Would you go to China? to teach English?

Question

31 yr old single white female...thinking of Beijing..is it safe?=



Thanks !!

Answer 1

no disgusting place horrible place stinking place Goddamm *** placs

Answer 2

Yes. No problem. You'll find tons of women your age doing the same thing.

I live in Tianjin, which is the "port" of Beijing. I don't teach English at a language school, but I do teach it at an international school. (The distinction is that an intl school is more like a school back home and my students aren't Chinese. Some are native speakers of English.)
I've been here for 6 years. China is VERY safe. Perhaps the safest place to be these days. There is more crime than there used to be, but very little violent crime and it's almost unheard of for foreigners to be involved in any violent crime.

Beijing has a fantastic social scene. And it is quite cosmopolitan, unlike Tianjin. Just be sure that your job is on the up and up. Some placement agencies in China are questionable. I've heard some pretty unpleasant stories.

I don't think you'll regret it.

Answer 3

Don't get ripped off - someone said 100 yuan per hour - thats too cheap.

People want native english speakers to get correct intonation, word stress, pronunciation and correct usage of words (formal / informal) etc, etc.

You will not be able to work all the time (its not like a 9 to 5 job) esp. in training centers. So yes you will have to charge more than locals professionals per hour. Don't think for a second that it's China and everybody is poor. I see Ferari's and Hummers everyday and half your students will laugh when they hear your "high" salary.

Schools and some students will give u the whole poor China speech becuase the less they pay you the more they make (or less money they have to pay to the school). They are better capitalists than westeners so be perpared for negotiation when it comes to salary - never take the first offer - dont be afriad to say no and let them come back to you with another offer.

Also remember that no matter how good your Chinese is and how good you bargain you will usually pay more for most things. Take this into consideration too. This coupled with your higher standard of living means your cost of living will be much higher than most Chinese peoples (usually about double their average wage). When I say average wage remember that half the chinese work force are in or from the country side and are happy to earn US$100 a month.

Your students wont be poor factory workers (esp in big cities) - they are more likely going to be the spoilt son or daughter of the factory manager or owner and have multiple teachers/tutors and live better than you do in America.

Rasism is a part of life here. Most interviews are conducted just to see how "western" you are (western = tall and white, preferably with hair other than black and straight which is the norm in China). Some will require photos etc with applications as well.

Answer 4

I think it is very quite safe. I have visited Beijing on a few occasions and never felt my unsafe in terms of crime (rape, robbery, or the like). I feel the biggest danger is mobile phone and bicycle theft. Thieves are clever and may work in groups. They may cut your bag open with a knife, but I have not really heard of anyone I know mentioning they know someone hurt this way.
The bigger dangers I think come from the traffic, you will need to be careful crossing streets or riding a bicycle. Perhaps some occasional sickness from something you ate (get a Hep A vaccine).
The next thing to consider would be the job that you are offered. I think 3800+housing and at least a one way ticket for 12-16 hours of work per week is the bare minimum job to accept. This would be something for teaching in a university. It is best to have your employer secure a "Z" visa for you before you come. It is also a good idea to request contact information of former FTs at the school so you can contact them about the living and working conditions.
I am currently teaching college students in Shanghai and I am teaching English. Overall it is a good experience. I have been in China for 2 years (teaching at different universities). I will stay at my current employer until I tire of teaching---but I could be here for 10 years or more. China is not for everyone, be sure to do your research. Think about your reasons for wanting to go to China and what you hope to gain of the experience. Beijing is a good place to go if you are intersted in the culture.
For more detailed information and discussion about teaching in China it is worth checking out Raoul's ESL Saloon or Dave's ESL Cafe (www.eslcafe.com)--check out the China sections of the International Job Forums. There is also a China Job Board there.

Answer 5

Define safe. Will you get mugged and the like. Well you have better chances of that happening in good ole US of A than in China. Where several things are shooting offenses.
On the other hand, Are most of those horny guys aiming to get in your pants. DEFINITELY. They want to get a shot at the exotic "bigger" caucasian gal. So you better watch yourself since they will court you and woo you and thats it. As for rape and stuff. Standard precautions would be enough. Violence is not an easy thing to get away with in China.
Was really an eye opener? Exception would be in the boondocks type place. But if you are talking of Beijing. NO WAY NO HOW. Safer than New York, Thailand, just a few steps behind Japan.
Hope you do well . Go Go girl. Hope we can keep in touch. Btw UI am not located in China. hehehehe. I am just familiar with the area.

