The China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE), a national body working under China’s Ministry of Education, has run the Teach English in China Program since 2005 together with partner universities and education institutions in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Those partners recruit native English speakers holding a bachelor’s degree or above. CEAIE then assigns each teacher to a Chinese primary school, middle school, college, university or training institution for a year of English teaching.
More than 1,000 international English teachers have gone through the program, reaching over 200 schools in 21 Chinese provinces and roughly 150,000 students. The stated purpose is language and cultural exchange between young people in China and abroad, alongside stronger foreign-language teaching in Chinese schools.
Benefits & funding
- A 10-month teaching contract from the host school, paying a monthly salary on par with what local Chinese teachers earn in the same district.
- Free accommodation with a private bedroom, a private or shared kitchen (canteen access where there is no kitchen), furniture, television, water heater, refrigerator, washing machine, air conditioning and internet.
- Round-trip international airfare reimbursed up to 10,000 RMB, airport pick-up in Beijing, and the first train ticket from Beijing to the host school.
- A Z work visa; visa fees paid abroad are reimbursed up to 2,000 RMB, and any visa fees incurred inside China are covered by the host school.
- Comprehensive medical insurance of no less than 2,000 RMB, plus the in-China physical examination required to convert the visa into a residence permit.
- TEFL training funded by CEAIE for teachers without certification: a 60-hour online course followed by a two-week teaching camp in China.
Eligibility
- Citizens of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States.
- Native speakers of English.
- Aged 20 to 55 at the application deadline.
- Holding a bachelor’s degree or above, in any subject.
- A passport that stays valid for the whole program.
- TESOL certification or two years of teaching experience counts as a preference, and is not a requirement. Mandarin is not required.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Eligible nationalities
Australia · Canada · New Zealand · UK · USA
Education required
Bachelor · Master · PhD
Age requirement
20–55 yrs
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Application process
- 1Apply through one of CEAIE’s cooperating universities or education institutions in the UK or the US, or contact the CEAIE program office directly at hanying@ceaie.edu.cn.
- 2Submit the application materials, stating your school-type preference (primary school, middle school, college or university) along with your discipline, experience and interests.
- 3Selection weighs your qualifications and how well they match the specializations host schools are asking for.
- 4Complete the 60-hour online TEFL course before departure.
- 5Arrive in China, attend the two-week training camp, then start the 10-month teaching contract at the assigned school.
Program timeline
Applications
handled by CEAIE’s partner institutions; no fixed public deadline appears on the program pages.
Before departure
60-hour online TEFL certification course.
On arrival
two-week teaching training camp in China.
Teaching
10-month contract at the host school, inside a stay of about 12 months.