Beijing English foreign teachers: how to choose high-quality pure language enlightenment partners for children?

In Beijing, an international metropolis, the demand for English education has already broken through the "examination-oriented" framework and turned to the dual cultivation of "language ability + cultural thinking. From "English enlightenment starts with prenatal education" in Jiwa family in Haidian District to "full English immersion environment" in Chaoyang District International Community, parents' demand for foreign teachers has been upgraded from "having foreign teachers" to "having good foreign teachers". However, the quality of foreign teachers on the market varies: some people teach their children "Chinglish" with a strong accent, some lack of experience in early childhood education leads to out of control, and some are even dismissed by law enforcement authorities due to qualification issues ...... How to choose a truly high-quality foreign English teacher in Beijing for your child? This article will provide parents with a practical screening guide from the three dimensions of qualification, teaching and cultural adaptation.

1. qualification hard core: legal status is the bottom line, professional background is a bonus

Beijing has strict regulations on the management of foreign teachers, parents need to be wary of "black foreign teachers"-those who do not have a work permit, hold a tourist visa or student visa part-time teaching "fake foreign teachers". This kind of foreign teachers not only teaching is not guaranteed, once checked, the child's learning progress may be interrupted.

List of Core Qualifications :

1. Work Permit and Visa : Foreign teachers are required to hold the Foreigner Work Permit, and the position is marked "English Teacher"; at the same time, he holds a Z-shaped work visa (non-L travel visa, X student visa). Parents can check the authenticity of the documents through the official website of the "Management Service System for Foreigners in China.
2. education and major : foreign teachers with bachelor's degree or above in English education, preschool education, linguistics and other related majors are preferred. For example, when a Haidian parent selected a foreign teacher for his child, he found that a candidate had a master's degree in education from University College London (UCL), and his "natural spelling + picture book reading" course significantly increased his child's interest in reading.
3. Teacher Qualification Certificate : The international TEFL (General English Teacher Qualification Certificate), TESOL (International English Teacher Qualification Certificate) or CELTA (Cambridge Adult English Language Teaching Certificate) is proof of professional competence. Some high-end institutions also require foreign teachers to hold "British QTS teacher qualification certificate" (British qualified teacher qualification) or "American state teacher qualification certificate".

pit avoidance reminder : once parents believed in the organization's propaganda that "foreign teachers have many years of teaching experience" and did not verify their qualifications. as a result, the children taught with foreign teachers for half a year, their accents were biased, and it was difficult to correct them.

2. teaching ability: the leap from "being able to speak English" to "being able to teach English"

the core values of foreign English teachers in Beijing, it is to stimulate children's interest in language through scientific methods, rather than simply "chatting with them". Parents should focus on the following abilities:

1. classroom design ability : high-quality foreign teachers should design differentiated courses according to children's age. For example:
• children aged 3-6: mainly play games, songs and stories, such as "what time is it for the English version of Lao lang Lao lang" to teach time;
• children aged 7-12: combine subject content (such as telling scientific experiments and historical stories in English) to cultivate interdisciplinary thinking.
  a Chaoyang parent reported that his child studied with a foreign teacher who was good at "thematic teaching" for one year. he could not only fluently discuss topics such as "environmental protection" and "space exploration", but also formed the habit of keeping a diary in English.

1. interaction and feedback skills : foreign teachers need to have the ability to "read children. For example:
• for introverted children: gradually build self-confidence through "one-on-one question and answer + group activities";
• for active children: set up the role of "classroom assistant" to guide them to turn their energy into learning motivation. Br/> a foreign teacher from an international school once shared his experience: "I will observe the blinking frequency of a child-if he blinks frequently, he may be nervous or not understand, then I will change to a simpler expression."

