Teach English in China with New Life ESL

Name: Teach English in China with New Life ESL
Brand: New Life ESL
SKU: 67832
Rating: 9.68 (37 reviews)

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Support. Honesty. Transparency.

This is what makes up the foundation of New Life ESL’s mission. Looking for a reliable teaching position in China is no easy feat. Between scams, visa run arounds, and two-sided contracts, you may not have a solid idea of who to trust when seeking a trustworthy school. From the beginning of your application, we will provide you with proper, clear guidance, and 100% of the information needed to make your transition into the Middle Kingdom as stress-free as possible. New Life ESL is China’s only all-American recruiting agency with years of teaching experience and living experience in China. Let our social media and web reviews be a guide to show you just how satisfied our teachers are.

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9.68 Rating

based on 37 reviews

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Benefits 9.5
Support 9.8
Fun 9.1
Facilities 9.2
Safety 9.9

Showing 1 - 8 of 37

I couldn’t sleep one night, so I did some research on teaching in China. I came across New Life ESL and contacted Kimmie about making the move. Within a week I had five interviews lined up. A few months later I started at a school in Dalian China. So far it has been an amazing experience. I couldn’t have done it without Kimmie and New Life. She helped me through the entire process. It was so great to have someone I could trust to help me through the process. (As well as someone who had been through the process themselves.) If you are planning on teaching in China, I would highly recommend going through New Life ESL.

I can't speak highly enough of the New Life ESL team! Monica was so friendly and helpful right from the second I put in my application, guiding me through the processes step by step and always answering my many (many) emails very quickly! I have been in Wuhan six months now undertaking my first teaching job. Even after getting here, when I've had issues with how my school have been treating me, she has offered to step in and help me out and is always easily contactable via WeChat, not only for work related purposes but as a friend, too!

Really can't recommend this company enough - they will find you a job that suits your individual needs and salary requirements and guide you every step of the way to make your move as seamless as possible

What would you improve about this program?

I can't think of any ways right now that this programme could be improved.

What a fantastic company! New Life ESL made it so easy to find job placement and get sorted as I prepared to make a big life change form Melbourne Australia to Shanghai. I would highly recomend getting in touch with them if you are thinking about teaching overseas and making some big life transitions. The experience has been so positive and now I am in Shanghai with my new school and life. Thank you Kimmie from New Life your the best!
Kind regards,
William

“Support. Honesty. Transparency.” That’s New Life ESL’s mission. I’m living proof that they follow and live up to it. From the beginning of my application process, Brendan was with me the whole way explaining contracts, introducing me to new schools and making sure that I was choosing the right school. When I didn’t like one school he found me two more. When I didn’t like those two he found me four more!
However, his “job” didn’t stop there. He generally cares about each of his clients, kind of like an older brother.
When I arrived to Beijing, he met up with me and gave me some more tips about teaching in China. He hooked me up with some phone apps to help find transportation and food. He even gave me my first hongbao (red packet) of wechat money.
Working in China wouldn’t have been easy without New Life ESL and I am grateful for them! My kids are too ;)

What would you improve about this program?

Doesn't need to be. It needs more clients, like you who are reading :)!

After hearing about the benefits, chance to travel and quality of life teaching English in china. I decided to do an online search. After subscribing to a few mailing lists and sending a few emails. I was contacted by Brendan. I explained that this was just an idea I had and maybe I wouldn't take the plunge and move until maybe a year down the line, or maybe not even at all. This didn't stop Brendan's enthusiasm shining through! Undeterred by my lack of commitment, he still took the time to explain all the different possible options available, we talked about visas, schools, training centres and general life in China as a whole. A year later after a couple of Skype interviews I packed up and arrived in China. I chose to teach in Foshan as I already knew some people who had been working there. I was overjoyed with my new job and life in Foshan. Brendan took the time to get to know about me, then set me up with a great Kindergarten. He then helped me to find an apartment, advised me about opening a bank account here and gave me some great tips about planning and teaching for kindergarten children. This would have been a very daunting and problematic transition to make on my own. New Life ESL took me by the hand, guided me and didn't let go until I felt comfortable in my new life!
They are an amazingly caring, considerate team with outstanding attention to detail.

