The demand for English teachers in China remains strong, which makes it a top TEFL destination. Famous for its rapid evolution in the tech space, it’s no surprise that in 2025 Beijing has started training Young Learners as young as six years old in the ways of Artificial Intelligence! 

As one of the most powerful countries in the world, China is a fascinating and, at times, controversial country. How much do we actually know about what it’s like living in China? 

Here’s what makes English teaching in China a wild ride.

Life in the fast lane

Digital technologies infiltrate every aspect of Chinese life, including healthcare, education, the workplace and at home. China’s WeChat app is your passport to daily life from grocery shopping to booking flights. It’s a lifestyle! Almost anything can be done through your smartphone. 

Your second passport may just be your face! Facial recognition technologies allow entry into buildings and access to transport. The high-speed trains are a TEFL teacher’s dream, zipping you from school to vacay in a jiffy. 

In 2023, China upgraded its speedy internet network to a capability of 1.2 terabits per second. The breakneck 5G internet speed allows you to stream your favourite shows without the annoying buffer. 

Oh, and don’t be alarmed if at any one of China’s COFE+ coffee kiosks you find yourself locking “eyes” with a robot barista. High-tech cafés are just another fascinating slice of life in China. 

VPNs are your best friend

China’s strict internet censorship, known as the Great Firewall (a clever twist on the Great Wall of China), makes navigating the internet tricky because so many Western apps are blocked. Some banned sites include Google, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, Wikipedia, DropBox and Yahoo! 

That’s where VPNs come in. The Great Firewall identifies internet traffic resembling VPNs and blocks them. This means you’ll need multiple VPNs for a seamless internet browsing experience. Popular VPNs like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark are the TEFL teacher’s lifeline. However, your lightning speed internet may slow down to a crawl. But hey, it’s all part of the quirks of living in China. 

Supersized classes 

Public school class sizes can vary, but oversized and supersized classes are not uncommon, with urbanisation being a driving factor. To give you an idea, an oversized class has over 55 students while a supersized class can have over 66. 

The reality is that classes can exceed 100 students in extreme situations! This presents unique challenges for the TEFL teacher who is accustomed to the usual 30 to 40 students per class. 

At the same time, students are generally eager to learn, so keeping their attention isn’t hard with relevant and engaging content. Any wandering minds will soon be redirected back to the lesson when they see how much fun their classmates are having. Pair work and group work can also help with classroom management. 

Chinese schools manage large student populations by:

• staggering dismissal times to avoid stampedes, 
• holding two separate assemblies and physical education sessions, so that only half the student population attends at a time, and 
• using headsets with microphones to save their voices when teaching.

Your students will treat you like a rockstar

Your new teaching gig will come with a surprising celebrity status among students and strangers alike. Teachers are highly valued in East Asia, so you will be given the utmost respect. You’ll rank right up there with the local doctor!

A wave of whispers might break out whenever you enter a classroom. Your students may ask many probing questions. It could get personal! You’re a cultural ambassador and they’ll want to know all about you and where you come from. 

In smaller towns, you may even be stopped and asked for your autograph by curious onlookers, or approached for selfies. A simple subway ride to school can be another head-turning moment, so be prepared for that spotlight and enjoy it while it lasts.  

Finding the balance between culture and colleagues

Culture is an important part of worklife in China but it can turn into a complicated game of expectations and saving face. You’ll be expected to join after-work events to build and maintain quanxi, or conections, with your colleagues.

A few ground rules will help you get through those after-school dinners. 

Respect for your seniors is important. To show this, at meals you should hold your glass lower than more senior colleagues, and wait for them to start eating.

Do not pour your own drink and keep pace with the host. 

Chinese culture values the group over the individual. Companies are seen as teams. Successes and failures are shared.

Communication is not always straight-forward or as direct as in Western cultures. To maintain harmony within the group, avoid any direct criticism, don’t point out others’ mistakes, and be patient with vague answers or changing plans.

Holidays come with a disclaimer

Two major holidays are the Spring Festival, celebrating Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, and Golden Week. The entire country is on a break at these times and things can get a little crazy!

The world’s biggest annual human migration happens around Spring Festival, which is around late-January to mid-February and lasts for up to three weeks. Travel costs soar as locals trek home to spend time with family.  This mass movement is called chunyun and literally means “Spring transport”. 

Golden Week is China’s birthday. It’s a week-long national holiday celebrating the founding of China. In 2025, it will take place from 1 to 7 October. 

For English teachers, these welcome breaks from the teaching routine are a chance to explore, party or rest, but lurking around the corner is a make-up workday schedule. So don’t be surprised if your school expects you to work weekends without pay to make up for the lost time. It’s a common practice in China and something to be aware of. 

Now that you’ve had a reality check, keep these insights in mind as you scroll through ESL jobs in China.

If China’s dynamic energy, panda parks and spicy street food speak to you, consider an internship to find your beat within Chinese culture. Or if you’re family-oriented and prefer a cosy supportive environment, try living with the locals as a homestay tutor.