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China maintains something of a schizophrenogenic relationship with its foreign English teachers. On one hand they are needed to satisfy a national educational requirement or to stay in business. On the other hand, they are deeply resented for it. This resentment is expressed in a variety of ways, both obvious and subtle.

While the need for proficient English language skills among China’s 1.3 billion people might appear obvious to some, in reality, it is a highly debatable issue.

I recently read a great article about the reality of teaching in China and wanted to post it here for you guys to read. I’m not sure I agree with all the points of his argument but it’s well worth a read, especially if you are considering a move to China to teach.

SI’ve found it interesting that there’s been some discussion recently on the types of English we teach. Some schools, in Asia in particular, ask for teachers to speak with an American accent. In my own career, I’d never encountered this as I consider myself to have a pretty ‘neutral’ accent but if I had…

A couple of days ago, I began reading about the rising fear of Korean nationals against foreigners, and it got me wondering if South Korea, one of the ‘Big Four’ for English teaching is changing and becoming a dangerous prospect for foreigners.

Ok, those who haven’t, wished they could. Those who have, did so knowing what they risked but hoped for the best. I’m talking about taking on private students, even though it’s illegal, wrong, naughty.

John Gardner (an alias) has illegally worked at a college and several private language academies in Korea over the past five years.

There are other ways of going online to teach English if you don’t have the inclination or time to build your own business on the web. There are plenty of companies now offering English tutoring and who are actively seeking teachers.

Apart from building a blog and using WordPress to add value to your students (as discussed in this previous blog), there are other ways to build your online English teaching business. Students love extra perks and added benefits, especially if it’s something they can pass onto other friends or family.

Being highly skilled in the art of teaching requires an long-term commitment on the part of the teacher to constantly review strategies, techniques and tools.