On the first full day in Changzhou, two of the workers in the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) took us on a tour of the downtown area of the city so that we could open up a bank account as well as get the lay of the land, so to speak. I was surprised to see a Christian church behind a park in the downtown area. There went my first misconception. That is one of the best things about teaching in China, getting to see that the world is more than what one originally thought. We all have a tendency to think we know almost all that is worth knowing little realising that in reality, we have built a box in our heads that limits what one knows. Probably this is a necessary tactic in a world that is so big with so much variety, so many competing truths and beliefs. There’s nothing like experiencing another culture to cure ethnocentrism.
When you end up in communication with a school, you will invariably end up communicating with the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO), at least when dealing with colleges and universities. The number of students from foreign countries as well as foreign teachers, determines the number of people working in the FAO. At C.I.T. there was a team of six people that I got to know, each with their area of responsibility. At C.I.T., each FAO staff member with the exception of one, was also an instructor at the university. These people make for a good resource of information. As I mentioned previously, don’t hesitate to ask questions. It is better to ask too many questions, simple and complex questions than it is to assume anything. You may end up asking the same question more than once trying to find a way to have the person you communicate with finally understand what you want to know. Communication is not an easy task when one crosses cultures and language barriers.
I have just realised that I have been assuming something, that you are communicating directly with the school. Many people coming to China to teach ESL contact a recruiter. Many have no problems in taking this route. However, I think it is best to talk directly with the school. It is only in this way that you get a more complete picture of where you will be working, even in which city you will be working. My advice, avoid the recruiter route if possible.
Another route to finding a job teaching in China is through the on-line portal provided by on-line TEFL, TESL programs. I don’t know anything about these so I hesitate to offer an opinion. However, I won’t hesitate to advise you to first decide where you would like to go for work in China, then search out the various universities and colleges there and send them e-mails to see if there a possibility of being employed. I would suggest that you send your CV (resume) and a photo with the inquiry. It’s always best to avoid the middle man and talk direct.