6 Things ESL Teachers Do Wrong in China

By Altiné Moumouni

Do these 6 things to increase your chances of being stuck in China and becoming bitter, unhappy, less productive, and making less money

I have been teaching math in China for about two years now, and I wanted to share some common things ESL teachers do wrong in China. China has been and is still the biggest ESL market in the world. But to fully enjoy all the benefits that China offers, you must do things right.

Doing these six things will increase your chances of being stuck in China and becoming bitter, unhappy, less productive, and making less money.

1. Not properly negotiating your contract

This is the first step to having a good experience and enjoying your stay in every country, particularly China. When they receive offers, most ESL teachers get too excited and neglect to properly read their contracts. Unfortunately, once they start working, they discover that there are extra tasks they must perform or that other teachers are making more money than they are.

What should you do instead?

Discuss with other experienced teachers teaching the same subjects and in the same city
Share your contract with a lawyer or trusted friends; I did exactly this

2. Choosing the wrong employer

After reading and properly negotiating your contract, it is essential to do your due diligence and ensure you are picking a reliable employer. Guess what? When living abroad, your employer plays a big part in your success and well-being. The best way I found when choosing an employer in China is to ask local Chinese or browse forums like Reddit, Quora, and TEFL forum. If you have a Chinese friend, ask them to search for reviews (in China) online about your potential employer.

Here are a few red flags:

High employees turnover
Schools not willing to share their information before interviews

3. Focusing on things that don’t matter

Here is the truth, no matter where you go, there will be negative things that you will dislike; the key is to focus on things that matter to YOU. I met a lot of ESL teachers who spent a tremendous amount of time complaining about racism or politics in China. Well, racism and social issues exist everywhere in the world. I will discuss this topic later in a different blog article. You can have a fantastic experience in China if you focus on what matters to YOU.

Here are my suggestions:

If you plan to teach ESL in China, focus on what matters to you. I personally focus on being the best teacher I can be for my students and helping them succeed.

4. Not having specific goals

Having goals is essential to succeed in anything we do in life. And this is perfectly tied to the previous one; without specific goals, people start to pay attention to things that don’t matter, creating anger and resentment. Before moving overseas, create a list of goals you want to achieve while living abroad. Here’s the cold truth: you will experience a lot of hardship, and the only thing that will keep you sane is having goals.

Here is a list of ideas:

learning Chinese, finding a tutor
building a profitable and successful business
investment in real estate in your home country
paying off students loan
traveling across Asia

5. Not taking care of yourself

One thing I noticed was that many people were not taking vacations. They would not give themselves time off. This may be the case in Canada or the United States of America, where people are used to always working with only two weeks of vacation per year. But you have many opportunities for time off in China, including during the Chinese New Year, and there are so many places you can go.

Here are a few ideas:

You can also join clubs related to your hobbies. I joined two clubs: running and cycling. Last weekend we went on a day trip hiking in the mountains – it was an amazing experience. This kind of activity will help you disconnect from being a teacher while doing things you love.

6. Not treating teaching ESL as a business

To really succeed in China as an ESL teacher, you must learn to treat yourself as a business. Contrary to common belief, most schools in China are managed like businesses solely to make money. As you treat yourself as a business, you will start saving more money for retirement, find new business opportunities, or learn new skills to grow and make more money. The most successful and happy ESL teachers I met in China are the ones that treat themselves as businesses. They are focused on their goals, less stressed, and, therefore, happier.

Written by Altiné Moumouni for Teflnet November 2022
Altiné is from Toronto, Canada, and currently teaches mathematics at a high school in Guangzhou, China. He has a master's degree in International Economics and Finance from Ryerson University in Canada and is passionate about helping people worldwide through his blogs. He writes about TEFL Teaching and Health and Fitness. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, running, traveling, and anything that allows him to experience the beauty of nature. You can find him at altinify.com.
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