1. accent and expression purity : foreign teachers whose mother tongue is English (such as English, American, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand) are preferred, and their pronunciation and intonation are more in line with the rules of language learning. If you choose a non-native foreign teacher (e. g. South Africa, Philippines), you need to focus on listening to their spoken language to ensure that there is no obvious accent. For example, a parent chose a Filipino foreign teacher for their child. Although he is fluent in English, the "th" sound is pronounced as an "s" sound, which causes the child to spend double time correcting it after 3 months of learning.

audition suggestions : ask foreign teachers to provide 15-20 minutes of audition classes to observe whether they can attract children's attention in a short period of time, and give specific feedback on children's performance (for example, "you used a' because' to connect sentences today, next time you can try 'therefore'").

3. cultural adaptation: upgrading from "language teacher" to "growth partner"

Beijing English foreign teachers are not only language teachers, it is also a window for children to understand the world. A foreign teacher with a high degree of cultural adaptation can help children establish a "bilingual and bicultural" thinking rather than a "Chinese-English split" cognition.

1. understanding and respect for Chinese culture : high-quality foreign churches actively integrate into the local environment. For example:
• teach children to write "fu" and make dumplings during the spring festival, and explain the legend of "nien beast" in English;
• take children to make moon cake molds during the mid-autumn festival and discuss "the symbolic meaning of the moon in different cultures".
  a parent shared: "my foreign teacher will leave a' cultural comparison work' every week, for example, let the child compare the image of' Chinese dragon' and' western dragon'. the child is especially sensitive to cross-cultural differences now."

1. values match educational philosophy : foreign teachers' educational methods should be consistent with family expectations. For example:
• if parents want to cultivate their children's "critical thinking", they can choose foreign teachers who encourage questions and debates.
• if parents attach more importance to "rule awareness", they need to select foreign teachers who emphasize classroom discipline.
  there was a conflict in an international kindergarten: an American foreign teacher advocated "free exploration" and allowed children to move freely in the classroom; However, parents thought that "no rules can make a square" and finally asked for a change of foreign teachers.

1. long-term stability : Frequent changes to foreign churches interrupt the child's learning rhythm. Parents can evaluate the stability of foreign teachers through the following methods:
• ask about their living plans in Beijing (such as whether they plan to settle down for a long time and whether they are accompanied by their families);
• find out their past work experience (such as the length of teaching in the same institution).
  data from an organization show that the continuation rate of foreign teachers who have been teaching for more than 2 years is 40% higher than that of new foreign teachers, because the tacit understanding between teachers and students is higher and the teaching is more targeted.

4. Beijing English teacher resource distribution: selection strategies in different regions

There are differences in the demand and resource supply for foreign teachers in different regions of Beijing. Parents can select according to the characteristics of the region:

1. Haidian District : mainly "academic" foreign teachers, mostly serving international schools and high-end training institutions. This kind of foreign teachers usually hold a master's degree and are good at competition counseling (such as AMC English and SPBCN spelling contest), which is suitable for children with further study goals.
2. Chaoyang district : there are more types of foreign teachers, including "all-English immersion" foreign teachers serving the international community and "game-based teaching" foreign teachers focusing on children's enlightenment. Parents can choose according to their children's age (children are more interactive, school-age children can add subject content).
3. Xicheng District/Dongcheng District : Traditional education is a strong area. Foreign teacher resources are relatively concentrated in well-known institutions. The teaching quality is relatively stable, but the price is generally high. Parents can focus on the institution's foreign teacher training system (e. g. negative organization of teaching and research, assessment).

case reference : due to the limited resources of foreign teachers in the region, a Changping parent matched a foreign teacher living in Chaoyang through the online platform. both parties agreed to finish class twice a week + review online once, it not only ensures the quality of teaching, but also solves the problem of commuting.

The essence of selecting English foreign teachers for children in Beijing is to find a "language guide + cultural ferryman" for them ". Parents need to jump out of the misunderstanding of "foreign teachers = expensive = good" and make a comprehensive assessment from the three dimensions of qualification, teaching and cultural adaptation. They can even take their children to participate in the screening together (for example, to observe whether the interaction between children and foreign teachers is natural). After all, a good foreign teacher can not only enable children to speak pure English, but also help them open another window to understand the world-and this is the core value of international education.