Frequently Asked Questions

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Do I have to be an English or Education major to qualify for the Teaching Program?
No. You don’t have to be in a certain major to teach English in China.
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How many class hours are we supposed to teach in China?
The standard work load is 20 class hours a week.
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Can I take my spouse and children with me?
Yes. You are welcome to take your family along with you to go to China.
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How many photos do I need in the whole process?
You’ll need 2 passport photos for your passport, 2 for your Chinese visa, 2 for your physical examination record, and 8-10 more for your residence card and other related documents in China.
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Do I have to be able to speak fluent Chinese in order to go to teach English in China?
No, you don't have to. The Chinese Culture Center offers on site training in Columbia, South Carolina. If you are not in Columbia, SC, you may take your training online or by correspondence. This training only prepares you with some basics in colloquial Chinese. Once you are in China, your host institution will assign a bilingual colleague to help you around with your work and life there. If the school offers Chinese classes, you may take one Chinese Course for free each Semester.
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If I don’t have any academic degree, can I apply for teaching English in China?
Yes. We’ll review your overall background and working experiences to see whether you qualify.
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Is it possible for me to work more than one academic year in China?
Yes. You are welcome to renew your contract with your current host institution, or you may ask us to assign you to another school or another city/province in China.
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What kind of schools can my children go to in China?
Usually we’ll assign you to teach in the same school that your children should go to, either a foreign language school or an international school, which also depends on the availability of the grade levels your children at.
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Can I find some other kind of jobs in China other than teaching English?
Yes. If you want to find a job in certain subject/specialty areas, please make it clear on your application. If you are a native speaker of other foreign languages, we might also place you in China to teach your native language other than English.
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My spouse does not have any academic degree; could he/she teach English with me in China?
Yes, your spouse can teach with you if he/she passes our interview and the overall background evaluation.
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I retired from the Navy. Do you have any restrictions on army retirees?
There are no restrictions for army retirees whatsoever.
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What should I take with me to go to teach English in China?
The host institutions will offer you beddings, cooking utensils, TV, furniture, etc. for free. And clothes are much cheaper in China. You only need to take about one-month change of clothes. If you have extra room in your 2 suitcases, you may put in a few more pieces.
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How much luggage is allowed on an international flight?
Usually, you are entitled to two free check-ins for 50 lbs. each; the sum of the three dimensions (length, width, height) of the two check-in suitcases should be no bigger than 107 inches. The sum of the bigger check-in suitcase should be no larger than 62 inches. If you want to check in a third suitcase, you’ll have to pay $130 for an extra piece. Two carry-ons are allowed for each passenger: a hand bag or a notebook computer, and a backpack or a small suitcase no more than 50 lbs, the three dimensions should be no larger than 9x14x22 inches.
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Should I pay over-weight luggage fee to get all my belongings to China?
No, you don’t have to. You may as well use the over-weight fee to buy a lot more new stuff in China once you are there.
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Should I lock up my check-in suitcases before departure?
If you lock them up, in most cases, the airport security inspectors will cut them off, and you’ll lose all your locks eventually.
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What’s the exchange rate between US Dollars and Chinese Yuan?
Currently, $1 ≈7 Yuan
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Is it safe in China for us Americans?
The Crime rate in China is very low. The Chinese people are very friendly to all foreigners. However, you still need to take some precaution while on crowded buses or in busy shopping centers in order to protect your belongings against pick-pockets.
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I’m African American. Do Chinese people discriminate against blacks?
No. You’ll be judged only by your work performances and personal characters, not by your color. Our teachers are highly respected as Foreign Experts in China. If you conduct yourself as a respectful Foreign Expert, you’ll enjoy the respect from your Chinese colleagues, your students and their parents. Please refer to our “Teachers Comments” on the website. You’ll see some happy faces of our teachers in China: both blacks and whites, men and women.
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Can I take my pets to China?
No, you cannot. In China, you’ll either live on campus or in hotels. Most of these places do not allow pets on their premises.
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Which part of China are we going to teach?
We have a large placement network all over China with schools of all levels as well as cities. Where you go depends on our arrangements with the schools.
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Can we choose which city or school we want to go to?
You may let us know your preference and we will try to work something out with the schools. But we can not guarantee your specific choice.
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美中文化教育交流中心   Chinese Culture Center
Address:1708 Greene Street Columbia, SC 29201, USA
Phone: (803) 252-9086 E-mail:USCCC@ChineseCultureCenter.org
Web Master: David He