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Teach, explore, and grow — launch your global TEFL career with a 3-month placement in a school in China
Our China Schools programme is a fantastic way to launch your TEFL career, with support, community, mentorship, and an accredited qualification. All with meals, accommodation and an end-of-programme trip included.
This could be you...
How the programme works
On this programme, you will teach English in a school in China, and study towards an Ofqual Level 5 TEFL certificate. Read on below to learn what happens in each stage of the programme after your place is confirmed.
- On-hand support – Guidance from our staff throughout the pre-departure process for booking flights, visa process, and more to ensure you’re as prepared as can be for your time in China.
- Lots of information – A webinar and pre-departure pack with details on what to bring, what to expect from your programme and how to adapt to life in China.
- Connect with your fellow Gotoco’ers – You’ll be added to a group chat so that you can get to know each other and create travel plans together.
- Begin your TEFL teacher training course – Get started on your teacher training course online so that when your programme begins you’ll hit the ground running.
- Arriving in China – Guidance and contact information will be given to ensure you arrive smoothly. You’ll be met by your placement host at either the nearest train station or airport.
- Meeting the team – You’ll meet your hosts and the staff that will be there to support you throughout your programme as well as your fellow Gotoco’ers who’ll be joining you on this journey!
- Getting settled & Safety – You’ll be given an induction at the school, as well as specific guidance on what to expect from your time there, what’s expected of you, and who your first points of contact are. You’ll also receive a safety briefing and how to acclimatise to life in China.
- Teaching – You’ll be joining us for a 2-3 month placement, and will generally be teaching for 16 to 20 hours a week. You’ll plan most of your own classes, giving you the opportunity to hone your lesson planning skills throughout the programme. You’ll usually be teaching oral English, but may teach other subjects (e.g. maths or science) in English instead. Don’t worry – if you’re teaching subjects like maths, the school will make sure the content is well within your grasp!
- Gain invaluable skills & experience – Plan and deliver engaging lessons, developing your skills in public speaking, communication, leadership, and growing your professional confidence.
- Learn the language – Your school will provide some Chinese classes, and both the staff and students at your school will be happy to teach you extra phrases and help you practice what you’ve learned.
- Be immersed in Chinese culture – Wander the streets in your downtime, make friends with the staff at your school or locals in the area, and experience real life in a local city.
- Five nights in Yangshuo – Relax and explore Yangshuo with your fellow Gotoco’ers, experiencing the former backpacker mecca of China and seeing some of the most beautiful scenery China has to offer.
- Fun cultural activities – Hike through the iconic karst landscape, explore hidden caves, or take a swim in the Li River. For thrill-seekers, try rock climbing in China’s climbing hotspot, or go kayaking and white-water rafting. You can also dive into local culture by cycling through traditional Guangxi villages, trying your hand at fan painting, or doing a hands-on cooking class. Or, if you prefer, simply relax and soak in the breathtaking views. There’s plenty to enjoy!
- Future Plans and Advice – Take the time to reflect on your journey and explore your next steps, whether it’s travelling through China or Asia, pursuing teaching opportunities abroad, or considering other paths. Our team will be available to offer advice and guidance as you think about what steps you wish to take next.
On this programme, you will work up to our Level 5 TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) qualification, regulated by Ofqual—the UK government body responsible for overseeing qualifications.
A Level 5 TESOL qualification is equivalent to a foundation degree and offers more advanced and comprehensive training than the standard 120-hour TEFL course you’ll typically see offered on online courses.
Because your qualification is Ofqual-regulated (unlike 120-hour TEFL courses), it’s internationally recognised and meets the TEFL requirements for EFL teaching roles and visa processes all around the world!
You’ll receive access to your course once your placement is confirmed. In the first units, you’ll learn how to plan a lesson, about different learner types, and how to manage a classroom, allowing you to hit the ground running the moment you set foot in a classroom!
