What English Language Jobs are Available in China?

There are many openings in China for English language jobs. This can be attributed to the booming economy which emphasizes skills and proficiencies in English. English language jobs have been around before, but not to the level that they are now in demand.

Types of English language jobs

1.ESL Teacher – ESL stands for English as a Second Language. The demand for ESL teachers is growing because many Chinese do not consider English as their first language so they need someone skilled in teaching English as a Second Language. Other people who may require the services of an ESL teacher are the children of foreigners who are now flocking in droves to relocate to the China. A good example of foreigners who need ESL teachers badly are the sizeable Korean communities in various parts of China.

2.TOEFL Teacher – TOEFL stands for Teaching of English as a First Language. Many ESL teachers are also qualified to be TOEFL teachers.

3.TESOL – this is relatively new among English language jobs. The acronym stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. But the qualifications are similar to those for ESL and TOEFL teachers.

4.Call center agents – The call center industry is a sunshine industry. Unfortunately, call center clients often require call center agents to speak English with an American twang. This is because some callers refuse to talk to call center agents who have a Chinese accent, even if they speak straight English. Though call centers offer good compensation, some people dislike such English language jobs because they feel the callers from other countries do not respect them, even to the point of calling them names if the call center agents do not meet their requirements for speaking good English.

5.Call center trainors – to produce a good call center agent may require the services of good call center trainors. This offers significantly high pay as English language jobs go though it can be frustrating when the call center agents do not pass the criteria of the call center – meaning, the blame ultimately gets passed to the call center trainor.

6.Journalists – As one of the traditional English language jobs, journalists are always in demand, particularly for graveyard beats such as at police stations. However, the hours journalists keep may be strange and long, and the pay may not meet their needs for a satisfactory lifestyle. As one of the most honorable of English language jobs though, being a journalist offers prestige and recognition that other English language jobs may not provide.

7.Researcher – this is a blanket term for English language jobs that require data-gathering. Some researchers conduct research for corporate purposes, while others work for non-profits. Generally, it requires a level of proficiency in English though other skills such as knowledge of statistics may also come into play.

English language jobs are steadily growing. Hopefully, many Chinese will be able to cash in on this trend.