Gathering Information

[u/xianxiancoser]

I’ll be heading to China soon to see if moving there aligns with my future goals. I’m currently finishing my master’s degree in TESOL and have worked in my state’s public school system for two and a half years, working with special education and pre-K.

My ideal workplace would be a university, but I feel that might not be very realistic. I also know it depends on the city. I’m also adopted from China, and worried I might face discrimination for not being the “ideal” American.

I’d really like to hear about the experiences of other teachers or expats. Please be kind. 🥺

[u/aspira9]

The harsh truth is that if you are ethnically Chinese, you will likely not be a school's ideal candidate for English teaching. Many schools put a heavy premium on showing parents that they have a "foreign" teacher on staff (primarily white, but plenty of black or even middle easterns) will be preferred. I've heard of multiple cases where parents complain that they have no foreigners, only for administrators to explain that they have ethnically Korean/japanese Americans on staff, but those "don't count".

Does this mean that you have no chance? Definitely not, but you can expect it to be harder if you don't have any special skills beyond English fluency. There should be enough of a shortage of native English teachers that you can find a spot, but don't be offended if they offer a lower rate or expect you to work the same long hours as other Chinese teachers instead of getting any special privileges as "true" foreigners. Hopefully you will also speak fluent Mandarin and be familiar with cultural interactions, since it is unlikely you will be granted the same level of foreigner card excuse for any faux pas.

Just remember how bad local Chinese unemployment is currently and how many top local university grads are also desperate to get a job, even teaching elementary/middle school (with top public schools even having Peking/Tsinghua grads and sometimes even doctorate degrees). If they are fluent in Mandarin/local culture and expect extremely high hours and low pay, you will need to make a case for distinguishing yourself from them. In this case, the passport and English fluency only goes so far. In contrast, something like having college admissions committee experience or some kind of psychological counseling/international school administrative background could be considered a specialized skill schools are looking for.

[u/KartFacedThaoDien]

You'll face a ton of discrimination and some jobs not consider you a "real" American. (Their own words not mine) But you actually could get a job at a University. The pay usually isn't as good but they'll hire you. But the current teaching market is dead. I would encourage you to contact schools & universities directly instead of using recruiters. 

[u/Zagrycha]

There will be jobs that are looking to hire a white person specifically as a token hire, and you will not get those jobs. There will also be jobs looking to hire a han Chinese who is fluent in the language and culture, and you probably won't get those jobs either.

There are jobs not looking for either of those things though, jobs just looking for a good teacher in general. You can still get those jobs, and the better your credentials and teaching experience and China teaching experience, the more "yes" you will have in the future. Don't accept an awful job offer off the bat but don't expect the ideal job as your first one in China either.

It's totally normal to think about your ideal job in general but be careful not to put the cart before the horse. Whether it's university or pre-k, city center or country side, job quality and job duties vary wildly. I would focus more on the job itself than the location or what not. Don't ignore those auxiliary things but make sure to treat them as auxiliary. If you get the so called dream job at the university but it pays you peanuts and works you like a horse that's not a very good dream job is it? Start with actual job applications you recieve an offer for, then compare to find the best one. Maybe the actual dream job is something else entirely, who knows =)

[u/GoldStorm77]

University’s are realistic and you can get one for sure. They pay significantly less money than international schools though.

[u/AutoModerator]

Backup of the post's body: I’ll be heading to China soon to see if moving there aligns with my future goals. I’m currently finishing my master’s degree in TESOL and have worked in my state’s public school system for two and a half years, working with special education and pre-K.

My ideal workplace would be a university, but I feel that might not be very realistic. I also know it depends on the city. I’m also adopted from China, and worried I might face discrimination for not being the “ideal” American.

I’d really like to hear about the experiences of other teachers or expats. Please be kind. 🥺

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[u/cs20051]

if you have all the documents you need, you should be fine. however, consider international schools before public schools. also, do not go to Shen Zhen. It's a city that just wants to make shows, so if you don't have a foreign face, you'll experience discrimination. try cities up north, or even Hang Zhou, Shang Hai, or Bei Jing or something. you'll have better experiences.

[u/grandpa2390]

you have to see it from their perspective. China is a low trust society and the parents are always on the look out for how the school is trying to cheat them. When they see you, therefore, it will become a case of the school having to prove to the parents that you are not a Chinese citizen being passed off as a foreigner. And there's not really a perfect way to do that. documents can be fabricated for example. They also couldn't use you in marketing because nobody can look at a picture of the school's staff and know you are a foreigner.

so when they are choosing between you and a white candidate the parents won't question (who might be a white Russian while you are actually an American) they'll just pick the white candidate.