Your Safe & Supported Route to Teaching in China

I joined the CTE for what was supposed to be 10 months in 2018, but I loved my experience in China so much, that I ended up staying for 16 months! The director Andrew was highly supportive and made sure our transition from the UK to China was as smooth as possible. I had several reservations before leaving for China, for instance, being a black woman; Andrew put me at great ease by ensuring to connect me with previous black applicants that shared their experiences with me. I would 100% recommend this life-changing experience.

If you are thinking about working abroad I could not recommend travelgrad any more! I travelled to China to do the China Teaching Experience in 2018-2019 and had an unforgettable experience. Initially I was slightly apprehensive but they put me at ease. Andrew supported me throughout the whole process from visa application - the end. They were able to place me in the same city as my friend and find me a work contract that gave me plenty of free time to explore China and further afield. I also got to spend 2 months travelling Thailand during my holidays from work during the spring break. This experience not only was fun it also helped me make further life decisions where I’m now a qualified in the UK. 100% recommend this experience.

TravelGrad was fantastic in helping me to overcome both administrative/bureaucratic barriers and the general anxieties of moving to the other side of the world.

The service and support they offered was friendlier and more personal than other providers and made the whole process as smooth as could be.

The school I was placed at was safe, well managed and supportive. Through them I ended up in a great place where I got make more friends, experience a new culture, food and language and have some amazing adventures!

I was in my final year of University, I had 6 months left of student life before graduation and a lot of my friends had already found graduate jobs and knew what they would be doing come July, or they at least had some sort of plan. To put it bluntly, I was terrified. I didn’t want to have nothing, I felt like I needed some sort of idea or plan. I’d always wanted to do a Masters, but finding funding for a Masters in theatre in near impossible, and years ago I’d seen an advert for teaching abroad in Asia, so I decided to have a look (it was also a form of procrastination to avoid dissertation work), a girl can dream right? I googled around and via my University careers website, stumbled upon an advertisement from TravelGrad, China Teaching Experience. After scoping out other offers, I realised that TravelGrad was offering the best deal cost-wise and that you got the same deal as other companies, but could pay a whole lot less! I applied online and one day later had an email offering a skype interview. A week later I was sat nervously on Skype waiting to have a short interview with the company director; Andrew. I guess my theatre degree did something for helping me act confident and convincing him, as a few days after the call, I had a confirmation email offering me a place! A couple of drinks at the pub to celebrate and tell friends were in order!

Fast forward to mid-August, all of the paperwork was completed, I had received my Visa and on the same day it arrived, sat and booked flights for two days later, and put up a quick Facebook post to tell people I was leaving in two days! Three days later I met Andrew at Beijing airport, then spent two weeks meeting all the other people with the company, some who would be in the same city as me, and doing a two week intense teaching week with some summer school students to complete the practical side of my TEFL qualification. As crazy and stressful as it was, being thrown into the deep end was the best thing because it meant I had to get involved straight away and just go for it, no time for being scared!

All too soon, those two weeks were up and it was time to get on a bullet train (400mph!) for 9hours to travel all the way to Guangzhou! Myself and the three other teachers were collected by our school, taken for a meal, and shown to our new apartments (in the Teachers Dormitory at the school) to settle in and get some sleep, ready to be up and out by 10am the next day to be shown around Foshan!
We settled in pretty fast, manage to figure out what buses went where, where the good places to eat were, how to work the metro, we’ve even become so localised that we now own travel cards that we use on the buses and metro and just top up when needed. Luckily Foshan and Guangzhou are so close to Hong Kong and Macau you can go for a day or weekend trip and just enjoy yourself! I’ve also become so used to the stares and sly photos being taken that I’m pretty much immune to it now. So many Chinese people must have photos of me or selfies with me on their phones it’s so strange to think about!

A month after being in Foshan, there was a public holiday for one week, and I managed to get the guts to go traveling a little bit! I headed to Guilin with some fellow teachers. I managed to successfully work the Chinese train online booking system, and we spent an amazing 3 days in Guilin and YangShuo. We travelled, saw pagodas, rice fields, traditional Chinese villages (a drastic change from the city life we had become used to!) and explored the Karst mountains via a tiny boat made up of 6 long plastic tubes tied together, a motor, and some wooden seats. That was an experience to say the least!

