The most common job amongst expats in Beijing, by far, is teaching English. Whether it is a full-time occupation or a way to earn some extra cash alongside studies or other work, many members of the expat community have experience working as teachers.
　　A seemingly insatiable demand for English speakers to teach adults as well as children to speak the lingua franca of the international business world has produced an array of language centers and schools of highly varying degrees of reliability. All Chinese people learn basic English in school, yet the general level of oral English remains poor and is often restricted to a handful of words (though the younger generations are getting much better). English classes once put heavy emphasis on the written form, but over the past decade more attention has been paid to speaking skills as China’s youth look for opportunities to study and work abroad.
　　Today’s growing urban middle and upper classes have begun hiring private English tutors for children in addition to their many other extracurricular commitments. As with the Chinese school system in general, it is often perceived that normal classes will not be enough to give young students the competitive advantage needed to stand out in the country’s cutthroat race to prestigious schools. Also, advanced English skills are absolutely required for admission to the high schools and colleges in Britain, Canada or the United States.
　　This has created a desperate need for English teachers in Chinese cities, with resulting sky-high wages for even the less-qualified applicants. As the job market in recession-ridden Europe has proven particularly hostile to young people, an increasing number of recent university graduates have found themselves moving to China to work.
　　Even though most advertisements require teachers to be native speakers (Canadian, American and British being favored for their accents), this requirement is often flexible. Having a Western “look” is considered more important, with the unfortunate consequence that aspiring teachers with non-white features are frequently turned down. “Interviews” often consist of briefly assessing the appearance and accent of a prospective teacher before signing the contract.
　　Thus, the average English teacher in Beijing is of European, North American or Australian nationality, either students doing part-time work, or typical “gap year” kids on a break from university, or—as increasingly seems the case—well-educated university graduates unable to find work back home. For Chinese parents, having a private English tutor is a status symbol, and many teachers can testify to being “shown off” to other parents, neighbors or colleagues.
　　In my experience, I have been commended for my beauty, style and figure far more often than any real reference to my teaching qualities or even personality. Some clients favor female teachers, others prefer males, and some require certain accents—in rare instances very specific, such as East Coast American or London British.
　　The teaching job itself can be extremely varied, due to the highly diverse aspirations and purposes of students. Class syllabi can include watching and analyzing children’s films, discussing current political and financial affairs and popular culture, or curious inquiries about differences between the teacher’s society and the student’s.
　　Due to communication barriers and cultural clashes, bizarre situations frequently add charm to the profession. My own experiences, for instance, have included Titanic-and Twilight-themed classes with a middle-aged businessman—featuring odd pieces of vocabulary like “mythological creatures,” “eternal life,” “undying love” and “cheesy”—as well as endless pronunciation exercises of everything from nursery rhymes to torturous tongue twisters. While most students aim to develop their English generally, others have much more specific requests like the child whose mother insisted he should be taught only how to spell words but not their meanings, or the young woman who wanted to learn to read scripts and cared only about pronunciation.
　　For me, working as a teacher in China has at times been an absurd experience but also incredibly rewarding. Having met and got to know people I would never have become acquainted with otherwise, I have been given a unique insight into Chinese society. From bored housewives looking for a hobby, to overambitious high-school students, adorable toddlers too young for language studies and powerful businessmen, I have learned a great deal about China and the workings of its very unique culture and mindset. A challenging yet fun and well-paid job, it is easy to see why English teaching is such a popular occupation among expats in China today.