Answer 6

Yes, it's safe, and this is common. However, they strangely discriminate against black women....I was reading a story about a very well-eduacted black woman that was going to do just this very thing....until they found out she was black! Just make sure you know where the American Embassy is, and the consulate. Follow the rules, and you won't have any trouble. The Chinese are wonderful and hospitable people, but like any nation, there is a dark underbelly. Just use common sense, as you would here at home. Keep in frequent contact with people in the states. I hope you go, this will be quite an experience for you!

Study up on Chinese etiquette; for instance, in China, white is the color of mourning, not black. Red is considered very lucky.

Answer 7

My roommate is Chinese and we were supposed to go and teach English. I'm 26 and just graduated from college and I'm financially not in the position to go right now. I have a few friends that have gone there and have had a great time. Search The Prominent Moth on yahoo, it's a blog from an American living in China. He shares all kinds of stories about his experiences of being a foreigner in China. Some of them are funny...some are not so funny. Usually the bigger cities are safer than the smaller ones. I would be a bit more concerned being female and traveling alone, not all cultures treat women as equally as they do here. I wouldn't recommend going alone.

As with traveling anywhere, there are pros and cons..you just have to be smart and safe about it. Good Luck if you decide to do it!!!

Answer 8

Hi

Ive been in China for about 5 years now teaching spoken English. Ive been living in a really poor province as-well, and its very very safe here! Yes Beijing would be much better place to teach English, because you have chances to meet other foreign friends and access to western foods! Where I teach there are no other westerners and western food. It gets a bit lonley sometimes but it gets like that anywhere you go... Go to China and teach! You will love it! Oh and trust me its very very safe! If you have problems there will be many people who are willing to help you. Chinese people seem to be a little more kind than we are back in USA. Here are some things to watch out for!

1: Dont be ripped off on over priced, and fake products!

2: Do not be used by people for free English! Never let anyoen take an advantage of you!

3: Do not make too many friends! The more friends in China the more money you gotta spend!

4: Stay away from any KTV places knowing that you are a woman! Do not let anyone talking you into going to a KTV unless you really know the person you are willing to go with!

5: Never ever walk in a uncrowed area at NIGHT ALONE! For you might be smashed over the head with a stone and robbed!

6: Try to avoid taking a bus,train, and over packed places for they are over crowded, and there are lots of very skilled pocket theives! If you do happend to catch someone trying to pick pocket you just grab her/his hand gently and say oh hi how have you been? This will avoid him and his freind from stabbing you and running. Then the theif will respect that you stayed calm and did not blow his cover. If you have no choice you can just put your stuff in a safe place such as your shoes or something...

6: do not be ripped off when getting a job! I get piad 100 yuan an hour for teaching in the city that I am in. Depending on your city you might get piad more but no less then 80 to 100 yuan per hour! Make sure the schools can leagally provide you with a working visa!

7: Do not get drunk with people you do not know though they seem so friendly and inviting!

8: Never drink the water unless boiled very very well or bottled, and always peel the skin off from fruits before eating!

9: Dont get angry if people are starring at you all the time! Just try to ignore!

10: When out of work on the streets try to be more closed, and not to opened! This will prevent people from wanting to make friends with you and cheating you some how!

Finally your best bet is to try to limit your friends for there are alot of using pricks out there! Also Chinese get very very jelouse of everything, so never brag too much! Chinese people will do crazy things out of jelousy, so just keep cool!

The country is very safe, fun and easy! It will seem more free then USA! Just never break laws such as stealing,killing, and fighting etc and you will have the time of your life! There are drugs around, and NEVER NEVER use drugs China! You do not want to be caught using drugs there! Drink all you want though = )

yea so go to China and have fun! Good Luck!

Answer 9

I would say that China is probably one of the safest places you could go as a woman. I've been here for a year, and woman I know pretty much walk around at night without a care . As far as teaching, Chinese people respect teachers a lot. Don't expect to save any money, but you'll live comfotably here with what you make. I say go.

Answer 10

The very first thing I would like to know is that, is it teaching English as a subjective subject or is it spoken English teaching. I am teaching both the mediums for the last six years now. I would really love to go to China and teach English if the salary is worth it.

Answer 11

I came. I taught. I stayed in China.

I've been here lo these many years now.

Times have changed since I first arrived. Now I tell anyone who is thinking of coming to China to stay at home and get a real job at the seven/eleven working the graveyard shift.

There are already enough community college graduates better suited to working a McJob back home passing themselves off as english teachers in China already..