Teaching in China can be a rewarding experience. Below I have provided some information about the structure of many college English programs in China. I have also included some ideas about how to handle the responsibility of teaching, some lessons that you are free to copy and use, and information about a teaching method that really works. These links are also at the bottom of the page.

The English program consists of classes in Speaking, Listening, Writing, and Reading. Reading is subdivided between intensive classes(students understand words and phrases/discrete points) and extensive or advanced classes (students are able to understand the meaning of larger passages).

Each of the four skill areas are only studied for two years. Classes meet once a week for two hours (it is not uncommon for Chinese students to attend class 30-36 hours a week. Classes are very large. My speaking classes ranged from 25-35 and my reading classes were from 70-90. This, of course, makes for teaching very difficult. This is a problem that English as a Foreign Language teachers face in many countries. However, there are ways to make classes more managable. Here are some tips from my own experience.

1. Have students make large name cards, with an attached passport photo.  
   This will help you take attendance efficiently as well as help you get 
   to know the names of your students

2. Start the days lesson by engaging students in an activity as soon as 
   they sit down. You can use the same type of introductory activity for 
   a week or longer. For example, have incorrect sentences written on the 
   board which they must correct. You only need explain the directions 
   the first day.

3. Know how to mobilize students for pair/group work. Chinese work well 
   in groups if activities are prepared well. 

4. To ensure an activity starts well, be organized about preparing handouts,                          
   i.e. sorting, labeling and numbering them before distribution. (By the 
   way, in China, the school provides no money for photocopying.  You must         
   either pay for copies yourself or have the class monitor take up 
   collections periodically.

5. Know the art of delegating tasks such as collecting and returning work 
   and distributing books and handouts.

6. After carefully explaining a group activity, go around to each group 
   to see if they really understand and are participating.

7. Don't go ballistic if the students speak some Chinese. Those who are 
   having a whole conversation in Chinese are a problem.  However, most 
   students are just trying to understand the assignment or easily forget 
   the goal is to speak English.  There are ways to remedy this.  

Be patient. Teach them common expressions in English that will prevent 
them from lapsing back into Chinese when they have a problem. For example,
phrases like 

"Could you please tell me _______" 
"What does __________ mean?"  
"How do you spell ____________ ?"  
"What is the English for _____"
"Please repeat _____________". 

Remind them that it is easy to begin speaking Chinese when the discussion
becomes interesting and that they must fight that tendency.

8. Do not correct every little grammar mistake, it can become frustrating 
   for the student. Focus on mistakes that impede understanding.  Encourage       
   communication more than grammar. Most college students have already had 
   years of formal grammar instruction.

9. Edit commercial ESL materials for cultural content and vocabulary that 
   is irrelevant or could even be offensive.  Avoid over teaching idioms 
   and puns.

10. Begin the course with a survey of the student's expectations and 
    motivations for studying English. This will help you prepare relevant                                     
    material.

11. Don't be intimidated. Most students love Americans and are eager to 
    learn. 

I hope these suggestions come in handy for all you EFL/ESL teachers out there. I have also posted some lessons that you might find useful. Feel free to copy them and use them as they are, or modify them to suit the needs of your class. Also, I have posted information on the teaching method that has worked for me; you may want to try it, too.