Once on your placement, you’ll have time in your teaching schedule to work through your TESOL qualification alongside any lesson planning for the week. We encourage you to complete the qualification alongside your teaching placement as it’s a practical course designed to go alongside your teaching. If you don’t manage to complete the full course during your placement, don’t worry! You’ll still be able to finish the assignments at your own pace once the programme ends.
Our course is fully online and self-led—no in-person training or weekly webinars needed—so you can study flexibly around your schedule, whether that’s teaching, work, travel, or other life commitments.
Check out Yangshuo: Your trip location for the end-of-programme trip
What can I expect from my placement?
You’ll be filling the role of a real teacher at a real school, delivering classes as part of the student’s regular timetable. It’s a great opportunity to see what life as a TEFL teacher is like! You’ll need to plan your own lessons, but will be given guidance and/or a textbook to work from. Classes will usually focus on speaking and listening, as students will usually have grammar classes from their regular English teacher.
Enthusiasm and energy are key. Our partners all know you’re new to teaching and aren’t expecting you to be the best teacher in the world. They are, however, expecting you to give it your best effort!
You will usually teach Monday to Friday. You’ll be teaching for 16 to 20 hours per week, with classes usually lasting 45 to 60 minutes. At first you’ll likely find this tiring, and find that creating lesson plans for all of these classes will take you quite some time, but you’ll quickly get into the swing of things! You’ll have plenty of downtime to explore the local area and practice your Chinese by making local friends – or travelling further afield on weekends!
The programme will give you the chance to experience what ‘real China’ is like and to immerse yourself in a local community.
Most of our placements are in towns and cities in Hunan or Hebei provinces. While they are smaller cities by China’s standards, they are usually bigger in population than most British cities!
Spending an extended time in one of these smaller cities makes for a fantastic opportunity to really experience life in China, rather than joining an expat bubble in Shanghai or Shenzhen. We encourage you to make friends with some locals, take on the local hobbies, and practise your Mandarin daily.
Hunan is famous for its stunning mountains and scenery, with its Zhangjiajie National Park claimed to be the inspiration for the mountains in the film Avatar. The province was also the birthplace of Mao Zedong (Chairman Mao) – you can see an 83-metre statue of Young Mao Zedong in Changsha, the province’s capital, or visit the Mao Zedong Memorial Museum in Shaoshan, the village where Mao was born.
Hebei province surrounds Beijing, the China’s capital, and is steeped in history, with stretches of the Great Wall, ancient settlements, the imperial summer residences of Qing-dynasty emperors, and many temples scattered throughout the province. As well as being close to Beijing and Tianjin, the province has many economically vibrant cities, mainly driven by an industrial boom since the 1980s – and there are even ski resorts in winter!
On all placements, you’ll have the chance to travel on weekends and learn more about what makes China such a fascinating and engrossing country!
Our programmes vary, but you’ll always be with other Gotocoers and have a support network at your school! If your school is in a city not far from other Gotocoers then you may be in pairs, but if you’re further apart from other Gotocoers then there’ll always be at least 3 of you.
You’ll often make friends with school staff or teaching assistants at your placement. Many locals will want you to enjoy their city, so if you have the time then take advantage of this and make friends outside of your Gotoco bubble – you’ll be surprised at the connections you can make without speaking the same language!
The school will have a specific member(s) of staff that’s responsible for looking after you, from putting together your timetable to organising your accommodation and ensuring you’re fed. They’ll be your first point of contact for any questions you have about anything at the camp/accommodation and are there to make sure you’re comfortable.
You’ll also always have a point of contact at Gotoco to help you navigate your China experience and support you with any issues you may face. You’ll always deal more with the staff at your placement, but if you’re having difficulty communicating with them or have questions about the TEFL, general development, or others, then we’re here to help!
Accommodation varies across programmes, but you should always expect to share rooms! Most of our partner schools are boarding schools, so they often have accommodation for you on the campus, but some schools will put you up in a nearby hotel instead.
Accommodation usually won’t be luxurious, but it will always be safe and comfortable, and you’ll never be provided with accommodation that we wouldn’t be happy to stay in.
