Best Place To Teach English In China

China is a great place to teach abroad, a huge country full of diverse cultures, unique dialects and different teaching and living conditions. Wherever you go, you'll explore new cultures, sample exotic cuisine and have the opportunity to learn one of the world's most popular languages. While most teachers usually choose Beijing and Shanghai, there are many other cities to choose from. The process of choosing a place to live can be a bit overwhelming, and to make your decision a little easier, we've got Best Place To Teach English In China for you.

Beijing

The historic city of Beijing is the seat of power in China and is known as the cultural center of this vast and ancient country. With so much to do and see, including the Great Wall, the magnificent Summer Palace, and the Forbidden City, Beijing is a must-see for Chinese travelers, and a more glamorous city to drop your bags and study and live in.

The Chinese language in Beijing is also the standard for Mandarin, making it an ideal place to learn Chinese. Some schools in the area even offer Chinese language classes as part of their teacher packages, so be sure to ask.

As one of the largest cities in China, Beijing has a wide variety of teaching positions. From large schools accepting teachers with little to no experience, to small private colleges, public schools or language schools specialising in business English, you are sure to find a job that suits you and your qualifications.

Average Salary: 8,000-35,000 RMB/month

Shanghai

Shanghai is a fast-paced, cosmopolitan city where people from all over the world live. As one of the most international cities in China, Shanghai is also one of the best choices for teaching English. Of all the cities in China, Shanghai is probably the most westernized, so first-time visitors to the country who are looking to meet other expats and expat teachers in the big country will probably find this city to be the easiest option to digest.

Of course, with an internationalized population, the opportunity to teach English naturally arises. Because Shanghai is a global business hub, this also means that it is one of the easiest places to get an English teaching position. In fact, there is the largest number of teaching programs here. For teachers interested in teaching adult English or teaching business English, there are many teaching positions and career opportunities in Shanghai.

Average Salary: 8,000-35,000 RMB/month

Guangzhou

Guangzhou is home to many factories in China, thanks in large part to its proximity to Hong Kong. Guangzhou's mountainous environment separates the city from the rest of China, and its unique culture makes it an interesting teaching destination for those who have experienced other parts of China. The cost of living here is also lower than in other cities, so for those who want to save money, Guangzhou is an ideal place to teach.

Aside from Shanghai and Beijing, native English speakers have the highest concentration of teaching opportunities in Guangzhou, so people with varying levels of teaching experience can find different positions here.

Average Salary: 8,000-16,000 RBM/month

Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a very new city, a major economic center and a short metro or ferry ride from Hong Kong. With warm winters and hot summers, Shenzhen is ideal for those who want to avoid the cold. Even better, there are plenty of restaurants, bars and shopping, so you'll never run out of things to do. Similar to Guangzhou, the cost of living in Shenzhen is also much lower than in other Chinese cities. Shenzhen tends to attract Chinese citizens from all over the country due to the abundance of employment opportunities. Such a melting pot has made Shenzhen a home base for understanding many parts of the country.

Shenzhen is home to many international schools, ESL colleges and kindergartens, so when you start your job search here, you'll have plenty of options. Here, you can also meet other like-minded expats.

Average Salary: 8,000-16,000 RMB/month

Hangzhou

Hangzhou is just an hour away from bustling Shanghai by high-speed train, a perfect combination of old and new urban areas. Surrounded by major cities such as Shanghai, Suzhou and Nanjing, Hangzhou is an easy place to visit most of China from on weekends. Although still relatively densely populated, Hangzhou is smaller and slightly more relaxing to live in compared to big cities like Shanghai and Beijing. With a population of nearly 10 million, Hangzhou is definitely not small by the standards of most cities in the world. Filled with local schools, universities and ESL colleges, finding a job in this city is no problem.

Average Salary: 8,400-14,000 RMB/month

What is the Best Place To Teach English In China?

Big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and other big cities have a lot of teaching jobs where you can get high salaries. If you're looking for a fast-paced environment, a large expat community and a wealth of jobs and opportunities, the big city might be for you. And smaller cities like Nanjing, Hangzhou and Chengdu have a slower pace and more immersion. And the expat community in smaller cities is smaller and more connected, making it easy to make friends from China and abroad. While there are fewer jobs to choose from, there is also less competition. This may lead to a looser, more relaxed working environment and also draw closer the relationship between teachers and boarding schools.