Teaching English in Guangzhou

A famous Tier 1 TEFL city in China, Guangzhou certainly has a lot to use. It is an incredibly distinct alternative to Beijing and Shanghai. Primarily is the reality that despite its business prominence as the production capital of China and the fact that it's the nation's third-largest city, Guangzhou exudes a much more relaxing vibe. People just do not appear to be continuously in a rush here, unlike other major teaching cities, which translates to a more laid-back way of life for expat instructors. The distance to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, the charming stretch of the South China Sea coast close by, the distinct European impact, and the moderate environment add to Guangzhou's tremendous popularity amongst foreign teachers.

Much like Hong Kong, Guangzhou also boasts a more amalgamated expat scene. While you'll find rather distinct British, Australian, or Dutch expat communities in more prominent cities, Guangzhou and its (relative) diminutive size doesn't lend itself well to separation: everybody's thrown into the pot together, so your future social circles are most likely to be a lot more varied, a mixed-bag of all different citizenships that make life a little bit more vibrant.

With a spectacular standard of living, great travel opportunities, and a broad selection of areas offering a wealth of scenes (from vibrant and trendy hoods ideal for young singe expats to family-friendly suburban areas), Guangzhou has a 'scene' to match every TEFL teacher. A Tier 1 teaching location benefits from the added reward of being a lot more relaxing location to live in.

What's not to love about that?

Guangzhou as a TEFL location-- What's life like for an expat?

Historically, it opened up to the world and invited foreign trade because Guangzhou is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in China in ancient times. If it's your very first time teaching English abroad, you can consider this a 'winner' as far as culture-shock is concerned. Not just will you come across lots of foreigners every single day, but the regional food will be a lot more recognizable to you. While still extremely authentically Chinese, all feel of the city will appear a lot more worldwide. Because it is!

Here's a quick overview of life in Guangzhou that'll assist you in choosing if this southern Chinese city is simply the English-teaching location for you.

The expense of living in Guangzhou

Being an upscale city yet not the # 1 most-coveted TEFL destination makes Guangzhou extremely affordable. You can score a brand-new house for much less than the exact same cost you in Beijing, Shanghai, and even Shenzhen. However, your best choice is to conserve a ton of money by leasing in an older building. Luckily, Guangzhou still has lots of 'old(er)' left (in the meantime), which can make a living here incredibly economical. Teacher wages can be right up there with the very best, which translates to a good choice for expat instructors. Regional food is super inexpensive (as is regional transport). Even Western meals, typically priced much higher, are less expensive here than elsewhere.