Three meals a day will be provided throughout your placement and will often be prepared/eaten at the school. While this may not sound appealing at first glance, school food in China is much better than the food at most British schools! You should expect the food to be local-style, with lots of rice (particularly if you’re in the south of China). We encourage you to go and try out local restaurants from time to time, with meals usually being available for between £2 and £6.
Dietary requirements will be catered for, but be realistic in your expectations. Concepts of being vegan/vegetarian aren’t always well understood and if you’re concerned about getting certain nutrients then it may be worth bringing your own supplements. With that said, once you’re confirmed on a programme let us know about your dietary requirements and we can advise further and even provide you with some useful phrases – one of our team is vegan and we’ve had participants with all sorts of dietary requirements, so it’s definitely possible!
Like everywhere, allergies are taken seriously when they’re properly explained. However, many restaurants cook with peanut oil by default, and allergies are rarer here so you do need to clearly explain things before every meal. We’ll ensure your host is informed of any allergies in advance, but you are ultimately responsible for double checking at mealtimes.
Please see this FAQ for more information.
Why should I join this programme?
We know from speaking to thousands of you at university events that there’s often apprehension around the idea of going to China, but everyone who joins us here falls in love with it! Why?:
China is a captivating country with stunning landscapes, bustling modern cities, diverse cultures, and friendly people. It offers you the opportunity to step beyond ‘Western’ norms and challenge your perspective in a safe environment.
One of the best ways to experience China is through its food! Chinese cuisine is one of the richest and most varied cuisines in the world, with every region and province having their own style of cooking, and many cities having their own famous dish. In Hunan and Sichuan you can expect a lot of spice, while in Yunnan there are lots of mushrooms in dishes and insects eaten as street food. Beijing food has lots of sesame paste, dark soy paste, and less rice than the south, while the food in Guangdong uses lots of ginger, garlic, sugar, and soy sauce.
Though the English level in China is lower compared to Asia’s backpacker hotspots, this offers an exciting opportunity for you to truly immerse yourself in the language and culture, providing a very different experience to typical travel for anglophones.
With regard to the placements themselves, this programme sets you up brilliantly to seek a TEFL job upon completion. You’ll have experienced two-to-three months of teaching students with a range of abilities, and be very comfortable standing in front of a classroom by the time the programme ends. This experience combined with the TEFL qualification you’ll attain will put you in very good stead to go into TEFL jobs in China (one of the biggest TEFL markets in the world!) or elsewhere. For more on this, read our ‘job prospects’ section.
Even if you choose a non-teaching career path after the programme, your experience and new-found understanding of China will be of great important in a range of careers!
After your programme? You can visit the towering mountains of Tibet (easier to do by staying within western Yunnan or Sichuan), experience the metropolis of Shanghai, see the infamous ‘Avatar’ mountains (Zhangjiajie) and of course visit the Great Wall of China – it’s not often you get the chance to visit one of the seven wonders of the world! Your Gotoco coordinators have lots of experience travelling in China and will be more than happy to give you travel advice. Besides, once you’ve been on a programme in China for a few weeks you’ll feel a lot more confident navigating travel here, and once you’ve travelled in China you’ll find travelling in the usual backpacker spots a breeze.
This is an exciting opportunity to experience something totally different and embrace the unexpected. You’re guaranteed to have countless new experiences in China, with each day throwing something new your way.
Your TEFL certification along with your teaching experience will allow you to go on to seek teaching jobs in many countries around the world! You can go on to earn good salaries teaching in East and South-East Asia, as well as the rest of the world, such as in South America, and even Europe (and many of our participants have done!).
Our China programme sets you up especially well for a job in China, one of the biggest TEFL markets in the world! Job listings are aplenty all over the country and salaries are high (even over £2,000/month), and schools will be glad to see some China-experience on an applicant’s CV.
If you don’t have a degree (in any subject) your opportunities will be more limited, but you will still have some options. Due to visa requirements, your only option in South-East Asia is Cambodia, but there are plenty of countries in South America that are open to teachers with no degree. Many European countries, such as Spain, Germany, and Italy, are also open to non-degree holders, although some schools may require degrees.
