About Us

GoTeach China is an education recruiting service helping both aspiring and highly qualified educators find rewarding employment in China and other Asian countries.

For aspiring teachers, we light the way – offering support and guidance on their pathway into the education profession.

For those already experienced in this field, we represent opportunity and security – providing clear information on attractive positions and assisting educators with the transition into a new teaching environment.

GoTeach China is a service of Gowell Education.  Our founder, Linda Wu – a graduate of Brown University – established Gowell over 10 years ago and is active in the education community in Hong Kong, China, US and UK. Headquartered in Hong Kong – a city that embodies both Chinese and western cultures – we offer a unique combination of expertise in Chinese education together with high quality service to educators.

Our strong relationships with academic institutions in China and greater Asia allow us to bring opportunities at reputable schools and universities to our teachers. At the same time, our work with schools around the world well-positions us to articulate the similarities and differences among international education systems.

We value our teachers at GoTeach China. Our associates will work hard to help you achieve your career goals – maximizing your employment options, guiding you every step of the way and answering questions you may or may not know to ask.

Our Team is….

Accessible
Our associates based in the US and UK offer direct contact at recruitment events, information seminars and on-site meetings and interviews. Our associates in Hong Kong are also available to provide quick and attentive support.

Cross-Cultural
Our team includes many former native English speaking teachers who have taught in the US, UK as well as China, understanding what it takes for you to teach in China. At the same time, our Chinese staff liaise directly with our school partners.

Experienced
We have extensive experience with the workings of Chinese education programs, with knowledge of their needs, common challenges, and workable solutions.

Our Service

After our initial contact, GoTeach China begins the process of finding suitable employment opportunities for you.

Getting to know you. We will spend time getting to know you as a person and educator to communicate who you are and what you offer to potential employers so to achieve a match that works for the school and yourself. We prioritize understanding your interests and goals and experiencing your teaching ‘voice’. You will be personally supported by our Hong Kong and overseas staff.

Identifying opportunities for you. Throughout our process, we will identify potential positions at academic institutions for which you are well-suited. Our close understanding of each school helps ensure an efficient use of your time.

Advice and information support. We will also advise you on whether your candidacy can be strengthened, such as whether your job search would be best served with additional certifications and, if so, assist you in selecting reputable and affordable programs to attain such certifications. For experienced teachers, we will focus on bringing you opportunities that value and make most use of your qualifications.

For each school that you are considering, we will share with you our School Profile Report detailing the school’s basic information, teaching curriculum, teaching goals and school culture. These reports include information such as school ranking, community profile, city overview, etc. As you can imagine, for most Chinese schools, limited information may be available in English. With our more complete information in hand, you can make informed decisions on your career move.

Securing the position. When a school extends an offer to you, our team serves as a communication channel between the school and yourself to help facilitate this process.

GoTeach China places a wide range of positions, including:

We work with a range of institutions, including:

Additional Benefits

In addition to our standard services, GoTeach China offers the following benefits. Contact us for more details.

TEFL/TESOL certifications
We can facilitate your earning a reputable TEFL/TESOL certificate, qualifying you to teach English as a foreign language and expanding the scope of teaching opportunities available to you. We offer both online and offline solutions.

Teacher resume coaching
A teacher’s resume emphasizes experiences and qualifications in a manner that is different from a standard resume. GoTeach China can identify parts of your background that best position your candidacy to schools.

Insurance coverage
We can help provide international-grade health insurance at English-speaking medical clinics and hospitals in China, in additional to what Chinese schools typically offer.

Cultural and language programs
GoTeach China provides online and offline language and cultural immersion programs to prep you for the road ahead.

After-hire support
Our associates will be accessible to you once you are on board to help identify any questions or concerns.

New Jobs

Please contact us for a full list of available positions. Featured here are some highlighted positions in China for your reference.

Guangzhou

What is it like there?
3rd largest city in China. Modern metropolis in warm southern China, very near Hong Kong. Home of Cantonese food and dim sum.