New Life ESL you rock!

What would you improve about this program?

I don't think it can...

My new life began in August 2017 a few months after I found New Life ESL. I originally found them on Instagram after looking for photos of China. Sent them a quick message on IG and Monica replied shortly after.

Then process started quickly and smoothly. Monica arranged a call with me on Skype. There she discussed the process, how New Life would help me, and answered all of my questions.

I interviewed with 4 of New Life’s partner schools, all in different cities. I originally wanted a position in Shanghai but selected a position in Nanjing. Nanjing is much cheaper than Shanghai. Plus it still has a large expat community. And life is easy here.

I want to tell you all that I think the folks at New Life ESL are all great. And they want to help you. That’s their mission. If you are ready to come teach in China then choose NL ESL!

What would you improve about this program?

No complaints. They're lovely people. Wish them the best!

I first applied with New Life ESL a couple years ago. Teaching ESL in China was something I had heard mutual contacts had done before in Boston. I had always wanted to travel and it seemed like a fun idea to get out, travel, teach English, and experience China for a year.

Unfortunately a family issue kept me stateside for some extra time but once everything came together, I messaged the NL team on Facebook and got things going!

Monica, Brendan, and Derrick run a great business. These 3 owners answered EVERY question I had about coming to China. Found me a great position at a middle school in Shanghai. They even helped me find a cheap flight to Shanghai! These guys are great and I will forever recommend NL to anyone that wants to teach in China or Asia.

Life in China is perfect. I've been here for a few months, teach 20 hours a week, and even started studying Chinese. This is a really good life. If you ever make it out to Shanghai, be sure to try the soup dumplings. Thanks, New Life!

Monica put me in touch with several potential employers in China, and I had a wide range of places throughout China to choose from. I had my choice of working for the public schools, training centers or international schools. The process of moving to China and becoming legal was complicated but I had help every step of the way. Monica at New Life ESL knows them all and helped me to choose the right fit for me! She was able to answer all my questions and provide feedback very quickly despite the time differences from the US and China. Living in Shenzhen is awesome on every level!

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Aleksandra Mrazek

Program

Teach English in China with New Life ESL

Aleksandra is an English Teacher with a BA in TEFL and a Masters in Applied Linguistics from The University of Liverpool. She has worked with both monolingual and mixed nationality groups of learners from close to 20 different countries. Originally from Poland, she has spent most of her adulthood in the UK.

Having shared her passion for language with students both in Poland and the UK, she decided to spread her wings and seek new challenges abroad.

Why did you choose this program?

Going abroad to teach was an idea I had been toying with for the last couple of years. Having taught students from various Asian countries back in the UK, I grew to love their respectful manner, kindness and gratitude. After finishing my masters it dawned on me that the world was my oyster. I researched various locations and China emerged as being the market offering the most interesting opportunities.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The most vital help from my program provider was the amount of invaluable advice and their constant support throughout the process. They made me aware of what I should expect, painted a pretty accurate picture of living and working conditions, as well as cultural differences. I was provided with all the documentation necessary for a visa application. Not only that, but also I was picked up from the airport and the accommodation was ready upon my arrival.

I received training and a full medical check-up as well as the Resident's Permit and the Expert Certificate. I was shown around the area and my bank account was opened for me. I had to book my own flights and apply for the visa in person, but that was understandable.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I cannot speak for the whole of China, but in the small town, I work nobody speaks English. It is crucial to have an offline translator in your phone and VPN installed prior to arrival. China has laws that ban using a VPN, therefore it borders on impossible to download it once you are here. It is a good practice to set up an email account that would not be Gmail, as it malfunctions. On a positive side - Skype and WhatsApp work relatively well here, even without using a VPN. Being far away from family, it is a tremendous advantage to be able to communicate with them on a regular basis.

