Gold Star TEFL Recruitment has been assisting teachers secure the very best teaching jobs in China since 2009 and has close connections with China’s leading schools. For details on teaching jobs with English First and other major language schools have a look through our website and submit an application today.
Read more interviews with teachers in China here.
An Interview with Tamlyn Grey at English First Wuxi, China
English First Wuxi is holding interviews now, apply today!
GS: So, can you tell us a bit about how you first got into English teaching?
TG: After being a journalist for a few years I got offered a job teaching Economics in a High School and fell in love with it. I then decided to do the TESOL course and then moved to Hohhot, Inner Mongolia where I began my first year in China. Now I am teaching my second year with EF in Wuxi and loving it!
GS: Could you give some details about your dealings with Gold Star TEFL Recruitment?
TG: Gold Star has been amazing and incredibly helpful. They found my first job for me in Hohhot and were always in contact to see how my contract and life was going there. Just before my contract ended I didn’t even have to search for another job as Aidan, my recruiter, got in touch with me and asked me where I would like to go. It was probably the easiest experience I’ve had in looking for a job! If I wasn’t completely certain, Aidan did not hesitate to help me find something else that I would be happy with.
GS: What advice do you have for people about the recruitment and interview process when looking for jobs teaching in China?
TG: Be yourself. Don’t be stressed when doing an interview. Schools are always looking for people that have a fun and lively personality that fellow workers and students can get along with.
Looking for another job in a different country can be daunting and there is always the problem that you will get there and it is not what you expected. But going through Gold Star you won’t have that problem! The only thing you need to worry about is the city and country you would feel most comfortable in. After that, let Gold Star do the rest.
GS: You are teaching in Wuxi at the moment, can you tell us about your impressions of the city? What do you like most about living there?
TG: Wuxi is an amazing city – I honestly love it here! I love my apartment, the food, the shops, and the nightlife and there is so much to see. Everything is just a bus ride away. What I like most about Wuxi are the friendly people, the large amount of restaurants to choose from, both Chinese and Western (including an amazing Indian restaurant close to the river), and the many supermarkets where you can get the same food as back home.
GS: What do you like most about teaching English?
TG: I love the kids! The best thing for me is seeing how much these kids love coming to EF and learning English. Just seeing how enthusiastic they are makes me look forward to being in that classroom every day.
Realise your dreams of living and teaching English worldwide with INTESOL.
GS: Can you tell us about your favourite class at the moment?
TG: I have two favourite classes at the moment. One is my adult class and the other is a teenager class. My adult class is amazing! They often make me laugh and I really look forward to those two hours with them every week. They are so open-minded and are not afraid to express their opinions. My teenager class is absolutely mental – which I love! I prefer it when I have a class that is loud and energetic (even sometimes a bit too energetic); it’s better than them just sitting looking bored. I enjoy starting my Sunday mornings with this class; I can always expect some random jokes or comments throughout the lesson to get everyone giggling.
GS: Talk us through a typical day teaching English in China.
TG: My weekdays are pretty relaxing with busy weekends. I have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, and the other weekdays I generally only have one class in the evening so I am free to spend my days however I want. I usually go into the school in the late afternoon though to get some planning done for my lessons. My weekends are usually just three two-hour lessons a day ending at 17:30, which is not so bad!
GS: What are the teaching resources like there?
TG: Teaching resources are great here and there are always other teachers to help if you need it. There are books for each level, along with lesson plan ideas and games. We also have interactive whiteboards in each classroom which the kids seem to enjoy.
GS: How many teachers are there in your school?
TG: Wuxi has four EF schools, but the school that I am in has 8 foreign teachers (including our boss), two local teachers and four local Teaching Assistants (TAs) that assist with classes. We don’t have TAs in classes with us unless they are young students aged between 6 and 8, however the students are generally alright without them in the classroom.
GS: China is full of surprises and unexpected adventures, tell us about one you have had recently.
TG: I have only been in my new location for about two months now so no new adventures yet! But I have had many interesting trips and encounters whilst living in Hohhot and travelling around China in my holidays. All I can say is that China has introduced me to many new and interesting people and places in the year that I have been here, and I am still learning and seeing new things every day.
English First Wuxi is holding interviews now, apply today!
Read more interviews with teachers in China here.
Gold Star TEFL Recruitment has been assisting teachers secure the very best teaching jobs in China since 2009 and has close connections with China’s leading schools. For details on teaching jobs with English First and other major language schools have a look through our website and submit an application today.
Apply now
Realise your dreams of living and teaching English worldwide with INTESOL.
