TEFL Courses in Shanghai | China

All course deposits must be paid to our administrative centre. Payments made by credit or debit cards are the fastest and cheapest methods, but we do also accept payments via PayPal, Western Union and bank transfer. Please bear in mind that while there are no deadlines regarding deposit payments, the course can fill up rapidly and your place will not be reserved until the deposit has been made.

After paying the deposit you will receive an informational packet via email. This packet will contain detailed information about the course and the city of Shanghai itself. The balance of the course fees is payable by credit card on or before the course start date. We also accept bank transfers but these must be made at least two weeks in advance of the first day of your course.

The course fees include tuition, materials, certification, course moderation and accreditation fees and lifetime job support. A two day sightseeing tour of Shanghai and a daytrip to an old Chinese village is also included in the course price.

Dormitory rooms are available for around US$ 10 per night and single rooms for around US$ 20 -25 per night. We recommend a number of hotels and hostels close to the center, but nothing is directly booked through us. You are free to choose your own accommodation and making your own arrangements is easy through services like Airbnb or a local property agent. We will be happy to assist you should you need any help.

You are required to have your passport with you on the Monday before the course begins for registration with us and the host school. You can apply for a Chinese Tourist (L) visa to attend the course and these can be obtained from your nearest consulate or travel agent. The documentation required to obtain a visa is as follows:

• Visa application form.
• One recently taken 2x2 inch photo showing your entire face (no hats). Please affix the photo to the application form.
• Original passport with at least two blank visa pages and valid for at least six months beyond the date of application.
• Former Chinese visa records (if any, together with their copies). Visa fee.

A hotel reservation letter might be required (depending on your nationality) and we can organize this for you.

If you intend to work in China upon completion of the course, please note that you will need to authenticate your degree, TEFL and criminal background check for your work permit. The process can be done while overseas for most nationalities and takes 3-4 weeks to complete.

Please note that we recommend you apply for a visa after you have secured your place on the course.

The study week runs from Monday to Friday and classes are held from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. On Tuesdays classes are from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. and during the months of July and August, all classes will be from 9 a.m. to 6p.m. Observed teaching practice depends upon the students’ circumstances and trainees will be scheduled sessions on or off-site accordingly. Observed teaching practice sometimes takes place in the evenings and trainees should be aware that the Shanghai TEFL course is very intensive and participants looking to become qualified English teachers should be serious about becoming a teacher. The number of students in each class ranges from 10 to 25 and lessons will be 30 to 50 minutes in length depending on the students’ timetable. After your session is complete you will receive feedback on your performance from one of our course trainers.

Courses usually consist of four to ten trainees although the number of participants tends to rise in the summer months. Most trainees are from America, Britain, Canada or Australia, but the course is also open to all non-native English speakers with a good command of the English language.

For all input sessions at the training centre, there is no dress code. However, for teaching practice sessions there are specific requirements that adhere to the local dress code. All trainees are expected to dress in a professional manner according to the guidelines below:

Women: Shoulders should be covered, blouses with sleeves are suggested. No low-cut necklines, very short skirts or bare midriffs. Open-toed shoes are acceptable, but not hiking or flip-flop sandals.

Men: Long pants, slacks or trousers are required, jeans are not acceptable. Short or long-sleeved shirts with a collar are necessary, although a tie is not required. Loafers or dress shoes are both fine, sandals are not acceptable. Long hair should always be tied back.

All trainees should bring a notebook and pen with them on the first day of the course. You should also bring your laptop to help with lesson preparation, a watch or mobile phone to time yourself when teaching and some form of recording device such as an iPod or phone to record a 10-15 minute audio in one-on—one teaching sessions. A flash drive (USB stick) would be helpful for printing lesson materials. As part of the course requires you to prepare materials, stationary items such as coloured pens etc. would be useful. Supplies such as these are easily available locally. You are encouraged to bring your laptop as the training centre has Wi-Fi. All course-related materials are provided for you so there is no need to bring anything else.