Our school partner
Small international department of 6 teachers within a larger private high school

What positions are available at this school?
High school science teachers (iGCSE/A-level)

Compensation
US$30,000/GBP20,000 per year + partially subsidized housing + more

Start date
August 2020

Beijing

What is it like there?
The capital of and 2nd largest city in China. Rich in history with 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Modern metropolis with a large expatriate population. Home of Peking duck, moo shu pork and sweet and sour soup.

Our school partner
Established international school with 2,500 students and over 55 expatriate teachers

What positions are available at this school?
Kindergarten to AP level English teachers. Middle School Visual Arts and Computer Science teachers

Compensation
US$30,000-US$90,000 / GBP20,000-GBP60,000 per year + free housing + more

Start date
August 2020

Wuhan

What is it like there?
6th largest city in China with a population of 8.3 million and the most populous city in central China. A major transportation hub, Wuhan is often referred to as the ‘Chicago of China.’ Home to spicy dry noodles and freshwater fish.

Our school partner
Established international school with 750 students and over 150 expatriate and bilingual teachers

What positions are available at this school?
High school physics teachers (A-Level/IB/AP)

Compensation
US$30,000/GBP20,000 per year + free housing + more

Start date
August 2020

Questions that you may have

FAQ for Aspiring Teachers
Why go into teaching?
While teaching abroad certainly offers you an exciting opportunity to generate an income while exploring new countries and cultures, teaching itself is a satisfying experience.
Regardless of whether you work with young children or adults, teaching places you in a position to make a real difference in your students’ lives – a step towards making a difference in our world. The moment a student lights up understanding a new concept is deeply rewarding to the teacher.
If you choose a career in teaching, starting abroad can provide you with a wider perspective on your chosen field. Work in education can be varied and enjoyable – no two days are ever the same.

What qualifications do I need to get to find a teaching job in China?
You may find different answers to this question, and with good reason. While the basic requirement for teaching jobs is a bachelor’s degree, and many schools also require TEFL/TESOL certification – every position is different. GoTeach China indicates clearly the qualifications required at each school that we represent. Should you need to obtain a certification for a position, we can facilitate this in a convenient and affordable manner.

What if I am not qualified for any of GoTeach China’s currently available positions?
You are still welcome to get started and register with us!
Available positions at any one time varies – we receive new job searches weekly. If a suitable position appears, we will contact you if we have your application on file.
We are happy to advise you on ways which you can become qualified for a greater range of teaching opportunities.

Can I apply before I have completed my TEFL/TESOL course?
Absolutely.
In your contact form, select “TEFL/Certification” as the category that best defines your qualifications. Then add, in the “Notes” section, that you are completing your TEFL/TESOL course, and indicate the expected completion date.

FAQ for Qualified Teachers
I have a state teaching license, QTS, etc. – a teaching qualification from my home country.  Is this helpful to my candidacy?
Yes! A certification to teach in your home country certainly helps your candidacy and some positions require this specifically. Schools in China are increasingly looking for experienced educators.

Could teaching abroad disrupt my teaching career at home?
Certainly not! While it is possible that your school system at home may not fully understand your teaching experience abroad, neither will teaching abroad hurt your career. In fact, many schools are encouraging teachers to gain international experience. The main concern will be keeping your teaching license (or other qualifications) up to date, just as you would need to do so if you remained at home.

FAQ on Teaching in China
Why would I want to teach in China?
China has a constant presence in the news, with the good, bad, and sometimes even strange. The country is a major and growing power, and changing the world today. At home or abroad, what happens in China will affect our future. Experiencing China firsthand is an invaluable experience.

Life in China is worth experiencing for itself. China offers a 5,000-year history, a vast and diverse land and some of the most modern cities in the world today for you to explore. Chinese cities enjoy modern infrastructure and a very high level of personal safety. You’ll find keen English-speakers everywhere you go, and should you want to learn a foreign language, you will find no better way. The local cuisines are infinite and delicious but even in smaller cities, you can still find a burger joint or a coffee shop. Working in China offers the chance to explore and experience the country in a way a tourist never could.

