Why did you choose this program?
I studied abroad through CIEE’s Accelerated Chinese Language Program as a Junior in university and had a great experience, so I had trust in CIEE and began researching their Teach Abroad programs. I wanted to try teaching English as a career interest, and I wanted to return to China to improve my fluency. Teaching English in China felt like the perfect opportunity to fulfill both.
What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
CIEE was available to help answer any questions I had regarding the documentation needed to get the visa process started; however, since every state has its own process, I had to take care of completing the paperwork myself.
CIEE provided an online Pre-Departure Course to complete before leaving for China, which was helpful. It included a range of topics including work culture, legal considerations, etiquette, and more. What’s great is that CIEE still allows you to access this course after arriving at your placement.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
I actually have 2 I’d like to share:
1. Be adaptable: Mentally prepare yourself for the reality that you won’t know 100%, beforehand, what your exact job (including class size and grade) will be like until you’re physically here and begin school. Many CIEE Teaching Abroad alumni have shared that you will have to be adaptable, and they say it for a reason. I had to prepare a lesson and PowerPoint presentation for the first day of class the day before. Thankfully, my school was okay with me planning a simple lesson, like how to introduce yourself, but it still caused me a lot of stress because I am a slow worker.
2. If you know, you know. If you don’t, ask: You may not always be informed of schedule changes and/or events you’re expected to participate in beforehand. To avoid this as much as possible, take the initiative and ask first. Sometimes, you will be notified in advance, but sometimes, the Chinese teachers and staff might be busy and might forget to notify you in the middle of juggling other tasks. They’re humans, too, at the end of the day.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
Every participant might be placed in a different school and/or in a different city in China, so my average schedule may not exactly match what others’ looks like. However, to provide an example: I start my day at 8am getting ready for the day, whether that is cleaning my room, going to the school’s International Department to print out any worksheets for the day/week, or tweaking my PowerPoint presentation with any adjustments based on how class went the previous’ day. My first class is a quick 20-minute lesson followed by lunch at the teacher’s cafeteria. After lunch, I have two back-to-back 40-minute classes with a 10-minute break in between (to allow bathroom breaks, water bottle refills, etc.). After the 2nd class, the students have a 20-minute afternoon exercise and I use that time to visit the International Office again to either rest, check my emails, or chat with colleagues for a bit. Then, follows the 3rd and last 40-minute class for the day.
I teach a total of 16 classes every week: the entire 4th grade is divided into 12 classrooms, and I teach 4 classrooms of the 3rd grade as well. I meet each class[room] once a week. I have 3 lessons/PowerPoints designed for each week:
1. A 40-minute-long lesson for the 4th grade classes
2. A condensed version of the previous for the 20-minute-long 4th grade classes
3. A simpler lesson for the 40-minute-long 3rd grade classes.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
My biggest fear was class management and worrying I would not have enough material prepared for each week. I haven’t completely lost these fears, but they have simmered down due to realizing that the majority of my students don’t care. My class is considered an extracurricular course (or a break from the other classes), especially since I don’t give exams or homework. Even though the majority of my class is taught in English (the point of my class is to provide a sense of English immersion), I still try to accommodate the language barrier and speak a little bit of Mandarin to help them understand, since they’re 3rd and 4th graders.
Regarding class management, I have demonstrated to my students how they treat me in simple ways to help them understand and explained to them that if I show respect to them, I expect the same. I have also tried enforcing stricter discipline to make the students understand not to mess around (for example, they will complete a writing activity instead of playing a speaking game), and I have communicated my concerns with other Chinese teachers, who have helped me throughout the semester as well.
Regarding having enough content, whenever I suffered a creative block, I looked up activity/lesson ideas on the internet, referred to the Chinese teachers’ syllabus (which they shared with me) to design a matching practice lesson, and/or talked to my older sister (who is a teacher as well) for advice and guidance.
Write and answer your own question.
What information do you think might be helpful for prospective travelers?
1. Whenever you go out, whether that involves heading to the local grocery store or sightseeing a tourist spot, make sure you carry tissues and soap just in case you need to use the restroom. I noticed a few people who have visited China have started sharing online that some restrooms may not have toilet paper, but no one adds that many restrooms may not have soap either. I have seen many people immediately walk out of the restroom without washing their hands or rinse their hands in running water and walk out, assuming their hands are clean. I recommend purchasing some soap tissues before leaving China, since those are not as commonly sold in stores (I bought mine on Amazon, since I couldn’t find any in stores near me). However, there are many stores in China that sell travel-sized packets of tissues, so that won’t be hard to find here.
2. Relating to the restrooms, the preferred choice in China is using flushable squatters. This may be an initial culture shock for people who have never seen or used one before arriving in China. However, if you arrive in a large city, some places, like shopping malls (especially where foreigners might often be at), might offer both a western toilet in some stalls and a squatter in other stalls, so sometimes you will have options. I personally prefer using squatters, though, because you touch less surfaces and spend less time in the stall.
Response from CIEE Teach Abroad & TEFL
Sam, we really appreciate your kind words! It’s fantastic to hear that you found the course engaging, meaningful, and well-balanced. Creating a supportive and interactive learning experience is what we aim for, so we’re thrilled it resonated with you. Wishing you all the best in your TEFL journey—keep in touch! 😊