Jobs for Non-Native English Speakers in China

Jobs for Non-Native English Speakers in China
Jun 15, 2017 By Jessica A. Larson-Wang , eChinacities.com

It is well known that native English speakers have an advantage when it comes to finding work in China – if nothing else, there’s always English teaching. However, what if you don’t come from one of the major English speaking nations, what if English is your second or even third language? What opportunities can you expect to find in China?


Source: Данила

English teaching
While the teaching jobs available to non-native English speakers may not be the best the teaching world has to offer, there are still plenty of teaching opportunities available to people for whom English is not their native tongue. While you might not be chosen as an oral IELTS instructor, being a non-native speaker is rarely a detriment when it comes to teaching children, especially very young children. Many kindergartens employ non-native English speakers. While it is normal that as a non-native English teacher your salary might not be as high as your native speaking counterparts, beware, for many unscrupulous schools will take advantage of non-native speakers, particularly teachers from African nations and the Philippines, by offering insultingly low pay and near exploitative conditions. If you are employed as a foreign teacher, no matter the color of your passport (or your skin), you should be making a fair wage that is, if not equal, at least comparable to what your native speaking colleagues are making.

Translation
As a non-native English speaker your best asset may in fact be your ability on your own native language. While translators between Chinese and English are fairly easy to come by, it is not so easy to find translators that are competent in three languages. One Vietnamese woman in Kunming honed both her Chinese and English skills and set herself up as a successful freelance translator. A Danish man set up a translation company in Shanghai and employs a team of translators from around the world specializing in many different languages. Speaking a language that is not commonly studied in China but not necessarily obscure either, such as Arabic or Italian, along with having above average Chinese skills can be a big advantage in the translation industry.

Consultancy
Many people of all nationalities have profited from China’s increasing economic prowess and have set themselves up as consultants, serving as much-needed go-betweens for foreign companies looking to expand into China. Do you have what it takes to be a consultant? Having some connections in your home-country can be a start. One group of Italian friends set up a consultancy business after an initial success with family business connections in the marble industry. Their company went on to work with the Italian embassy and escorted Italian clients around Guangzhou during the annual Guangzhou trade fair. While setting oneself up as a consultant is easier said than done, those individuals with the right mix of skills, personality and connections could find consultancy to be a very lucrative endeavor.

Childcare
While not as high-flying as translation or consultancy, there is a market in China for English speaking nannies. Since most native English speakers can make more money teaching English than they can looking after people’s children, this job usually falls to Filipina women. In Beijing the starting rate for Filipina nannies (ayis) is about 50RMB per hour at minimum, and often includes benefits such as room and board. While it doesn’t sound like much, this is about twice what local nannies make. While an English teaching position may require experience and educational qualifications, nanny positions only require experience, and for those non-native speakers whose English language or Chinese skills are not up to par, nannying for wealthy expats in Beijing or Shanghai could be a good second choice career.

Superstardom
Well, maybe superstardom is an exaggeration, but if you have a talent, consider exploiting it in China. Many foreigners, regardless of nationality, in Chinese cities from Kunming to Chengdu to Beijing to Guangzhou have set themselves up as DJs, honing their skills as they go along. Foreign-looking women can book gigs as dancers even without much dance experience and foreign men can pass themselves off as rappers as long as they look the part. Fire-dancers, drummers, singers, strippers, saxophonists, and even Beijing opera and xiang sheng performers have been able to make good livings for themselves by plying their talents to the Chinese public. If you actually are talented then all the better, but for many, the ability to fake it really well has proved good enough! There are some opportunities too that are available to anyone with the right look, no need for talent – films and TV shows often look for foreign extras, and advertising agencies are often seeking foreign models. If you have foreign or half-Chinese children who love preening for the camera, you could consider child modeling, as foreign child models are always in high demand.

China is one of those places where you can truly make your own destiny, and no matter whether you’re from the UK or Ghana, you should be able to find your niche in China. While finding a good job or a stable income may be more difficult for non-native speakers who do not necessarily have the cushion of English teaching available to fall back upon, there are plenty of other opportunities that can be even better.