Since then I’ve gotten pretty confident, the students and teaching on a whole is less scary, and I’ve been having Chinese lessons to slowly pick it up! I’m nowhere near fluent yet, but it’s a big improvement. Conversations so far are a big the easiest, and reading menu’s in Chinese and is tricky so I usually order what I already know how to say, or point to the pictures. But hey, Chinese is the hardest language in the world, and it’s only been short amount of time so I’m doing pretty ok!
It’s safe to say I’ve fallen in love with China. People ask what it’s like, and quite frankly, it’s almost impossible to describe. It’s just a different world out here! I miss my family and friends, but after a while you start to forget and just settle in to life out here. There are times when you’ll get huge feelings of homesickness. Christmas out here is pretty hard, being so far away from family was horrible, but I take it as a chance to travel and distract myself with seeing friends in other cities or exploring new places.

Its currently mid-March, and I can’t believe how fast time has gone! In two weeks I’ll even be on Chinese TV judging at an Oral English competition!
In a way, I don’t want to leave, I could stay forever! But I know that if I stay for too many years then I will never leave, and I’ve other experiences to chase!
Teaching in China was an experience that I never expected to affect me in so many ways, nor this much. I’ve made friends that will be friends for life, and memories that I will never forget. It’s been months of adventures, and I’m certain there’s plenty more to come!

If I had to explain my China Teaching Experience, I wouldn't need to think long about it. This experience was the best of my life, professionally and personally. When I contacted Travelgrad for the first time, I doubted if my questIons would be answered. Surprisingly, the company owner was very helpful and informative during the process; from the interview until I got the visa, he helped me in every step. Even after I went to China, Andrew regularly contacted me if everything was going well with my job and needed any support, making this company unique to me. Their support and professionalism made me feel at home in a big, foreign country like China. I gained so much professionally; working in another country was very valuable for me, once in a lifetime experience. I also had the chance to visit other Asian countries, making the whole adventure more special. So, if you think which is the best company you should choose for your teaching experience in China or other countries in Asia, undoubtedly I would suggest Travelgrad, they are the best in the market.

Cheers,
Blerim.

If I ask myself what does it mean for me China Teaching Experience, I wouldn't think to long about the answer. I can easily consider it the best experience of my life, professionally and personally. When I first contacted the company, (Travelgrad) I was doubting if I'll get answered all my questions I had about the whole experience. To be honest, the company owner, Andrew, was very helpful and informative during the whole process. He was very helpful, explaining me every step in detail so I would be fully confident about going to China. From the moment of the interview until I got the visa, this company supported me in every moment I needed help, and the difference that makes them the best is the support they give you! Not only that, even during my year in China, Andrew contacted me regularly if everything is going great and if I needed anything. This made me feel secure and protected in a big, foreign county like China. All in all, if you are doubting which company you should choose for your teaching experience in China, or in other Asian countries, I assure you that the best one is Travelgrad!

Cheers,
Blerim.

I complete one year in China with TravelGrad through the China Teaching Experience. From start to finish the support provided by Andrew was fantastic, all questions answered and no doubts left to percolate. Andrew put applicant's in touch with one another whilst the TEFL was completed and shared our cities and schools with us so we could get to know our new colleagues before flying out. There was numerous applicants from CTE in my city and various schools. Andrew came out to meet us early on to check how we were settling in and assuage any home sickness or feelings of trepidation we may have had. I ended up staying in China for s further two years, seeking new employment and accommodation independently.

I applied for Travel Grad's China programme back in 2019 after graduating from my Tesol degree. Andrew and his staff offered a wealth of resources and support both during the application and placement process. Teaching English in China may sound like a nerve-racking decision but I highly recommend the China programme as it kickstarted my teaching career for the better. I could not have developed the teaching skills I have today without the experience. You will definitely enjoy your time working and living in China.