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China's Most Valuable Import: English Teachers From America

With the Olympics taking place in Beijing this summer, all eyes are looking to China and noticing that the Chinese are learning to speak English in record numbers. With a population of more than 1.3 billion people and a 10 % annual growth rate of over the past 10 years, China is quickly becoming home to the largest middle class in the world,a group of people who are hungry for the ticket to success: the ability to speak English.

English has become the worlds international language, and is an integral part of business, travel, medicine, entertainment, international commerce, and higher education (with US universities being the top draw of nations).

China has made it a national priority to have English taught in its thousands of public schools, and has allowed the free enterprise of private English language schools. The problem with learning foreign languages worldwide is that the native teachers typically have poor verbal skills and lack of context in the language being taught. The solution is to hire native English speakers from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

English teaching around the world has reached nearly 300,000 teachers living abroad and using their native English skills. English classes worldwide are typically taught in complete English immersion which provides the opportunity to teach around the world.

With such a large market demand, most schools in China pay approximately double the salary of native Chinese teachers and often provide free airfare and housing to attract the tens of thousands of teachers needed each year. Besides China, English teachers are also needed to teach throughout Asia, Europe and Latin America.

With the shortage of teachers, there is an international certification available named TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). A TEFL Certification trains and qualifies native English speakers to obtain teaching jobs worldwide. Intensive TEFL Certification courses can be finished in 30 days on location or in 2 month part-time TEFL courses online.

Native English speakers from America, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand are in high demand and can find themselves flying off within a few months off to the land of the rising sun. While most of the teachers are in the 20's and 30's who are energetic and adventurous, many people in their 50's find a second chance of living abroad after the kids have grown.

Leading the industry worldwide training close to 1,000 new teachers every year, The TEFL Institute of Chicago offers TEFL certification in Shanghai China and 25 other international TEFL locations, as well as online TEFL training for those working full time.

While many of us cannot make it to Beijing to participate in or observe the Olympics, the Chinese are inviting us to teach English abroad for a year and participate in an international cultural exchange that is the opportunity of a lifetime.

About the Author

Leading the industry worldwide training close to 1,000 new teachers every year, The TEFL Institute of Chicago www.TEFLinsitute.com offers TEFL certification in Shanghai China and 25 other international TEFL locations, as well as online TEFL training for those working full time.

Author Profile: Johnathan_Marx

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