EF Language Year Abroad in Singapore

After a year of teaching in China under my belt, I knew I wanted to come back. My main concern was that I was going to spend a few years with a lot of travel stories, but little to show for it with my professional self. I told my recruiter this when I applied. She told me about all of these teaching qualifications I could gain with EF. When I asked about other opportunities she said that it has that too. I took it with a grain of salt.

Five years later I have gained teaching qualifications, I've moved out of the classroom and started working in the central headquarters, and now I'm moving back to the US with a full time job with EF at their Boston office. I guess I proved my parents wrong with that one.

This "program" is a bit different from the others because it's not a program. It's a job. You are expected to work, but you get paid and you get plenty of holidays. Of the countries I visited while working with EF in China, about 50% were on my own and 50% were with company sponsored conferences. The housing isn't provided, but I liked that. They help out a ton with finding your apartment, and then I got to choose where I lived and how much I spent on it.

If you want to travel abroad, but also start a real career, this is the place.

When you type China on your browser, safari or any other navigator the first thing that pops up is that China has the biggest population in the world, the largest economy in the world and maybe you can even find information about the pollution.

This can be a little overwhelming (believe me, it happened to me) but thankfully the personnel at EF were very helpful and caring and not leaving aside the host family that welcome you into their home with arms wide open and encourage you to learn their language.

Going to Beijing is quite an experience, every day is different from the moment you get on the subway station until the moment you go back home.. you get people taking pictures of you, you see the weirdest things while you walk, people on their phone 24/7, and so on.. but you get used to it.

The moments in the school are the ones that makes you never want to leave, being amongst friends whom at first were totally strangers but thru the days they become your friends, the relation with the teachers is also close they are always available for anything you need, always cheering for your learning. It's a very pleasant environment.

Each day is a learning day and a day you can share with your classmates, learning Chinese. That can be a bit difficult but at first what isn't, you just have to give it a try.

EF Beijing school is not like most schools but I think it's just what we need to make good friends, learn Chinese and make quite an experience, it has a countless numbers of restaurants just across the road where you can find from noodles to dumplings just to make in Beijing as Chinese as you want. And for the weekends you have your ordinary sightseeing starting from the Great Wall to any temple you want; lama temple, temple of heaven, etc. and not leaving behind Beijing's cuisine starting with their famous hot pot and the thing that could save you from any rush is a jianbing where you can find in any corner for a very low price with a very basic Chinese speaking and last but not least the nightlife, being a foreigner in China is a plus for when you go clubbing.. the alcohol for free so do the most of it.

You might go to Beijing speaking 1,2 or even three languages but your definitely leaving with Chinese in your head.

Going to EF Beijing is quite an experience!

Afraid to start college, I decided to take a gap year and in a blink of an eye I was landing in Beijing, China. When I arrived, I didn't like China, I wanted to go back home, but I began getting to know people with whom later I would hanged out, laugh, share experiences, food, pre- HSK stress (...more) and made me realized China wasn't "that bad".

In China, everything is simply "different" and everyday is a new adventure, from the subway ride in the morning to the dinner you share with your host family or the night you spend having fun with your friends at some local restaurant, bar or club.
I didn't know what to expect before coming, the only thing I will say is: be open minded to a new culture, education, style, everything.

EF staff is always there to help with whatever problem you have, help you improve your Chinese and even make it easier to learn it.

I don't regret coming to China; here I've grown so much as a person, learned a lot from the people around me and Chinese people and their culture.

it's a good way to widen your view of the world, I got to know a lot of people from around the world and it just makes me understand the world better. the language classes jave greatly helped me improve my mandarin and I am already planning to do my HSK 2 exam. Beijing is a very large city that is a live at every hour of the day, which is one of the reasons I love it. I recommend this for anybody who would like to see more of the world and wants to meet new people.

When coming from the western world, one always "underestimates" China (culture, traditions, food, people, etc...). We've always thought is such a different country compared to what we are used to, however, you do not realize until you don't come here. I mean it in a really good way, despite the culture differences, one grows up extremely fast by being in China, specially as a person. Furthermore, the help received by EF Staff has been more than useful.

About Beijing, there is not much to say rather than what you already think about it. Huge and bustling city where you will always be able to find whatever you need, being a mix of the most traditional chinese culture and the most modern west traditions.

I came to China 3 days before start my course that's why I was thinking of leave the first week, but when I came to EF Beijing I met awesome people and realized that the place its really great to be here in china, first is the friends that you met in the first day and then is the different things that you can do outside of the school like go to eat in different places, discover the culture and got to have fun at night, I was impressed with the cheap things that you can buy in china, such as clothes and electronic devices, honestly I'm having a good time here in EF Beijing and I'm satisfied with it.

When I graduated my high school me and my family were looking for a place for me to spend my gap year. My mom remembered me saying: "Wouldn't it be cool to speak Chinese." and half a year later I was in Beijing! China is a whole new experience. I had no clue what to expect, but it turned out to be one of my greatest decisions i have ever made. Very soon after I was on the plane to Beijing. One of the best decisions I have ever made! these past six months flew by, I had the time of my life there with all the other students and staff.

The EF staff in Beijing is really nice and friendly and help you with every problem you have. Just recently I past my HSK 3 and i couldn't have done with help of my teachers. They teach in a way that Chinese looks easy, I never thought that was possible!

The location of the school really good. It is relatively close to everything you need. The place where you spend your Friday and Saturday nights is only a few subway stops away.

Beijing is also really cheap, for a few Yuan you have a whole meal in front of you. Cooked and well!

Needless to say my time in Beijing was amazing, that's the reason i am going back for another three months!

Beijing is a strange place and unlike anything I've ever encountered before. The people can seem rash and brawly, the traffic chaotic and the food... Well, weird. Not a wonderland at first glance. Despite these differences I'm so happy I went here. When you learn to know the ins and outs of this city it truly is wonderful - a diamond in the rough, that will surely rival that of London or New York in the coming decades.

While the school itself is small (occupying only the top floor of a skyscraper), it feels cozy and friendly. The classes are solid, with experienced teachers always there to help. You'll improve in no time - this coming from someone who was a complete beginner at arrival. Every week there's also a lot of activities where you can either practice your Chinese or just hang out with your classmates.

Thanks to EF the preparation for this AY was a breeze. No worrying about everyday problems either! The on-site staff are always willing to help when you're in a pinch. Changing living space, getting a Chinese SIM card, informing me where the best bars and restaurants are located - everything done in a flash and with a big smile. Thank you EF, for this opportunity!