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Keywords: Jobs for no native English speakers china can I get a job as a not native English speaker china jobs other than english teaching china china jobs not english can I get a job if I’m not an English speaker china

23 Comments

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Guest14876650

Doing business with your home country.

Sep 08, 2017 20:11 Report Abuse

Dracon44

With regards to the article suggesting non-native speakers find employment in teaching...isn't that illegal under the new laws UNLESS they have a degree from an English speaking university? Regardless I don't think any non-native speakers should be teaching English unless they met all the qualifications for a native speaker...including speaking the language like one. There are far too many pretenders over here teaching their students bad or broken English.

Jul 05, 2017 12:01 Report Abuse

Ashley86400

Hello, My name is Ashley Barlow. I'm 24 and Nigerian. I'm really interested in teaching English in China. The first time I heard about it was back when I was in the university- the Department of Asian languages -Chinese used to hand out flyers , inviting us celebrate different Chinese festivals with them at their Confucius Institute - Dragon festival,Spring festival etc I fell in love with the culture (at least,the little part I was seeing) ,the colours, dances and all. My friends thought it was boring ,but I kept going back and eventually I made friends with a Chinese teacher. I used to help her polish her English and make proper pronunciations (her English was fair enough but her pronunciation sometimes went off). She told me she would soon be leaving as she was on a one year contract and that China was trying to establish a stronger relationship with Nigeria- so teachers were sent to Nigeria from china and also Nigerian teachers also went there to teach. "China really needs English teachers, Ashley. It doesn't matter if you don't speak Chinese,you're not required to. You should apply. They'd take you,since English is the official language in Nigeria." She left a few months later, and I lost communications with her as she said she Facebook wasn't used in China. However,I was looking forward to this opportunity to do what I loved doing most and that's teaching,and more so, doing it in a country whose culture I admired seemed wonderful. Maybe it's because I'm from a continent rich in cultures and traditions,I can't say. Altogether,I have about 4 years of English teaching experience. I have a BA in Philosophy. While I was iin school ,I studied Chinese Philosophy and took minor courses from the department of English Language. I assumed all these would be enough to teach in China, but then the shocker came when I started applying for jobs and I would see "Native English speakers " preferred. This was like someone slapped a wet towel on face, jolting back to reality. Is this how it actually is? When did English start to differ from English? Would it be appropriate for a school to reject teachers from Mexico or Colombia and maintain that you believe only a teacher from Spain can teach Spanish just for the sheer fact that he or she comes from Spain ,where Spainish originated. Language is a shared possession of humankind. And language is artificial, not natural , so any one can master it to fluent levels. Nigerian parents speak English as a first language to their kids and leave the environment to teach you native languages or you can learn it in school as a subject. But English is used to teach all subjects (except traditional languages) in schools. . .Nigerian has over 250 languages which have zero similarities so the only way we can communicate is by speaking English to facilitate understanding. So speaking English is kind of inevitable. I basically make all my mental calculations and thoughts in English. While searching for jobs, ,I saw job ads that said "Native English speakers- no experience necessary, no certificate holders also welcome,just hold a passport from any Native English speaking country-Australia,New Zealand,Britian,Canada,American or South African (since when is the english spoken in South Africa better than the english spoken in Ghana,Liberia ,Uganda or Nigeria? We were all colonized by the British except for Liberia which was colonized by America. Even though,I'm really interested in ESL jobs, it doesn't seem to be enough to get them as my search has (and still is) been filled with disappointments and rejections. After sending my details to the email provided,I'm guessing they usually assume I'm white because of my name, they'd ask for my picture and that's where the rejections emanate. It's obvious there's an image issue going on about what they think the traditional English teacher should look like- light skin,straight hair and white. Apparently,it's a marketing strategy-what the children want triumphs what the children need. The irony is that the Chinese in my country are treated with the same amount of prestige and respect we give to visitors both within and outside Nigeria. There are Chinese / Oriental hotels around, Chinese restaurants, Massage Palours , Chinese institutes. . .all around Nigeria. Goods are constantly being imported and exported. Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa (larger than Egypt or South Africa) and this attracts millions of foreigners. There are millions of Asians here in Nigeria ,Chinese ,Indians and Lebanese make a large part of that number. . And that's just Asians . .Europeans are way more. Nigeria has a "live and let live" mentality. It's such a shame that the Chinese don't see us the same way. I haven't given up but the confidence which I built over the years is waning. Any advice?

