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July 09, 2006
Teaching Spots - Shanghai, China
Hi Readers!
Originally a seaside fishing village, Shanghai is now the largest industrial city in China. It has a population of 18.7 million people and covers an area of nearly 2,500 square miles. Like Beijing, Shanghai is another modern metropolis with a blend of traditional temples and modern high-rises. However, unlike Beijing...
... the weather is much more comfortable and the streets are remarkably cleaner- two very important details if you've ever faced a winter blizzard or spring sandstorm in the 'Jing'!
Though people in Shanghai have their own dialect, known as Shanghaihua, which may be more correctly labeled as its own language, most people that you will encounter will speak Mandarin (standard Chinese) as well. The downside of this is that it makes learning Mandarin a bit more challenging; the upside is that you have the opportunity of to learn two different Chinese dialects in one go.
If you've been keeping up with the news at all, you might know that the first trains headed to Tibet on the new railway system in China that depart from Shanghai are scheduled to leave on July 16th, which means that Tibet will be added to the list of places to travel to from Shanghai. Granted, the others, which include Beijing, Hangzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Nanjing, are much closer!
As in other cities in China, the amount of teaching opportunities that are available are infinite. There are private English schools for children and adults, high schools, universities- you name it. Standard pay for an hour of tuition ranges from 100-150 rmb/ hour, though it is possible to make twice that amount for private students.
As is the trend in other cities around China, it is not necessary to have a TEFL certificate- or even prior teaching experience- to teach there. However, more and more schools are willing to increase your salary if you can hand over a copy of your certificate.
For more information about teaching in Shanghai, go to the following websites:
* shanghai.asiaxpat.com
* www.shanghai-ed.com
* www.shanghaiexpat.com
* www.xianzai.com
While the cost of living is a bit more than that of Beijing, the quality of life is also comparatively better, so if Beijing sounds a bit too barbaric (as many folks in Shanghai would agree), Shanghai may be the place for you!
Cheers,
Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
E-mail: crueckert@eslemployment.com
Blog: www.esl-lesson-plan.com
Looking for more articles that spotlight hot travel spots and dream teaching locations? Click HERE!
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About the author of this entry:
Carol, a native English-speaker who hails from the small town of St. Joseph in Minnesota, USA, has lived and worked in China since 1998. During that time, she has worked with students that range in age from three to more than sixty years old. She’s worked in universities, private language schools, grade schools, international schools, as well as private tutoring. Besides teaching, she’s also worked as a head teacher, an education manager, and a material development manager. In addition to working on this newsletter, she currently writes a monthly column for Time Out Beijing as well as working as an ESL instructor for the Australian International School of Beijing. Carol is also enrolled in Oxford Brookes' MA TESL program in Oxford, England. Look for her posts on the ESL-Jobs-Forum discussion boards!
Posted by crueckert at July 9, 2006 10:01 AM
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Comments
Greetings! My name is Jason and I will be teaching in Shanghai this upcoming fall and I wondered if you could give some advice on approaching this task. I will be teaching conversational English to college students and have vast experience from the states, but wanted to get some insight from someone who has done it.
I just wanted to touch base with you and I look forward yo hearing from you.
Jason Holley
Posted by: jrhshanghai at July 17, 2006 07:42 PM
Hi Jason!
I taught in Shanghai for a semester at the East China Law and Political Science Institute about 6 years ago. Before I began, I made myself a loose syllabus, based on what I thought the students would need to work on. I included things like grammar, roleplays, presentations, group work, improvesational speeches, debates, and dictation. At the time, I had little experience and based a lot of my lessons around a book that an ESL teacher from my university back home gave me:
Discussions A-Z (Intermediate) by Adrian Wallwork (Cambridge)
The book was great, but if I were to do it again, I would also pick up another core book like Headway or Interchange because they are pretty inclusive of all the different areas of language that you need to work on, even if your focus is speaking. (If your listening skills are nonexistent, how will you hold a conversation??)
A few other things to remember: University classes in China tend to be rather large (think anywhere from 30-100), so think of ways to get your students talking in class as much as possible (small group discussions, interviews, mingling activities, etc.). Talk to the dean of the department about what they'd like you to do. If they don't have a preference, do what you think would help the students communicate as much as possible. Typically, Chinese students don't get many opportunities to speak English anywhere besides class. Also, if the dean presents you with a textbook that is outdated, recommend another one that you think might be better (again, the ones I've mentioned, or go to a foreign language bookstore and look through the books that are available in Shanghai). Finally, be creative! You may not have unlimited access to a photocopier, but you can make the most of what you do have. Make learning English fun for your students. Motivation is one of the keys to successful learning.
That should get you started anyway. If you have any more questions, or if anyone else has any advice, feel free to post a comment below.
Cheers,
Carol Rueckert
Writer, ESL Lesson Plan
www.esl-lesson-plan.com
crueckert@eslemployment.com
Posted by: Carol Rueckert at July 18, 2006 05:20 AM
Good idea mate, great article as well.I have a question, Just wondering ... If the tories take over in the next general election, do you think our education system will get more efficient ?Thanks
Posted by: Private tutor at September 10, 2006 10:56 AM
