Blogs by Kim Ooi
What it’s like teaching postgraduate students in China
Personal stories
October 30, 2020
It’s quite common for foreigners teaching in China to take up jobs based at universities and colleges. In my experience, foreign teachers at universities are typically assigned to teach oral English to undergraduates. I've been a univ...
Teaching in China with a disability
Advice
September 27, 2020
Can you teach in China with a disability? I’m sure this is something that very few disabled people have ever thought about. But with millions of disabled peopled not working in the UK alone, isn’t this a conversation worth having?...
My comparison of CELTA vs TEFL
Opinion
July 22, 2020
Are you tossing up between a CELTA or TEFL course? For those wishing to teach English in China, choosing the right teacher training course can be challenging. At one end of the spectrum, we have the ‘gold standard’ of teacher traini...
What it’s like teaching online in China during the coronavirus crisis
Personal stories
March 31, 2020
As you’re no doubt aware, the world is currently in the middle of a coronavirus pandemic. In an effort to stop the spread of the virus, China has instituted a lockdown which has delayed the start of the school semester. It was due to have...
How coronavirus has affected my life as a teacher in China
Daily life
March 15, 2020
From wearing face masks to battling boredom in locked-down cities, the coronavirus has changed the way we live in China. While I’m one of the lucky ones who hasn’t been infected by this contagious disease, it’s still had an...
How university contracts in China are changing for TEFL teachers
Opinion
January 05, 2020
I’ve been teaching in China for several years. Although I’ve taught at many different schools in China, the bulk of my time has been spent teaching at universities and colleges. The wording of the university contract has always seem...
7 reasons why Chinese university students cheat in exams (and how they do it)
Students
June 23, 2019
While working in China as an English teacher, I’ve learned that some university students cheat in exams. It’s an interesting phenomenon given many Chinese universities have a no-fail policy for paid-up students. So why would a stude...
Behavior management in Chinese universities – should you use the carrot or the stick?
Students
April 28, 2019
Picture this scene: you’re standing in front of your university English class in China trying to explain something. Meanwhile, Adam has his head on his desk, sleeping, Sugar is playing with her mobile phone and Fiona is doing homework from a...
Eating out in Zhenjiang
Food
April 13, 2019
I’ve taught English in many cities in China. None have had such a wide range of eating out options that I’m currently enjoying in Zhenjiang. My campus at Jiangsu University is surrounded by an impressive range of restaurants and hawker...
Why are so many English teachers in China single?
Opinion
February 06, 2019
I’ve been teaching in China for nearly six years and in that time I’ve met a great many fellow expat teachers from all over the world. Some are old, some are young and they come from different countries too. But one thing that most...