Jun 23, 2017 22:55 Report Abuse

Guest15067768

Zethe, this article is to show the easy-found jobs in China, in fact. However, there are tons of professional jobs in China for international candidates and it's not that hard to get hired to them if you have the necessary skills and you fit under the job requirements.

Jun 16, 2017 11:17 Report Abuse

PulSartre

Hahahahahahah, well put Zethe. Well put.

Jun 19, 2017 08:38 Report Abuse

ganesh25yrs

CURRICULUM VITAE GANESH SINGH DANGI Flt no-146, Sunrise Apartment Opp NCERT Qtrs Nasirpur Dwarka New Delhi -110045 Mobile: 08510917784, 08178039489 Email ID: ganesh_s_dangi@yahoo.co.in QQ no : 2330136967@QQ.com _________________________________________________________________________________ Career Objective:- Seeking a challenging career as Chinese Interpretor or Translator where i can utilize my Chinese Language & Travel Industry experience for the growth of the organization and my own. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION 1yrs Chinese Language course from Shenyang Normal University Shenyang China http://www.synu.edu.cn/synuen/p1_01.html Diploma in Chinese Language course from Bharti Vidya Bhavan New Delhi http://www.bvbdelhi.org/jawahar_academy/jawahar_lang.html Post Graduate Diploma in Travel and Tourism Industry Management from Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (an organization of Ministry of Tourism ) Gwalior http://iittm.net/main/aboutus.htm# Computerized Reservation System (Air Ticketing //Amadeus) from YMCA SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE & SKILLS Working on contractual basis in Genpact India Pvt Ltd on Astrazenica process since Aug 2016 till date working as Chinese freelance Guide ,Interpretor & Translator in New Delhi Feb 2016- July 2016 Worked with LPTI French Market (A DIVISION OF LE PASSAGE TO INDIA PVT LTD) as a (Tour Executive) from Dec 2011 till 10 July 2012 Worked with Gets HOLIDAYS PVT LTD Inbound Market (an Inbound Tour & Travel company accredited from various trade bodies of repute i.e IATO, IATA, ASTA, TAAI, TAFI and Ministry of Tourism of India) as a (sales Tour Executive) from Nov 2009 Dec 2011 Worked with Delhi Tourism &Transport Development Corporation (GOVT OF DELHI) as (Management Trainee/Tour Escort) from Sept 2007-March 2009 ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION Bachelor of Commerce Kumaun university 2004 XII C.B.S.E Board 2001 X C. B.S.E Board 1999 LANGUAGES KNOWN English Hindi Chinese PERSONAL DETAILS Date of Birth : 10 June 1984 Fathers Name : Lt Shri Shyam Singh Dangi Sex : Male Marital Status : Single Hobbies : Traveling, making friends & listening music DECLARATION ________________________________________________________________ I hereby declare that all the statements made in this application are true, complete and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. Reference will be provided on request Date : Place : Delhi (Ganesh Singh Dangi ) Hi All I am Ganesh from India i am good in chinese & English if you have something where i can use my skill pls contact me ganesh_s_dangi@yahoo.co.in

