Types of ESL Teaching Jobs in Tianjin
- Kindergartens
- Public schools
- Private institutions (for children and adults)
If the idea to work in Tianjin as an English teacher sounds appealing to you, chances are, you’ll have to choose among those three places.
Most of the positions are for teaching young learners (between 3 and 12 years old) because enrolling children in English courses is a very popular trend now. The earlier, the better!
Schedule
The main advantage of being employed at a public school or a preschool institution is a fixed schedule with weekends off and standard working hours – generally from 8 am to 5 pm. This gives you more free time and allows for evening outings.
However, there are many ESL jobs in Tianjin, where you can work with adult learners. Some mentors from abroad seem to prefer these opportunities because not everyone can teach children successfully.
General requirements
If you are used to adult students, focus on language courses and private training centers. But beware of the offers, stating that to teach English in Tianjin you always need to have a Bachelor’s degree. This is not true, you can teach here as long as you are fluent in English.
On the other hand, you can apply even if your degree is not in teaching. Also, being a debutant you can actually come to teach English abroad without certification.
Many schools offer free online or on-site TEFL courses, which will let you work in the education field afterward (the certificate is valid till the rest of your life).
Teaching in Tianjin, you can get very different schedules at training centers, which usually depend on the demand of students, your preferences and availability. There are many part-time offers, too, so you can combine and work for a couple of centers at the same time, which is not a rare practice.
Anyway, be ready to work till 9 pm and on weekends, as adult students tend to have more free time on Saturdays and Sundays. Classes may start relatively early on these days – at around 8 am or 9 am.
Salaries
Salaries for English teaching jobs in Tianjin vary a lot, depending on the school, your qualifications, teaching experience, and nationality – yes, natives earn considerably more. Average hourly pay in this region is around 50 – 100 RMB ($7 - $15).
Standard wages start at 9,000 RMB ($1,300) per month and can reach 15,000 RMB ($2,200) for experienced and certified professionals.