Few Questions

[nihao87]

I have a few questions. I will keep them short.

I want to teach English in China. China is my only option.

Do I require a university degree? I don't currently hold a degree.

Would my Glaswegian accent kill my dream of teaching English in China? I don't have a strong Glasgow accent however.

I'm hoping I can just get my TEFL certificate along with extra training then apply for jobs, but I'm not confident that it will be this easy. Acquiring a degree seems like an awful waste of time but I do understand that it would affect visa applications. But I know that there is TEFL teachers in China without degrees, how did they do this?

I'm 20 and have no experience in English teaching. Am I too young?

It is really important for me. Moving to China has been my dream since a young child, and my partner has already moved to China. I'm sick and tired of Britain. I am very depressed.

Thank you.

[onebir]

Do I require a university degree? I don't currently hold a degree.

Would my Glaswegian accent kill my dream of teaching English in China? I don't have a strong Glasgow accent however.

But I know that there is TEFL teachers in China without degrees, how did they do this?

I'm 20 and have no experience in English teaching. Am I too young?

I've been teaching part time in a provincial capital. I have an American colleague who, like you, is 20 & doesn't have a degree - or TEFL certification. He's earning USD1000+/m & spending only about 10% of his salary on accommodation. On the -ve side his legal situation probably isn't 100% above board (work permit obtained in a different city).

The foreign teacher who wrote a lot of the materials for the school, has a pretty strong Birmingham accent - I know because he appears in the adverts for the school.

So if you're prepared to work in a private school in a less popular location it should be possible - particularly if you're white*. But you might need to apply to quite a few places first.

* Not being racist, but from what I've heard - & seen - it does make a difference, unfortunately.

[ICAL_Pete]

Hi onebir,

In most places the basic requirements for entry level teaching positions are a degree plus a TESL/TEFL certificate.

China is one of those countries where it is still possible to find employment without a degree. However this will largely depend on the employer and their specific job requirements. In theory you only need a degree if you want to work in a university or want a residence visa.

Having said that it is also true that employers in China are starting to list a Bachelor's degree amongst the qualifications required. This does not mean that you have no chances of getting hired without a degree, it simply means that you may not have the pick of the jobs.

There is an interesting article about this in the ICAL wiki at http://www.icalweb.com/wiki
See "Qualifications for Teachers" under the Teaching FAQ category.

Hope this helps