Full TEFL Sponsorships for all English First Teachers in 2023

EF did a horrble job at helping us accommodate to China. They did not even tell us that we needed 100RMB for the security deposit at that low-quality hotel they made us stay at (which, by the way, they changed it to at the very last minute--great planning, huh?). Furthermore, EF poorly advised us on how to choose an apartment. They made it sound like we HAD to use an agent, and find a place RIGHT AWAY, regardless of how ridiculously expensive the rent was. They don't care! HQ is utterly and totally unreliable. Why do they not respond to e-mails? Why do they take forever to get things done? Third, we had awful healthy insurance. Our policy from socialist Sweden takes forever to reimburse the money--I had to e-mail them several times to get my money, and I had to pay a money transfer fee whenever they paid me back--outrageous! Why couldn't those idiots just pay me back in RMB?

EF teaching materials are for the pits. Slides are replete with vague and incomplete grammar explanations, as well as just inappropriate topics for a Chinese audience (one lesson asks students to say what they would change about government--since they didn't want to go to jail, class didn't go so well).

Management COULDNT CARE LESS about employees and what they think. Even though WE are the ones who do the teaching, and know what is best for the students, our opinions do not matter. EF is only concerned with the profits they can get from the naive Chinese consumer, who would be better off taking lessons at Wall Street or WEB International English. I knew a guy who almost got fired for expressing his religious views. It is not wonder the turnover rate is so high, and EF does not even pay for your airfare.

I worked for EF a few years ago. They used to take great care of their teachers and made the experience fun, however they for some reason decided that teachers were no longer important. They stopped caring about teachers and saw them as a separate body from the rest of the EF team and were not even included in the Centre Parties. I've heard that things have improved a bit. The thing that really annoyed me was they were placing fake reviews on many employment web sites because so many people were giving them a bad review. When a company starts doing this, they obviously have serious moral issues. If you see a review saying it's the best company ever, i would guess it's a fake. If you want to work in China for just a year, then work with them. They will work you hard but the interaction with students is worth it. The adult students I worked with were mostly fantastic and gave me the chance to learn a lot about the Chinese Culture.

EF is a superior company to work for because it is well established within China and worldwide. As a company, they are very good at getting you here safely and getting you setup right away. The salary relative to the cost of living (even in Shanghai) is quite comfortable. If you're genuinely interested in teaching as a career, you can certainly develop here and there IS tuition reimbursement. EF boasts a battery of other avenues for self-development; however, this really depends on who you know. Someone said, EF is really Business First, and in my experience this is true. There is somewhat of a competitive atmosphere within the company and you can choose be part of it or just do your job and enjoy China. If you're planning on living in a big city, be sure to make that perfectly clear-if not, you will most likely be shipped off to wherever EF is expanding in China, i.e. 2nd tier cities (this can be a good thing if you're seeking more authentic Chinese cultural immersion).

I've worked for EF English First in China and it was a wonderful experience. The staff were super friendly, very helpful and gave me a lot to be thankful for as I worked my way through the nuances of living in China. I was able to grow as an ESL teacher, learning the best practices for classroom engagement and challenging my students.

The schedule allows you take maximize your time here, on my days off I go exploring in my neighborhood or take a weekend trip to places around China.

Teaching resources are readily available as well - the lesson plans are easy to follow, but allow you to add your own spin if you want. In addition, there are a lot of training opportunities from teaching certifications to courses that expand your knowledge of teaching the more specific & technical aspects of English language learning.

I've made so many friends here and will be staying for a long time to come!

My boyfriend and I are Americans and have been teaching English for 2 years. We have a TEFL, BA, and job experience in business, etc. We never worked for EF just interviewed, but it was ridiculous. The interviewer, was extremely rude and degrading. The questions were borderline insane, and made us both very uncomfortable. It was by far the most uncomfortable interview we had ever experienced. Once we saw how incredibly rude their staff was, we knew the job wasn't for us, but on top of that they hardly offer any benefits!

If you are looking for a job in China, DO NOT teach here. You can find much better pay at practically any company across China. The hours are double what most other jobs offer, and the pay is not good, even if it is your first year teaching. Try other sites like goldstar recruiting, first leap, or rockies recruiting. The staff is so friendly, hours and pay are fair, and you won't get treated like an incompetent idiot during the job interview!

I taught at an EF Adult school in China.

The good things about EF:
1. You get a Z visa
2. The pay is enough for local living

Bad Things:
1. Little support for learning Chinese
2. Long work hours

I've been working with EF Franchises for nine years now. Originally I worked up North in Harbin for three years and thereafter in Jiaxing for six years. I never once felt the same passion and sense of direction that I've had since working with EF.

Teacher welfare is extremely important. There's one to one support from a mentor that you've allocated just before you join the school. The schools that I've worked in have held at least one workshop every week. We have formal evaluations every three months to give you feedback in detail on key performance areas.

Through EF I met my wife and have been able to settle down, support a family and live a fulfilling work life. I know personally a number of teachers in this school and others who've been with EF for over two years and in some cases six or seven.

If you're starting out and looking to gain time in the class with quality in support, you'd be crazy to go elsewhere. Then, if you're experienced, you're going to be hard pressed to find another organisation pushing itself to thrive at the forefront of the ESL industry.

I've been with EF for 7 years. During this time, I have worked for three EF Franchise schools in Dalian, Qinhangdao, and Tianjin.

Working for EF is a job. The hours are the same as they would be back home. When a teacher first arrives, they are given an induction that last around 3-4 weeks. This induction helps the teacher to become familiar with EF products, materials, teaching skills, activities, and classroom management. During the second week the new teacher will co-teach, which helps them to become more confident. Usually in the third week, the teacher is given some of their own classes and by the fourth week they would be on a full schedule.

There are two intensive periods that last for a different amount of time depending on which city you work in. The winter one ranges from 2-6 weeks and the summer one ranges from 4-8 weeks.

Overall, I recommend working for EF. It's a company where you can have a career if you choose and it's also a place where you can stay for a year and have a new experience.