A rewarding job teaching university students
ESL teaching jobs at universities, also known as college instructor or professor jobs, are highly sought after and prestigious positions. Students are aged from 18 to 23 years old and will already have a reasonably high level of English and a strong motivation to study and improve their English.
Class sizes will vary from smaller study groups of 6 to 12 students to larger lectures of 30 to 50 students. While the focus when teaching English at universities will be on developing students’ communicative skills teachers will also be developing their reading, writing, presentation and debating skills. Universities offer good teaching resources and materials for teachers such as projectors, computers and, more increasingly these days, interactive whiteboards.
Featured University Jobs in China
With over 10 years experience in the ESL industry in China, we put teachers in contact with the very best public and private schools across China.
Is a university teaching job right for you?
A job teaching university students is immensely engaging and rewarding position in a stimulating educational environment.
University students will generally have a high level of English and will be able to participate in more complicated English communication and activities such as debates and express their ideas more effectively. They will also be more motivated to learn and, as such, classroom management will not be an issue. It is, of course, up to the teacher to deliver lessons that are interesting and relevant to the students’ lives, while at the same time covering the language topics in the curriculum.
As a university teacher, you will be given relatively more freedom regarding how you plan and deliver your classes, and you can expect not to be micro-managed.
Sergey Kozlovtsev – Shanghai, China
“I like being with university students. They are old enough to be able to discuss complex issues, yet are young enough for the teacher to be able to make a long lasting impression on them. I am sure many people had a university teacher who they still remember and who had a strong influence on them.”
Salary & Benefits for University Jobs in China
- Excellent salary: 13,000 – 28,000 RMB (1,800 – 3,800 USD) per month
- Accommodation provided: Western style, furnished, on campus
- Flight allowance
- Performance based bonuses
- Legal ‘Z’ work visa and residence permits provided
- 11 days national Chinese public holidays plus summer and winter vacations off
- Health insurance
- Weekly Mandarin Chinese lessons
- Airport pickup and welcome pack
- On-going training and academic support
- Promotion opportunities
This is an example of a typical salary package for ESL university teaching jobs in China. We will provide you with specific package information for a selection of suitable schools once we receive your application.
Requirements to teach at universities in China
- Native English speaker or non-native with fluent English and a clear accent
- Bachelor’s degree in any subject
- TEFL certificate preferred (No TEFL? We recommend INTESOL)
- Previous English teaching expereince required
- Between 24 and 55 years old
A Typical Week Teaching English at a University
The schedule teaching English at a university runs from Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm with weekends off. The first class is from 8am to 9:40am. Classes are 90 minutes long with a 10 minute break in the middle. After two morning classes there is a two hour break for lunch or lesson planning. The third class is from 14:00 to 15:40. Typically there are three classes per day, four days per week. We get one day per week for lesson planning and professional development; there are no classes on that day. Individual teacher’s schedule may vary but the university will make sure that all teachers have the same workload.
During the class, the teacher will introduce new language in a controlled setting, giving examples, drilling and eliciting suitable alternatives. Students will then practice with some activities in the course book and then in small groups, with the teacher monitoring and correcting. Once the students have a good grasp of the target language they will be expected to produce the language in a less restricted setting, with maybe a short presentation, discussion or role play. The teacher will also include a listening activity and for homework set a writing exercise and something from the course book.
FAQ
Ask a Question
Questions about university teaching jobs? Ask us!
