I’ve been living and teaching in South Korea for a while now, with around six years of experience teaching at the university level. Most of my experience has been with academic English rather than traditional ESL conversation classes, including things like academic writing, presentations, and helping students develop their English for university.
I have a master’s degree but no PhD, and lately I’ve been thinking about making the move to China. I know it’s a different environment from Korea, and I’m not expecting it to be perfect, but I’m ready for a change and would like to explore my options.
I’ve looked through some older posts on here, but I haven’t found much concrete information about where people are actually finding legitimate university positions. Sites like Dave’s ESL Cafe seem to have fewer university openings than I’d expected, so I’m wondering if there are better job boards, recruitment sites, or university websites I should be checking.
I’m also curious about how to make the most of my experience when applying. With several years of university teaching and a background that’s more academic English/EAP focused, would that put me in a better position to negotiate a higher salary, or could it actually limit my options? Is it worth specifically targeting universities looking for EAP or academic English teachers rather than the more general College English/ESL positions?
I’d also be interested to hear how the actual work differs. Are EAP positions generally more demanding in terms of lesson planning, marking, and student support, or does it mostly depend on the university? And does having several years of university experience tend to work in your favor when applying, or do universities in China generally care more about qualifications like a PhD?
I’m pretty open about where I’d end up, so I’d appreciate any advice on particular regions, universities, or websites worth looking into. Mainly hoping to hear from people who’ve actually been through the process and can point me in the right direction.
TL;DR: Master’s degree, around six years of university teaching experience in Korea, mostly academic English/EAP. Looking into university jobs in China and wondering where to find legitimate openings, whether EAP positions are worth targeting over general ESL/College English, how workload compares, and whether my experience can help me land a better-paying position without a PhD. Any recommended job sites, universities, or advice on negotiating salary would be appreciated!