Job description: The City of Hohhot
Hohhot (also spelt Hohhot) or Hu He Hao Te (呼和浩特) in Mandarin Chinese is the capital of the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia and an interesting mix of Chinese and Mongolian culture. Evidence of the area's rich history and its connection to Genghis Khan can be seen everywhere. Despite the fact that it is a provincial capital, Hohhot is a relatively small city by Chinese standards, with a population of just over a million, which makes it about the same size as Birmingham (the UK's second city). Hohhot's size means that it offers a wide range of amenities without feeling overcrowded and makes it possible to travel everywhere by bike or in one of the city's ubiquitous green taxis. Surrounded by grasslands, the air quality is also good. The city itself is located on a plateau about 400km west of Beijing and has its own international airport, Baita International Airport. There are frequent flights to an ever-growing number of destinations. A flight to Beijing takes about 45 minutes and costs on average 500 Yuan/RMB (51GBP/78USD) one way. If this seems a little expensive there is always the bus or train. Hohhot's location makes it the ideal place to come if you wish to experience the 'real' China, that of a developing country in transition, while at the same time being within touching distance of the metropolis of Beijing. With few foreigners, it is also an excellent place to come if you are looking to learn and practise Mandarin Chinese. So, don't bring a Cantonese phrase book!
Our School
Our school , opened in September of this year and our Elementary English department already has more than 400 students. On the premises, Chinese teachers also teach a full range of school subjects. All the classrooms in our new purpose built school are equipped with whiteboards, projectors and a sound system. This school represents a particularly exciting opportunity as it is the first School school in China to hire full-time Foreign Teachers (FTs) for its Elementary English department. We currently have a team of three FTs.
Passion for Teaching
Here at School Hohhot, we are looking to build a team of dedicated and passionate teachers. People who like a challenge, take on board feedback, are looking to develop professionally and genuinely care about their students' progress. My personal goal is to help make our teaching team the best and most professional in the city. Our school is predominantly for children and so initially teachers will be teaching children from three to fourteen years old. As the school develops and grows, it is likely that our FTs will be assigned some adult classes, especially one to one classes. I fully understand that the majority of teachers who have just completed a teaching qualification have little experience teaching children and are naturally a little apprehensive. Most ESL jobs in China involve teaching a wide range of age groups, even if this is not always advertised in the job description! If candidates can show themselves to be enthusiastic, willing to learn and responsible, then this would be a great place to begin a career in ESL. Teaching experience with a wide range of age groups is something that looks impressive on any resume and combined with a good reference opens many doors in the world of ESL.
Our students are aged from three to fourteen years old. We divide our students into three age groups and stream them by ability. In general, the Chinese favor longer classes and so the classes are probably slightly longer than equivalent classes in a western school. Three to six year olds and seven to ten year olds have two classes a week, while eleven to fourteen year olds have one class a week.
3 to 6 year olds = 1 hour classes = 2x per week
7 to 10 year olds = 1 hour 20 minute classes = 2x per week
11 to 14 year olds = 2 hour classes = 1x per week
The Job
We are looking to offer suitable candidates one year full-time Foreign Teacher contracts. The contract makes it clear that this is a 40 hour a week full-time job. The 40 hours includes contact teaching and lesson preparation time, as well as time for admin tasks and school marketing activities. As with most language schools in China, the year is divided into two periods, intensive and non-intensive. The intensive periods coincide with Chinese students' school holidays.
Non-intensive
The non-intensive period includes the months of March, April, May, September, October, November and December. During this period, teachers have Mondays and Tuesdays off (exact days off are liable to change) and work five days, from Wednesday to Sunday. Classes can be scheduled between 9:00 and 21:00. During this time, the maximum number of contact teaching hours is 20 per week. This leaves plenty of time for lesson planning, teacher training and occasional marketing activities such as demo classes. Due to the fact that our students are children and attend school during the week, our teachers have the majority of their classes at the weekend. This means that teachers have relatively light weekdays and busier weekends. Contact teaching hours on any one day are capped at six and a half.
