Prospective Teacher - Age consideration.

Hello,
I am just now 70 years old. My paper qualifications are TEFL ; B.A (Russian French);
and a qualified librarian (which may well be worth nothing but who knows - not me.)
My teaching experience: No teaching position. I have been teaching English for many years just off my own bat. Sometimes I charge and sometimes for free. Always for fun, interest.

I have a lot on China and rules seem to be flexible - so to speak. guanxi etc.. if I have that pinyin right. Favours and so on.

I read also that one can have ones own "school"   of up to about 4 or 5 students.

I have very basic putonghua mandarin - teaching myself. I want to go to China and teach English (or Russian or French). I am fit and can probably pass physically as someone 50-60. I want to go for a year at least. I understand the sever climate variations which exist. I need to pay that serious attention.   

I have a strong IT background and teaching is a normal part of that job. I know I am a good teacher.
I don't want to work with students who are not really interested - especially young students.  I don't really want to "child mind either - but if that gets me there - I will do that. 

This is my first email on RCS so I hope I am sending this the best way.

What I want are comments, advice, correcting my assumptions and "facts".   

Anything - even which province, school, city.




 







 

I split this into its own topic so that it wouldn't get lost on a post that was 8 months old.

It will be quite hard for you to find a legal position teaching in China at 70 years old. There are always exceptions in China but it seems to be that most of the wiggle room is for people in the 60-65 age range. There's also more wiggle room if you're doing something specialized to where that specialization overrides your age.

Can you do tutoring, private part time work, etc., theoretically yes, but you will still need a visa or residence permit. If you aren't getting your legal paperwork from your employer, then you are taking a risk.

It can't hurt to send out some resumes and see if you get any bites, but I would not get my hopes up. There might be some other countries out there that have less strict age limitations -- Korea? Japan? Thailand? Vietnam? I don't know. Not to be pessimistic but I think your chances of landing your first job in China teaching English at the age of 70 are close to zero.

Yeah, I'm afraid I agree with LD. At my school we have had a few over 60's (but nothing over 65) and the only reason they got here is due to major guanxi (relationship) with the school. All arrived pre-60 and one was dropped the year after he turned 60 and he couldn't find employment anywhere despite desperately wanting to stay in china. He was forced to go home, but then a few months later had the opportunity to help out one of the deans during a US trip and got the dean to force the school to re-hire him. He's now 62 I think(maybe 63?) and his wife (yes he has a wife back in the US he hasn't seen for years) is begging him to go back but he refuses, I think because he knows he will never be able to find another job.

Sorry to be a downer. Do you have any relationship with a chinese school (or a friend who does?) I think that might be your only real route to go for.

Yes, I agree with Borkya and LD. Without guanxi at some school, a person would find it difficult to land a position. Nothing is impossible, especially in China, just difficult. I will turn 70 this fall, but my visa was renewed by the local PSB last month. School authorities have to go out on a limb in cases such as ours, so they recommend older teachers with care. I have taught here for several years.

From what I've heard, Korea and Japan are much harder for older folks than China. Unfortunately, the reality is that people are more prone to health problems as they get older, and ESL employers in most countries just don't want to take the chance of you getting ill on their watch.

 Having said that, China is more flexible than most in this area.I would say you will definitely be able to find work...but your options will be much more limited than for most people with your qualifications. As LD said, put some resumes out there and see what you get back. I guarantee you'll get some responses. They might not be exactly what you're looking for, but it will give you an idea of what your options are. Good luck.

Your chances at any one school are very low.  One advantage of China's huge population is that it has more FT positions than anywhere else in the world.

I can't guarantee that you can find a legal way to work here, but if you approach this with the dogged determination you seem to show, you may find something.

Good luck!  Keep us informed of how the job search proceeds and also if you have any more questions.

I've known more than a few folks that are even older than me. Some retain their positions as The Local Dialect, randyjac, decurso and all the other Lunatics mentioned. Others are able to find something if they are away from the norm, i.e. second and third tier cities/schools. It's been done so I know you can do it

As EL said, Good luck!  Keep us informed of how the job search proceeds and also if you have any more questions. (Let me add, please ask)

I worked at my university until I was 67.  The Dean kept asking about my health and I said I have never missed a day in 5 yrs. However, when I renewed for the last year I was 66 turning 67 part way through he told me that was the last year I could come back