Another point to be wary of is the difference in approach to medicine between here and home. Make sure you have taken some medication (specifically for digestion) and painkillers with you. Even though those products are available here, it's relatively hard to explain what you need, even to a proficient Chinese speaker, as they do not typically use the same medicines and may have never encountered them. Moreover, any bigger shoe sizes or clothes are hard to source here. Although eBay's Chinese equivalent (Taobao) has a wide range of items for sale, you would need a Chinese speaker to help you with the order, as the more comprehensive searches are only possible in Chinese.

As for the currency exchange, there is no need to take any large amount of Chinese currency with you, as the exchange rate here is more favourable than back home. And most importantly - only take registered taxis. There are a lot of illegitimate drivers that pretend to be taxis; they may try to extort money from you, not to mention they have a reputation for being dangerous, especially for women.

Other than that, you will find that the majority of Chinese people are kind, polite, helpful and display an air of somewhat nearly childish innocence. They wish you well, they are interested in you and will stop you on the street to have a photo taken with you. It happens occasionally that you will be videoed without your consent, this being both at work and outside it.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

In my case, the workday does not start until late afternoon. That gives me plenty of time in the morning to prepare my lessons. I have no office hours, which has allowed my life-work balance to be very healthy.

I work 5 days a week and my working hours do not exceed 20 per week. I am never home later than 6:30 p.m. I have time to browse the nearby shops, try the cuisine and sightsee. Even the smallest town has an expat community and at least one pub you can go to in order to socialise and exchange experiences.

It really feels like being on a long holiday; I do what I love (and I love teaching) and I am rewarded for it in more ways than one.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

With a certain degree of embarrassment, I have to admit that I held some stereotypes in my mind before arriving in China. I assumed the people would lack a sense of humour and ability to have fun. I assumed my boss would be harsh and demanding. That communism would leave no space for individualism. I also feared that in the classroom I would be met by a wall of silence. I was utterly wrong. The pupils are communicative, enthusiastic and love to have fun. There are small businesses being opened on a daily basis all around my area and my workplace is relaxed and pleasant.

What are the biggest cultural differences between the UK and China?

First of all, the gift-giving culture. Since I have been here, I have received plenty of gifts from my boss, students, their parents, and my co-workers. This generosity is deeply rooted in Chinese peoples' belief that it is more honourable to be owed than to owe. Whenever I have expressed my liking of an item, I have been presented with it the very next day. Once I saw a pet axolotl in a fish tank in a restaurant and said it was beautiful. I was given to me by the owner and my boss gave me a tank and food for it. Even though it was very kind, I am now more careful in voicing my preferences.

In the same vein, the tipping culture is nonexistent here, thus giving a tip might offend the waitress, because then - she owes you. Also, it is customary to haggle, especially in the street markets. I found it hard and unnecessary at first, as everything is so cheap anyway. But I have to admit, it adds spice to my life and a peculiar sense of achievement if I manage to slice the price of an item by fifty percent. The longer I spend here though, the more I get accustomed to the way of life and the initial culture shock gradually diminishes. I would recommend coming to China to anyone; whether you are feeling adventurous and brave or unfulfilled and in a need of change.

At the end of the day when you pack your things to head overseas, keep an open mind and start the adventure of a lifetime.

About New Life ESL

New Life ESL is the only American recruiting company placing YOU at a great school in China. By teachers, for teachers, we're here with you every step of the way to make sure your New Life in China is a great experience!!

Being teachers in China ourselves, we definitely know how to help you review a contract, provide you with steps to help you

Teach English in China with New Life ESL

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Caleb

Trustworthy

Charlotte

Would highly recommend Monica and her team

William

Fantastic

Tyra

New Life helped me see the World!

Mark

An experience money can't buy!

Jessica

NL ESL helped me so much!

Richard

Finally, I'm in China and have no regrets!

Jason

Teaching in China is cool