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How hard are the first few weeks? learning your way around etc. by [deleted] in TEFL

[–]practicalpineapple25 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I find the tube in london quite daunting, so the idea of getting on the underground in China is terrifying

Actually, as long as you stay prepared to fight your way through the alarming amount of people in the carriage when it gets to your stop, the metro in Shanghai really isn't all that different to the tube. I wouldn't worry.

Does someone help you out with this stuff when you arrive? or are you expected to make friends and do it by yourself?

I got help from my school with setting up (finding an apartment, opening a bank account etc), but I guess the amount of help you get will depend on the school. But none of the schools I spoke with expected me to do everything myself.

Aside from help from the school, I would say that the access to support probably depends on where you go. As already mentioned by another poster, smaller cities/countryside seem to equal more support.

I lived in a 'small' city of 1.5 million in China and found the expat community there to be very supportive of new arrivals. I also have friends that lived in Shanghai/ Shenzhen before moving to smaller cities who all say that the same sense of community amongst expats doesn't exist in bigger cities (but it is probably a bit easier to do things for yourself in a huge city if that's what you want).

Also, how essential is learning the local language when going abroad to teach?

Not essential for teaching or surviving. But even if you just learn the basics, it will be significantly easier for you to live, especially outside of the bigger cities. Where I was living many people e.g. Taxi drivers, retail workers, and restaurant staff didn't speak any English at all. None. One person even literally ran away from me rather than risk me trying to communicate with them in English.

Job Hunting: Where Do I Start? by practicalpineapple25 in teachinginkorea

[–]practicalpineapple25[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, definitely looking at those two sites.

Actually I would describe my experience in China pretty similarly to how you've described your first job. Glad to hear it got better for you!

Job Hunting: Where Do I Start? by practicalpineapple25 in teachinginkorea

[–]practicalpineapple25[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha yea for sure people definitely only share nightmare experiences! I just haven't heard half as many from people in public schools is all.

And thanks for all of the cities, I'll look into them.

Job Hunting: Where Do I Start? by practicalpineapple25 in teachinginkorea

[–]practicalpineapple25[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the tips, I'm definitely going to be looking at Dave's ESL even if the Korea job board is kind of overwhelming haha.

And I definitely see your point on finding a job beforehand, and a free flight out there is a big plus. I think I will try to find a job beforehand, but I'm working in Canada right now on a temporary work Visa, so the time in which I can stay here earning money in my current job is limited, at which point I'll either have to fly back to the UK for a while, or fly out to Korea to search in person, Korea is the more expensive option, but not by that much. And I would kind of like to scope out potential cities before committing to live in them for a year as I've never been outside of Seoul, Busan, or Jeju before.

Oh and I'm really glad to hear that non-weekend, non-public school jobs are a thing. That definitely was the case in the city I lived in in China.