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When we talk to people about living in China, people usually ask us how we came to be here, so I thought I would tell you. We both have always wanted to live abroad before we 'settled down'. Matt served his LDS mission in France, and has traveled all over the world, but I'm pretty boring and had only been to Mexico. We wanted to travel together, and we chose China. Matt started taking Chinese classes his last few semesters of college and met Jacob Harlan, the director of a program called China Horizons, and I'm so glad he did! (get ready for my sales pitch!)
China Horizons is a GREAT program, and I would HIGHLY recommend it to ANYONE who wants to move to China. And I mean ANYONE. There are two different programs; paid teachers, and volunteer teachers. The only difference in the two (well, besides the money) is that the paid teachers have a college degree. Matt and I are doing the paid teachers program, and it's been really great. We don't make a lot of money by American standards (hardly any, actually), but in China, we live like KINGS. The volunteer program is especially awesome compared to some other ones out there. The teachers pay 825$. Thats it. Total. End of story. Thats airfare to and from, visa expenses (175$, at least), room and board, about a hundred dollar monthly food stipend, and since the program is small, you get TONS of support from Jacob (and his wife Katherine whom I adore). I think thats just about the sweetest deal EVER. Of course, travelling around is at your own expense, but thats the same with any program you come with. The paid teachers get a monthly salary and flight reimbursement.
Basically, ANYONE can do it. Last semester, there was a couple with two small children (their youngest not even a year old), and guess what? They survived. The husband taught, and the wife stayed at home with the babies. Jacob and his family have also been living here for the past year with their two kids. Totally do-able. And, most of the teachers who come here didn't speak a word of Chinese before they got here(ya, thats me) and they did FINE. Chinese people really are SUPER friendly and helpful. You will be a celebrity in your city.
The teaching: We both teach high school aged kids, twenty 45 minute classes a week. We teach every student in our grade, so we only see each class once a week. Meaning that we only prepare one lesson, and teach it twenty times. So even if you're not super interested in teaching(like Matt) you can still do it. Really, all the school wants you for is to be a trophy of whiteness.
I really can't say enough GOOD things about our experience with China Horizons. I love that they put us out in the middle of nowhere(not every school assignment is though), I love that we have gone up and stayed with the Harlan's and they made us delicious food, and I love CHINA! Definitely check them out if you are thinking of a semester or year abroad!