Jan 22, 2017 17:34 Report Abuse

ganesh25yrs

CURRICULUM VITAE GANESH SINGH DANGI Flt no-146, Sunrise Apartment Opp NCERT Qtrs Nasirpur Dwarka New Delhi -110045 Mobile: 08510917784, 08178039489 Email ID: ganesh_s_dangi@yahoo.co.in QQ no : 2330136967@QQ.com _________________________________________________________________________________ Career Objective:- Seeking a challenging career as Chinese Interpretor or Translator where i can utilize my Chinese Language & Travel Industry experience for the growth of the organization and my own. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION 1yrs Chinese Language course from Shenyang Normal University Shenyang China http://www.synu.edu.cn/synuen/p1_01.html Diploma in Chinese Language course from Bharti Vidya Bhavan New Delhi http://www.bvbdelhi.org/jawahar_academy/jawahar_lang.html Post Graduate Diploma in Travel and Tourism Industry Management from Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (an organization of Ministry of Tourism ) Gwalior http://iittm.net/main/aboutus.htm# Computerized Reservation System (Air Ticketing //Amadeus) from YMCA SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE & SKILLS Working on contractual basis in Genpact India Pvt Ltd on Astrazenica process since Aug 2016 till date working as Chinese freelance Guide ,Interpretor & Translator in New Delhi Feb 2016- July 2016 Worked with LPTI French Market (A DIVISION OF LE PASSAGE TO INDIA PVT LTD) as a (Tour Executive) from Dec 2011 till 10 July 2012 Worked with Gets HOLIDAYS PVT LTD Inbound Market (an Inbound Tour & Travel company accredited from various trade bodies of repute i.e IATO, IATA, ASTA, TAAI, TAFI and Ministry of Tourism of India) as a (sales Tour Executive) from Nov 2009 Dec 2011 Worked with Delhi Tourism &Transport Development Corporation (GOVT OF DELHI) as (Management Trainee/Tour Escort) from Sept 2007-March 2009 ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION Bachelor of Commerce Kumaun university 2004 XII C.B.S.E Board 2001 X C. B.S.E Board 1999 LANGUAGES KNOWN English Hindi Chinese PERSONAL DETAILS Date of Birth : 10 June 1984 Fathers Name : Lt Shri Shyam Singh Dangi Sex : Male Marital Status : Single Hobbies : Traveling, making friends & listening music DECLARATION ________________________________________________________________ I hereby declare that all the statements made in this application are true, complete and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. Reference will be provided on request Date : Place : Delhi (Ganesh Singh Dangi ) Hi All I am Ganesh from India i am good in chinese & English if you have something where i can use my skill pls contact me ganesh_s_dangi@yahoo.co.in

Jan 22, 2017 17:33 Report Abuse

ganesh25yrs

CURRICULUM VITAE GANESH SINGH DANGI Flt no-146, Sunrise Apartment Opp NCERT Qtrs Nasirpur Dwarka New Delhi -110045 Mobile: 08510917784, 08178039489 Email ID: ganesh_s_dangi@yahoo.co.in QQ no : 2330136967@QQ.com _________________________________________________________________________________ Career Objective:- Seeking a challenging career as Chinese Interpretor or Translator where i can utilize my Chinese Language & Travel Industry experience for the growth of the organization and my own. PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION 1yrs Chinese Language course from Shenyang Normal University Shenyang China http://www.synu.edu.cn/synuen/p1_01.html Diploma in Chinese Language course from Bharti Vidya Bhavan New Delhi http://www.bvbdelhi.org/jawahar_academy/jawahar_lang.html Post Graduate Diploma in Travel and Tourism Industry Management from Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (an organization of Ministry of Tourism ) Gwalior http://iittm.net/main/aboutus.htm# Computerized Reservation System (Air Ticketing //Amadeus) from YMCA SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE & SKILLS Working on contractual basis in Genpact India Pvt Ltd on Astrazenica process since Aug 2016 till date working as Chinese freelance Guide ,Interpretor & Translator in New Delhi Feb 2016- July 2016 Worked with LPTI French Market (A DIVISION OF LE PASSAGE TO INDIA PVT LTD) as a (Tour Executive) from Dec 2011 till 10 July 2012 Worked with Gets HOLIDAYS PVT LTD Inbound Market (an Inbound Tour & Travel company accredited from various trade bodies of repute i.e IATO, IATA, ASTA, TAAI, TAFI and Ministry of Tourism of India) as a (sales Tour Executive) from Nov 2009 Dec 2011 Worked with Delhi Tourism &Transport Development Corporation (GOVT OF DELHI) as (Management Trainee/Tour Escort) from Sept 2007-March 2009 ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION Bachelor of Commerce Kumaun university 2004 XII C.B.S.E Board 2001 X C. B.S.E Board 1999 LANGUAGES KNOWN English Hindi Chinese PERSONAL DETAILS Date of Birth : 10 June 1984 Fathers Name : Lt Shri Shyam Singh Dangi Sex : Male Marital Status : Single Hobbies : Traveling, making friends & listening music DECLARATION ________________________________________________________________ I hereby declare that all the statements made in this application are true, complete and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief. Reference will be provided on request Date : Place : Delhi (Ganesh Singh Dangi ) Hi All My name is Ganesh, i am Indian , i speak English & Chinese fluently, Earlier i worked in European Travel Agency. i am looking job, if you have something where i can use my skill ,please contact me ganesh_s_dangi@yahoo.co.in thanks Ganesh

