English teaching: Is it viable in Kunming?

Posted in: Forums > Living in Chengdu • 13 posts • Newest

• • danbarazani
    September 29, 2007
    2 posts
  • Hi there!

    Kunming sounds like a beautiful place, so I'm searching for information and general advice about teaching English there. Heres some general questions:

    1) With a bachelor's, CELTA, and some oversease teaching experience, how difficult would it be to find a job and what sort of salary range should I expect?

    2) Are most teaching jobs arranged before arriving in China, say via e-mail, or is the normal route just to show up and give out resumes in person?

    3) Any other information/advice from people who've taught in Kunming?

    Much obliged for any help!

• • ryano
    September 30, 2007
    7 posts
  • hey dan.

    kunming IS a nice place.

    1.) it's not difficult at all. especially if you have experience. i came here after teaching in taiwan and it was easy as pie to find work because experienced teachers are extremely rare here. You can expect to make anywhere between 70-110 RMB/hour (you'll have to convert that yourself :-])

    2.) you definitely should NOT arrange work before getting here... unless you are looking for a more 'professional' teaching post like in a university or something. there are ads all around town for teaching jobs...

    3.) well my experience is somewhat limited in kunming but so far i like it very much... i teach kindy mostly and it's so much fun. the management of the schools can be a bit hard to adjust to, but it's not something that should put you off from teaching here... that is, assuming you really like teaching...

    hope this helps... feel free to email me at ryankunming[at]gmail.com if you have any more specific questions...

    have an especially good day,

    ryan

• • danbarazani
    October 2, 2007
    2 posts
  • Thanks alot ryano, that's exactly the kind of information i was hoping to hear

• • tangjie
    July 20, 2008
    3 posts
  • if you need a teaching english job now,please call me :13769151949.

• • Ocean
    July 21, 2008
    122 posts
  • Robert's School of Languages is the largest private language school in Kunming, run by an English guy with over 3000 students from 6 - 60! Always on the lookout for foreign teachers (esp with quals and exp). I'm one of 10 foreigner working there at the moment (plus 30 Chinese teachers) and it's a fun, supportive, professional atmosphere. Worth a look (contact rslchina@yahoo.co.uk).

    HOWEVER, I believe a recent PSB rule change means you can't get proper work visa without first returning to your home country to apply. So just turning up and looking for (legit) work is no longer such a good idea. Maybe others can confirm this?

• • tangjie
    July 31, 2008
    3 posts
  • Recruitment

    Hello,
    Everyone!
    Our school(Global IELTS School) need a foreigner to be our oral English teacher.

    The requirements are following:
    Firstly, who has Bachelor Degree or above;
    Scendly, who can speak English fluently without strong local accent;
    Thirdly,who has some teaching experience is prior;
    Forthly,who has much patience with students.

    If someone is interested in it,please contact with me, you are welcome to to our office directly everyday from 9am to 9pm.
    Private No.:13769151949
    Contact:Grace
    Office No.:0871-3116652
    Office address :20th floor,Dade Building,Jinbilu.
    Thanks!

• • kkalyn
    August 10, 2008
    2 posts
  • Hey Everyone!

    I dont have a bachelors degree.. but I have a 2 year diploma plus TEFL cert., plus teaching experience. Would I be able to get a job or is it necessary that I have a bachelors degree?

    Thanks!

• • kkalyn
    August 10, 2008
    2 posts
  • oh, and p.s. how much would i be making?... and do I need to go home to get the work visa like Ocean said? because I am already in China haha

• • JDMKY
    August 10, 2008
    34 posts
  • You don't need a degree..........
    You can go to Hong Kong and try one of the visa agents there if you have a letter from your language school.
    You can earn about 5-6000 for a fifteen hour week.

• • onlyone
    August 11, 2008
    136 posts
  • According to chinese law you must have Z visa to obtain any job in China .You canot work with travel visa you have to go back your country holding the invitation letter and work certificates then apply for working visa .

• • JDMKY
    August 12, 2008
    34 posts
  • This is true, Onlyone. It's what I was told when I tried to get a work permit. I thought I would have to go back to the UK.
    Despite this, there are legal visa agents in Hong Kong which can arrange a provisional Z visa, which has to be validated by medical tests and police registration within a month of entering China. I know because I did it only a couple of months ago, at the height of Olympic visa red-tape bureaucratic obstructionism.

    There were plenty of other people at the office doing the same thing.
    I have no idea how the visa agents do it. I only know they're operating openly and legally.
    WHether they have connections or not, I don't know.

• • tedheshi
    August 16, 2008
    6 posts
  • "according to Chinese law"...
    When I first came to China in February, I taught at a public university in Guangxi province on a tourist visa which they quickly transformed into a residence visa. I think public schools have the connections to do this, but don't expect a small and/or private school to have the ability to turn this trick.

• • rogella
    August 26, 2008
    7 posts
  • If u r employed by a public school, like a university, you must endure a long and complex procedures~
    first, the Work Permit for Foreigners...
    then, the Visa Notification to the Chinese embassy in ur country...
    with the above papers, u can apply for the "Z" visa...
    hold Z visa to China... get the Foreign Expert Certifidate...
    and apply for the Living Permit for Foreigners in local public security bureau...
    finally, registered in the public security ogran of ur living area.
    There will be some one in charge of foreign affairs of the school to apply all these things for u, but it's also not easy for u to prepare all the documents required~~

    But there r some good points of holding the Expert Cert.. like u can exchange ur RMB salary to ur country's currency, and usually no police will find u trouble...

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