Modern China is a booming, vibrant, modern place with extraordinary demand for both English teachers and English-speaking educators and subject teachers. In this job market, you are in high demand at diverse cities across an enormous region.

What can I expect of life in China?
Not having experienced the country directly, it’s easy to have inaccurate ideas about what one is likely to run across in the course of teaching in China. The range is extreme: from those who pack a year’s supply of toilet paper (unnecessary!), to others who plan for overnight advancement and wealth (unlikely!).

GoTeach China can provide exciting online and offline language and cultural immersion programs that set you up to succeed and maximize your enjoyment.

Can I still apply, if I speak English fluently but am not a native English speaker?
Most schools will prefer hiring native-speaking English teachers.
That said, the job market has so much demand for English speaking teachers that schools may accept non-native speakers into their teaching staff. If you are fluent in English and don’t have an accent, you are welcome to apply.

What type of position should I be looking for?
English language teaching positions have always been the most readily available but we are seeing an increasing demand for English speaking teachers to teach other subjects. GoTeach China helps you find the best opportunity for your skills and qualifications, and advises you on what is realistically out there and achievable.

What kind of visa will I need, and how do I get it?
You need a Z visa for work in China, organized through your school, and ideally arranged before you arrive in the country. While you can arrive into China using other visas, the Z visa is a necessary step for full-time employment and can be issued in your home country or in Hong Kong. Required steps in acquiring a Z visa include a health checkup in China as well as a criminal background check.

It’s routine to downplay the complicated nature of scoring a work visa before arriving to teach. This step is often overlooked by smaller-scale recruiters.  Also, schools may be more hopeful than realistic about the ease of arranging your visa. Complicating matters, national laws can be implemented differently depending on the province, city, and even school involved.

GoTeach China makes a unique commitment to informing you on the realities and issues of the visa process in your specific case. The process can’t always be simple and predictable, but we can certainly prepare you for what to expect.

What kind of visa will my spouse need to stay in China?
Your spouse can enter China on a dependent or S visa. The S1 and S2 visas allow immediate family – parents, spouses, and children – to enter the country, but in order to apply for them you must first have acquired legal residence in China through a Z visa. An S1 visa provides for a stay of over 180 days, while an S2 is limited to no more than 180 days.

How can I be sure of the school’s reliability as an employer?
Some teachers – without proper guidance – may find that their expectations are not met. GoTeach China knows each school that we work with, and ensures that each is legitimate and reputable, to reduce this risk. When you receive an offer from a school, we share with you the track record and teaching status of the prospective school – how long the school has been in operation, how its English teaching or international programs have worked in the past years, and goals for the coming school year.

How can I be sure that the school understands me? And that I understand them?
It’s all too easy for a potential employer to respond to questions they don’t understand with vague reassurances. You are in a different country, the language and culture are different – this can cause misunderstandings and frustrations. Mutual understanding isn’t a perk; it’s essential to the everyday workplace.

We get it.

Our cross cultural service is a big part of why we stand apart. Our team of Mainland Chinese, Hong Kong, and western staff will help you navigate through and bridge communication any challenges that may arise with your school employer.

What don’t I know that can get me in trouble?
From benefits to visas to food to local culture – know what you’re getting into, or expect a wild ride!

One area of misunderstanding among teachers working in China is with health insurance. There are many versions of the same story: A teacher may learn too late that “full health insurance” means much less in China than in the West.

GoTeach China brings to your attention issues like these – issues that you may not have been aware of. Where possible, we also offer avenues to work around the problem.

Regarding health insurance, for example, we can assist you in securing Western-style medical coverage for the duration of your stay in the event that their school is unable to provide it.

GoTeach China also provides you with language and cultural immersion programs, part of which previews the vagaries of working in China. Speaking of which….

What do I do if something goes wrong?
Working overseas and not speaking the local language can be both exciting and daunting.

GoTeach China can assist you in preparing you for emergencies requiring immediate local response, providing you with a contact lists specific to your location, and tips for dealing with such emergencies.

For longer-term issues, we also offers guidance, information, and advice as part of our after-hire support.