Become a Chinese Teacher – Everything You Need To Know
Contents
Why Become a Chinese Teacher
Nowadays, the number of Chinese language learners worldwide has reached more than 150 million people. If we calculate that every 10 students need a teacher, the shortage of Chinese teachers is at least 5 million, but there are only 5,000 holders of the International Chinese Language Teacher Certificate today. The reality that Chinese language teachers are in great demand tells us that you can take advantage of this opportunity to become an excellent Chinese language teacher and join the enormous team that teaches Chinese.
Besides, there are still many benefits to becoming a Chinese teacher.
Plenty of job opportunities
As mentioned above, there is a global shortage of Chinese teachers and learning Chinese is important.
No matter what country you are from, you can find a job as a Chinese teacher at a primary and secondary school or university in your home country, and it is extremely easy.
High Salary
According to surveys, international Chinese teachers around the world earn between $50-$80 per hour, which is much higher than most hourly wages in the general profession. In countries such as the United States, Philippines, and Australia, Chinese teachers can be paid as much as $7,000 per month.
Flexible working hours and long holidays
Because of the specialty of the teaching profession, you can enjoy paid summer and winter vacations and various national holidays. In addition, teachers have the flexibility to schedule their own spare time, which gives them a great deal of freedom.
What you need to become a Chinese language teacher
Passionate about Chinese culture and dedicated to spreading the Chinese language and culture
Of course, to become a Chinese teacher, you must first love Chinese culture, learn about it, and have a passion for spreading it. As language teachers, we need to have a general understanding of the culture of the language country and understand the stories behind the language so that we can teach more deeply and not get off track.
How to develop a love for Chinese culture? We can watch Chinese movies and documentaries and read ancient poems and history books, or through multimedia means such as the Internet, which are all effective ways to learn about Chinese culture.
Good Chinese language skills and knowledge of Chinese linguistics. Reach at HSK Level 5 or HSKK Intermediate
You must acquire professional knowledge of Chinese linguistics, such as phonetics, vocabulary, grammar, etc. Only with a solid knowledge of phonetics can a teacher have a good grasp of the keys to teaching phonetics and give timely and correct guidance when he/she finds that students have made phonetic errors. Secondly, in vocabulary and grammar teaching, the teacher must have a comprehensive knowledge of Chinese vocabulary and grammar. If you want to build a solid foundation in Chinese, Keats School will be a great choice for you. Founded in 2004, Keats is a Chinese language school that offers full services (accommodation and meals included). Its students mainly come from Europe and North America. In the past 19 years, Keats welcomed over 7300 students to study Chinese in China. It has professional teachers and a comprehensive teaching system, such as intensive one-on-one Chinese courses, which is very beneficial for improving Chinese language skills. Besides, as you need to pass for the HSK test, our HSK Test Preparation Course is the pathway that can help you pass the test.
Obtain the International Chinese Language Teacher Certification
The most important first step is to obtain the International Chinese Language Teacher Certification and to get the qualification to practice. This certification becomes a necessary condition for judging whether an individual is a qualified teacher of Chinese as a foreign language, and the exam assesses whether the teacher has the ability to teach Chinese as a foreign language.
The requirements to apply for the International Chinese Language Teaching Certificate are as follows:
(1) Passionate about Chinese international education and devoted to spreading the Chinese language and culture.
(2) Have a university degree or above (including recent graduates).
(3) Chinese language level equivalent to HSK (Level 5) or HSKK (Intermediate).
How to improve your professionalism
Indulge yourself in Chinese culture
Teaching Chinese as a foreign language requires that teachers not only master the knowledge of linguistics but also accumulate a lot of knowledge of Chinese culture. For example, Chinese history, geography, food, folklore, etiquette, culture, etc. The best and most effective way is to put yourself in a Chinese environment. For instance, studying abroad in China and experiencing the charm of Chinese culture.
Enhance intercultural communication skills
Since your students come from different cultural backgrounds, to avoid cultural shock, a Chinese teacher should be aware of intercultural communication due to differences in customs and folk taboos. Communicate more with Chinese people to understand their interaction habits and cultural background, and continuously improve your intercultural communication skills.
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OVER 7000+ STUDENTS
HAVE STUDIED AT KEATS
Listening and speaking in the classroom every day has improved my communication skills. After three weeks, my new words and sentences became more and more natural and fluent. Now I am used to thinking in Chinese, and I understand better what other people say, to be able to have real conversations with other people.
I’ve been at Keats school and Kunming now for one month doing the one-on-one Chinese lessons with two different teachers. I really enjoy it. Both of my teachers are very friendly and patient. They really helped me to improve my Chinese, both of my reading and speaking. I really enjoy studying Chinese in Kunming as well. This city is really beautiful and the weather is nice, the air is clean. It’s one of the best cities in China to study Chinese.
My first semester that I studied at another school, and the pressure there was pretty high, the classroom hour was long, and the homework was pretty tedious. Since I came to Keats, I found I have a lot more opportunities to speak in the classroom. My classmates all are fluent and love speaking and participating in the class. We have great classroom dynamic.
I come to Kunming because I think the environment in Kunming is better and I heard that Keats School is better. I like the small group Chinese class because my classmates study hard and our teachers are very good. I like the teaching method of Keats because I like the activities at Keats. I think Yunnan is a particularly beautiful Chinese province.
My school is amazing. I recommend Keats School because it is a more convenient way to learn Chinese in Kunming.
My teachers are all excellent. They trained the teachers so professionally. I feel like I learn very quickly with my teacher. They are very serious about their students and I know every teacher is like this. I would highly recommend that you come to Keats if you are looking for the best Chinese school in China.
Before I came to Keats School, I had no confidence in my Chinese proficiency. I did not have the confidence to speak Mandarin Chinese and chat with Chinese people. However, after 4 months of study at Keats, I become more and more confident in speaking Chinese now. Studying Chinese in China at Keats School has been the best decision I have ever made. There are many games in the class, and my teacher’s teaching methods are also very interesting. My experience at Keats School has changed my view of China and Chinese people.
So during my first week at Keats, I didn’t dare to speak any Chinese words. I found out that my Chinese level quickly improved since then. Although I have many options to study in China, for example, some other schools have homestay, I found I could immerse myself and fully focus on learning Chinese by staying at Keats.