We also have a partnership with Teach First, the UK’s largest initial teacher training provider! Teach First’s programme allows you to work as a teacher in the UK while completing your PGCE on the side, instead of going back to university, and once you’ve completed your TEFL course and programme you can enter a streamlined application process, skipping the testing stage when applying.
Even if you find that teaching isn’t for you, having a TEFL qualification and the programme experience will be a big boost to your CV! Teaching experience displays many skills to employers, particularly public speaking and confidence, as well as an ability to work on and implement a plan. Spending an extended period abroad suggests a high level of independence and open-mindedness, along with the ability to work with a range of people from different backgrounds.
Teaching abroad can also open up many other doors and career opportunities outside of schools. Long-time friends of Gotoco have leveraged their TEFL jobs to become full-time travel writers, work in Tokyo’s tech industry, and even set up their own businesses. An expat bar in Beijing, Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh isn’t just good fun, it’s also a great place to casually network!
Most of our participants join us without knowing a word of Mandarin/Chinese – and you don’t need to know any to join the programme. You won’t be expected to use any Chinese in your English classes and there’ll be staff on hand at your school to help you with most things. When you’re out and about you can get by using translation apps and lots of gestures.
With that said, your school will include Chinese classes as part of your timetable to help you make the most of your time here. You certainly won’t leave the programme fluent in Mandarin, but should be able to order food etc. by the time you leave the school. If you’d like to start learning before arriving then you may wish to try the apps Hello Chinese, Du Chinese, or Super Chinese, or if you’re particularly keen then set up some online classes on websites like Preply or italki!
See participants on our March 2025 intake learning Mandarin in their programme induction below!
How much does it cost?
This programme is free to join! That means you don’t pay a fee for your TEFL training and placement as it’s funded through local programme resources.
When joining this programme, You’ll receive for free:
✔ Level 5 TEFL training and certification
✔ 3-month teaching placement
✔ Meals and accommodation
✔ Cultural activities
✔ Mandarin lessons
✔ Personal and community support, including 24/7 support for emergencies.
✔ Holiday at the end to our stunning base of Yangshuo—the original backpacking town in South China!
When joining the programme, you will need to self-fund:
- Flights/travel to and from the programme
- Visa (approx. £200)
- Travel insurance
- Meals and any extra activities during the end-of-programme trip
- Vaccinations
- DBS check (approx. £18)
- Personal expenditure (e.g. drinks, meals out, etc.) and travel
- SIM card
- VPN (our recommended VPN costs around £5 per month)
How do I apply?
To apply, you just need to fill in our application form here. Once you’ve applied and completed the application steps, you can then select the programme on the form below.
This is an entry-level programme, so all you need to apply is to:
- Have completed high school/A-level/college
- Be an advanced level English speaker, e.g a native speaker or otherwise have native-level English.
- Have a clear criminal record
- Be available and excited to travel to China!
Our China programmes are entry-level, so we generally accept applications from any young adult. However, there are a few potential exceptions:
Non-native speakers: It can sometimes be difficult for us to place non-native speakers on these programmes. If your English ability is C1 or C2 on the CEFR scale then we may be able to offer you a place – email us and we can give you more information. It’s easier for us to offer places for non-native speakers on our China summer programmes or our programmes in South-East Asia.
Experience: These programmes are entry-level, so no teaching experience is necessary! However, these programmes are competitive so your CV matters and you should sell yourself in your application – make sure to include relevant extracurriculars on your CV, and put some effort into your video introduction. We’ll always do our best to offer you a place on this programme, but if we aren’t able to then we’ll let you know about other options.
Age: Like all of our programmes, our China programmes are targeted at those from 18 to 30 years old. If you’re over 30 but still wish to apply, then please see here for more information.
Yes, applications for this free programme are competitive, so make sure to tailor your CV and include any relevant experience.
Earlier applications are prioritised, so make sure to apply as early as possible to give yourself the best chance of securing a place.
Select Your Programme Dates