want ice-cold water, do this: Freeze bottles of water at home. Then add a little bit of water to them so the added water stays cold for a while.

Part one: https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/11/10/thinking-of-leaving-the-u-s-this-is-how-i-did-it/

Part two: https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/11/11/i-moved-overseas-years-ago-heres-how-i-did-it/

Part three: https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/11/12/i-moved-overseas-five-years-ago-heres-how-i-did-it/

Part four: https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/11/13/i-moved-overseas-years-ago-heres-how-i-did-it-2/

Part five: https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/11/14/i-left-the-country-years-ago-heres-how-i-did-it/

Part six: https://nowaylaowai.home.blog/2024/11/16/i-moved-overseas-years-ago-this-is-how-i-did-it-what-its-like-to-teach-here-your-experiences-may-vary/