Teaching Requirements

We often get asked, "In order to teach, do I need to currently be a teacher?" The good news is no! Regardless of your background you could soon be working and travelling one of the most historically rich and rapidly developing countries on the planet. However, there are two main academic requirements you need to meet in order to be employed as a teacher.

  1. Hold a bachelors degree in any field
  2. Complete Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate (TEFL)

There are many options for completing TEFL, but we recommend that you consult with us before choosing your course.  We will make sure that the course you choose is accredited and affordable.  Some training schools will even pay for your course, so let us introduce you to them.

Finding The Perfect Job

After you earn your TEFL, browsing ESL job posting can be overwhelming and confusing. With thousands of jobs posted, finding the right job, a trusted employer, and someone that will be with you every step of the way is near impossible.  We take pride in matching you with the best fit possible and answering every question you may have about teaching and moving abroad. When we are matching you with a job we take into consideration several criteria.

  • Employer's requirements
  • Teaching experience
  • Teacher personality
  • Teacher interests
  • Desired teaching location
  • Level and demographics of students

Many recruiters will place teachers at any school that needs teachers, but GTA places the highest value on teacher satisfaction and guarantees that you won't find a better job offer.  

Job Guarantees


  • Salary
  • Salaries will vary from 10,000 RMB to up to and even exceeding 20,000 RMB per month for qualified and experienced candidates. Often times you will find jobs that sound too good to be true and they are. There are hundreds of pop up schools that will promise you the sun, the moon and the stars and disappear when payday comes around. We only do business with high calibre institutions that we put through a rigorous vetting process and have personal relationships with. We ensure that each and every school we deal with offer solid salary packages and fantastic career development programs where there are rapid promotion possibilities for hard and earnest workers.

  • Housing
  • With any school you are matched with you will be offered either a free apartment or a housing allowance. Some schools will provide an apartment, complete with furnishings while others will give you a lump sum and assistance in finding an apartment of your own.


  • Annual Leave
  • Traditionally Training Schools will give you 10 days paid annual leave as well as all Chinese public holidays off. This comes to around 21 paid leave days per year. Universities and public schools might not offer the highest salaries, they will give you the summer and winter holidays off which can mean two or even three months of leave per year. Many kindergartens will give their teachers a whole month off at the time of the Chinese New Year, which is great but it does mean your leave can only be taken at a set time of the year.

  • Medical Insurance
  • You will be provided with medical insurance. The level of insurance and cover will again vary from school to school. Some institutions will provide only basic medical cover whereas others will give you full comprehensive cover.

    Basic day to day health care in China is not expensive, a visit to the Doctor for something like flu should not cost more than about 150 RMB, which will include your consultation and your medicine. There will also always be a Chinese person assigned to you from your school who will go with you to the Doctor and make sure you get the proper treatment.