Do You Need To Know Chinese To Teach English In China

As a lot of you will have discovered currently, Chinese is a very challenging language to discover, particularly for us native English speakers. The characters look complicated and speaking Chinese can be even harder-- there are 4 different tones that can entirely alter the significance of words and sentences. Do not let this put you off from learning Chinese though; it'll require time, but once you've begun to determine patterns in grammar and radicals in characters, you'll discover it more uncomplicated.

Teaching English in China implies you will be working with Chinese trainees whose mother tongue is ... Chinese, obviously. Can you communicate successfully with them in Chinese? Probably not. Will it stop you from being able to teach English? Absolutely not. Keep in mind, your job is to teach English, not Chinese! Don't worry if your Chinese skills are not up to the requirement. In fact, you are dissuaded from utilizing Chinese in the class. If you just speak Chinese with them, will they discover English? If students find that you can speak their language, there is a risk of students selecting the 'much safer alternative' when it concerns answering concerns and just speak Chinese. I deal with lots of local teachers in my center, and they won't use Chinese in the class, even though it is their mother tongue!

There are times where speaking Chinese might be extremely essential. For instance-- a trainee could be ill or have an issue that he/she is unable to interact with you in English. Do not worry though, the majority of the time you will have a Teaching Assistant who is regional, and they can aid with communication. A lot of teachers implement a 'No Chinese' rule where trainees are not allowed to state anything in Chinese during the lessons. Whilst I comprehend the factor behind it, I feel that it is something that you should not be too harsh with, particularly in the 2-hour sessions. If someone came near you and said you can't speak English at all for a time period, how would you discover it?

Prevent them from speaking Chinese and motivate English rather, however you don't require to be extremely stringent with it. If trainees feel more comfortable in your class, they'll be more happy to cooperate with you and find out. You might discover that they may even teach you a word or two in Chinese which might be available in handy a long time.

Teaching English in China

If you're believing in teaching in China, however, you're worried about your absence of Chinese skills, you'll be pleased to know that you do NOT need to know Chinese to teach English in China. I would still recommend you try to find out Chinese, as it will go a long way in assisting you to settle down into life here.