From Riverboats to Rooflines: My 20-Month TEFL Adventure in China

After 18 transformative months in Taiwan, I crossed the strait to a land even more layered in history and contrast—mainland China. What followed were nearly three years of English teaching, cultural immersion, train rides, border crossings, and bold discoveries.

From the classrooms of Zhongshan and Wuhu to the karst mountains of Guangxi and the skyline of Shanghai, China gave me the confidence to teach anyone, anywhere—and to build a career on that very idea.

My Chinese chapter began in Zhongshan at Bond Language Institute, where I taught EFL at a large government-run boarding school. Every day began with flag-raising ceremonies, military drills, and synchronized movement—discipline was deeply embedded in education here.

The teaching load was substantial, often requiring creative strategies to maintain student engagement across multiple classes. My most surreal experience? Serving as an official judge for a televised national English speech competition aired on CCTV. It was a far cry from Taiwan’s small classrooms—this was education on a national stage.

Early into my time in Guangdong, I took my first cross-border trip to Hong Kong and Macau. Hong Kong dazzled with its skyscrapers, harbor views, and international flair—where East met West on every corner. Macau offered cobbled streets, pastel buildings, and the lingering scent of Portuguese egg tarts.

These short breaks reminded me that teaching abroad wasn’t just about work—it was about contextualizing cultures, stepping into other worlds, and returning refreshed to the classroom.

In Houjie, I worked for Junior Oxford International School, teaching primary-aged students from families tied to Taiwan-owned factories. While the curriculum leaned heavily on rote methods, I introduced songs, games, role-plays, and storytelling to energize lessons and nurture communicative confidence.

We even went on field trips—most memorably to Happy Valley Theme Park in Shenzhen—where I witnessed students using English in real-world contexts. It was a joy to watch English come alive beyond the textbook.

By early 2005, I moved to Wuhu, where I taught at a Traditional Chinese Medicine College, working with nursing and business English students. This was one of my earliest forays into English for Specific Purposes (ESP)—particularly medical and workplace English.

I tailored my lessons to suit professional vocabulary, functional communication, and scenario-based roleplays. In parallel, I traveled extensively, taking a Yangtze River cruise and hiking the ancient paths of Huangshan, Hongcun, and Xidi—all now UNESCO World Heritage sites.

During Chinese New Year, I ventured out alone through Nanjing, Yantai, and up to Dalian, surviving a grueling 21-hour train ride in a hard seat. I was fed dumplings by fellow passengers, slept in a sleeping bag in the aisle, and witnessed the largest human migration on Earth—Chinese New Year homecomings.

I met a British expat named Dave in Dalian who introduced me to life in northeastern China. These encounters reminded me that TEFL is as much about people as it is about pedagogy.

My next post took me to Liuzhou Railway College in Guangxi, where I taught English majors enrolled in a 3-year college diploma program. The students were warm, eager, and often the first in their families to pursue tertiary education.

Outside of class, I joined international colleagues on long-distance cycling trips to Guilin, Yangshuo, and the Longji Rice Terraces. We rafted down the Yulong River, stayed in eco-lodges, and immersed ourselves in village life.

These trips were more than leisure—they deepened my cross-cultural literacy and inspired future teaching materials.

In 2006, I relocated to Shanghai, China’s commercial heartbeat. I was appointed as a Business English Instructor at Delter Telford Business Institute, teaching advanced English, writing, presentations, and interview skills to Chinese university students preparing for jobs in multinational companies.

It was here that I delivered:

• Business English simulations and case studies

• An English immersion summer camp for Korean teenagers

• And experienced a Yangtze River trip from Chongqing to Wuhan

Shanghai felt like the culmination of everything I’d learned so far—rigorous teaching, ESP, intercultural adaptability, and educational leadership.

China didn’t just strengthen my teaching—it professionalized it. I evolved from a traveling English teacher into a culturally aware EFL/ESP instructor with real classroom insight and curriculum development experience.

I learned how to:

• Create materials for specific learner goals

• Teach English in both rural and urban contexts

• Handle multi-level classes and diverse professional needs

• Navigate trains, red tape, and giant cities with nothing but a phrasebook and persistence

From Bond Institute in Zhongshan to Delter Telford in Shanghai, China, gave me far more than a job. It gave me the skills, confidence, and global mindset I needed to build a lifelong career in international English education.