Intensive
There are two separate intensive periods during the year. The first, the winter intensive period includes the months of January and February. And the second, the summer intensive period, the months of June, July and August. During the intensive periods, teachers can have up to 24 contact teaching hours per week. Teachers have one day off a week and the 24 contact teaching hours are spread across the remaining six days. It is important to realize that the intensive periods usually take a few weeks to get busy and that the two month long winter intensive period is usually divided by a week long holiday for Chinese New Year/Spring Festival. Most English schools in China have intensive periods, some with contact teaching hours in the high twenties, so wherever you apply, do make sure that you ask about this.
Pay and Holiday Entitlement
A teacher's starting salary of 6500 Yuan/RMB, rising to 7000 Yuan/RMB (707GBP/1098USD) after three months, is excellent in Hohhot and equivalent to that of a Chinese mid-level manager. Please note that all figures given are before tax. Income tax in China is deducted at source and comparatively very low. This permits teachers to enjoy a standard of living that they almost certainly could not afford at home. Considering that 3000RMB (300GBP/471USD) is enough to eat like a king for a month, this leaves a lot of spare money to enjoy yourself. Many teachers wisely choose to save the majority of their earnings, either to take home with them on completion of their contract, or travel during the holidays. Teachers are entitled to take ten working days, that's two working week's paid holiday per annum. However, holidays are not permitted to be taken during either of the intensive periods and holiday taken must not include more than six weekend days. On top of the two week's paid holiday, teachers also benefit from numerous public holidays such as Spring Festival/Chinese New Year, which falls in either February or March, and the National Day celebration at the beginning of October. If a teacher chooses to sign up for another year, they are also entitled to a contract break, during which most teachers either chose to visit home, or travel for a week or two.
The Flight Allowance
Successful candidates are expected to purchase their initial flights to Hohhot. However, Foreign Teachers do receive a 9000 Yuan/RMB (909GBP/1412USD) flight allowance to cover the cost of their flights as part of the contract. This is paid to teachers in two installments of 4500 Yuan/RMB; one halfway through and one on completion of their contract.
Accommodation
Teacher accommodation is provided as part of the contract, so there's no rent to pay, just utilities, which are deducted from your salary and are a fraction of the cost of the UK and USA. All apartments are fully furnished, have central heating and are located within walking distance of the school. If arriving on your own, there is a good chance that you'll share a two bedroom apartment with another teacher. If you would prefer to have the privacy of your own apartment, the school can help you look for an apartment, but it may not be fully furnished and you will have to cover any expenditure on rent over and above the 800 Yuan/RMB (80GBP/126USD) monthly housing subsidy that you receive as per the contract. Rates are very reasonable in Hohhot, with an average apartment's rent just 1800 Yuan/RMB (180GBP/283USD) a month. If you sign up for a second year, you will then be entitled to your own apartment.
The Weather
If you're arriving from the UK, the climate is quite different: Hohhot is dry and sometimes windy. Summers are pleasantly warm and can get quite hot, with temperatures from June until the end of September averaging about 20C. July and August are surprisingly the wettest months of the year but rainfall is still relatively very limited and usually occurs in short showers. Spring and Autumn/Fall seem to pass quickly and the temperature changes rapidly. The winter is cold with temperatures in January averaging about -10C but this is really nothing to worry about as long as you have a proper winter coat, and a good pair of gloves. Consequently, you can go somewhat bizarrely from wearing shorts and enjoying an ice-cream in the summer to ice-skaking on the frozen lake in the park in winter. I would definitely recommend buying a good winter coat and pair of gloves before coming out to China. Qualification Required:
(1) Your university degree/major certificate or any other proof of higher education.
(2) Any TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificates.
(3) A criminal background check certificate (CRB* in the UK)**.
(4) Native English speakers only.
*For British nationals, a Basic CRB check is sufficient and can be applied for on-line at: http://www.disclosurescotland.co.uk/apply/
**If your criminal background certificate will not be ready before your departure date, please make arrangements to have it sent to the school.
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