Jan 22, 2017 17:29 Report Abuse

tiger_22

Hello friends...why you are fighting i am from pakistan with good accent and skills. i am teaching in china with high salary doesn't matter you from english country or not .The thing is how you teach your students.so that they can learn english in easy way and speak without hesitation. people may doubt what you say but they will always belive what you do...so if you really think that you are a good learner and good teacher chinese lovely people needs you

Jul 07, 2013 04:45 Report Abuse

Sheena Mae Ferrer

Hi!
I am looking for a job as a consultant or as a teacher.i hope you can help me.

Oct 09, 2012 23:51 Report Abuse

malik

I'm Abdul and i am a teacher of engrish in shanghai.Indeed better to be a teacher of engrish than to work lower paid in some companies where u will learn anything..

Aug 21, 2012 04:29 Report Abuse

mohanmad

hello sir/madum

I am a bangladeshi.now i im living in shandong province of china.here i am student now.i interested to job in china.i can speak 4 languages (English,Bangla,China,korean).if you think that i am worthy to job in your country\company please inform me.

Mohanmad

Apr 24, 2011 16:46 Report Abuse

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Sep 04, 2011 15:18 Report Abuse

Eric

Here i am i live in qingdao and my chinese speaking is awesome so if you needed a translator here i am

Feb 06, 2012 21:35 Report Abuse

HAIDER ALI

DEAR ALI ,
ASLAM-O-ALEQUM ..... I CAN HELP YOU IF YOU WANT ??????MY NUMBER IS 15365024348

Mar 17, 2012 23:18 Report Abuse

MAX DAR

hey kate , if you want visa in china then i can give you . visa of any university ???????how much you want .?? you can contact me on my email address . or my number is 15365024348

Mar 17, 2012 23:21 Report Abuse

MAX DAR

HEY JOSEPH , WHAT'S UP ??
YOU SHOULD CONTACT ME IF YOU WANT VISA . BOTH STUDENT VISA AND BUSINESS VISA . I CAN GIVE YOU ...YOU CAN CONTACT ME .FEEL FREE. I HAVE SO MANY FRIENDS FROM GHANA AND THEY ARE DOING THIS WITH ME ???153650243248

Mar 17, 2012 23:24 Report Abuse

Krishan

'You really need to work on your grammer and spelling mistakes'........so do you, 'grammer' is spelt 'grammar' you fool.

Oct 29, 2011 08:57 Report Abuse

rob

yes mate if you goto reveiw,spelling ect you have the option

Apr 25, 2012 16:16 Report Abuse

sammy100

Hello Manju!My friend is looking for a job if your school needs teacher can u drop ma a line cause he is from India as well.Thanx!

Oct 02, 2012 17:44 Report Abuse

Rsarame

HI Manju! Great to hear that Indian could get an ESL job in CHina.I am from former USSR country and studied in India. Loved India. I would also like to teacher in China applied 2 times, schools approved but government doesn't give work permit easily. Dont know why???!!!! Still waiting. If your school needs non natives please let me know! Thnx

Jul 22, 2013 04:51 Report Abuse

JasmineU

Hi Manju,please can you give me a link to apply? I'm a non native speaker too. But I have IELTS certificate and a degree in Education English,with two years of experience. Jasmineudochi@gmail.com thanks

Mar 04, 2017 07:30 Report Abuse