Key Attributes for ESL Teaching Success-TeachDiscoverChina

Key Attributes for ESL Teaching Success

20 Jun 2025

China, one of the world’s most dynamic and populous countries, has an ever growing need for great English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. From children to professionals to retirees, people from all age groups are eager to learn English. Teaching English in China can be one of the most rewarding and life-changing careers. With over 30 years of experience placing ESL teachers in Chinese schools, we have gathered valuable insights from both placement schools and teachers. Here, we list some key attributes needed for ESL teaching success in China.

1. Passion for Teaching

Before starting your journey as an ESL teacher, ask yourself: do you truly love teaching? Great teachers love being in the classroom. Their passion and enthusiasm inspire students to learn more. Great teachers put in incredible efforts and thought into the planning and delivery of their classes. They challenge and support students all the way. And their students show the most improvement.

2. Lesson Planning

Classes need to be planned in detail, regardless of how long or short the class is, and regardless of the age group of your students. You need to plan for all activities that the students will do in class and the sequence of activities. For each activity, decide:

*what the activity is?

*how long the activity will be?

*what the learning objective is?

*how the activity will be done? Will the students sit at their desks? Or walk around? Will they practice speaking English in groups? Or write some things on the blackboard?

You need to create fun and engaging lesson plans with clear learning objectives. Be creative and use your imagination! Reflect on your own experience as both student and teacher plus any completed teaching courses (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, DELTA, PGCE etc.) to design great lesson plans.

Oftentimes, teachers have large classes, and students have different skill levels with English. Some know a lot of English, others very little and there are those in between. As well, students learn at different paces and have different learning styles. You should tailor your lesson plans so that everyone can progress.

Evaluate your students’ progress on a regular basis with small quizzes. This way you know what the students’ strengths and weaknesses are, and you can help them improve.

3. Patience

Teaching English isn’t all fun and games. You will have the odd student who do not listen to you, who misbehave, who chitchat with others in class, who are constantly on their phones and so on. You need to make extra effort to engage these students. You can be stricter. Demand all students’ full attention. Stop students from idle chatting. And ask everyone to put away their phones. You can spend a bit of extra time to better support students who are slow to improve. This can be as simple as helping a student for five minutes after class. By helping the odd students you better everyone’s experience. If faced with a big challenge in the classroom, remain calm, talk to students, listen to their needs, and offer support.

4. Have Fun

Students learn better in a fun classroom. Use a variety of classroom delivery methods, such as visual aids. Get students to work in pairs or small groups or walk around in games and mingle. A mix of activity types makes things more fun for everyone. Even when teaching boring stuff like grammar, find ways to have fun with the material.

Smile and laugh with students. Celebrate their progress. You can also chat in person with students to get to know them. Find out their interests. Be genuinely concerned with their well-being.

Of course “having fun” needs to be balanced with “being strict”. If there is too much fun, some students may slip into misbehaving.

5. Adaptation

Sometimes, even the best lesson plan can flop. So have a plan B. Or be ready to do something different. For example, you may have planned for an activity, but during class students aren’t participating. Try something to get them excited about the activity or do something else.

As well, work with other teachers and staff of the school. How Chinese schools do things may at first feel unfamiliar to you. Try and understand the needs and processes of the school you work for. Adapt to your surroundings. Your Chinese coworkers and others in the community know that you need time to adapt. They can also offer you assistance. When you show a genuine desire to adapt to the culture and even pick up some basic Chinese, your coworkers will embrace you as a friend, and you will feel more at home.

6. Continuous Improvement

The best teachers never stop learning. After your class, reflect on what went well and what didn’t. What changes will you make for next time? For example, when you start out teaching a class and all you see are blank faces. You realize that you are speaking too quickly. So slow down. Get feedback from people – students, parents or other teachers. Over time, your teaching will improve. You will become a better teacher.

Stay updated on new TESOL/TEFL trends, technologies and teaching methods. This way, you have the resources to help you change up lesson plans. Your lessons will be fresh, relevant and impactful.

So, there you have it, key attributes for ESL teaching success in China. If this sounds like you or sounds like it could be you and you want to be an ESL teacher in China, get in touch at [email protected] and we’d be happy to find a suitable vacancy.

The TEFL jobs market in China is more competitive than ever and it’s even more difficult to secure your dream teaching position with schools focusing more and more on the quality of the teacher than in the past. So how to stand out and land your perfect ESL job? With over three decades in the TEFL recruitment industry, we’re going to share our best tips to increase your chances of success. 1.) Perfect your CV/Resume Having a great resume/CV is a prerequisite. Highlight your experience and or skills. If you have relevant or previous teaching experience, make sure to be specific and put the age groups of the students you were teaching and what curriculums you used. Make sure all your contact information is accurate and up-to-date and include more than one way to get in touch with you. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve seen typos or English mistakes from English teachers’ CVs, this is an automatic red flag, so make sure to proofread your CV carefully a few times. Write a tailored cover letter for the specific school/vacancy you’re applying for and show your passion. 2.) Provide a Self-Intro Video and or Teaching Demo Create a short self-introduction video whereby you can show off your personality, be engaging and highlight your experience and skills. This is the first time the school will have a proper look at you. This may lead to an interview or not. Even better, provide a class demo video to demonstrate your teaching ability. 3.) Provide Recommendation Letters If you have prior teaching experience, it’s always good if you can provide recommendation/reference letters from your previous school or students. This is not only proof of your ability and experience but also shows you left your previous position on good terms. Schools are looking for teaching they can have a good relationship and cooperation with. 4.) Interview Well Most interviews are conducted online. Be on time! Most cases the interviewer is in China whilst you’re on the other side of the world, know the time difference. Check your software and equipment beforehand, make sure your video and audio are working. Be presentable, friendly and approachable, ask questions, engage with the school/interviewer. Speak clearly and slowly if necessary, lessen your accent if you have one. If the school/interviewer can’t understand you, they won’t hire you. 5.) Go the Extra Mile In such a competitive TEFL jobs market, do you know what else will set you apart from other candidates? How quickly you can prepare all your visa documents. Get a head start before you even apply for jobs. Get your degree certificate and TEFL certificates notarised and apostilled. Schools will prefer teachers that are ready rather than wait. You’ll need to prepare these documents anyway regardless of the job or agency. 6.) Apply During the Right Times The semesters in China generally start in September and February. For September start it’s best to apply from April. For February start it's best to apply from October. Most schools are looking for teachers who can start at the beginning of each term. Of course, there are some schools that hire all-year round but for best job opportunities, we’d recommend considering applying during those windows. If you need any more advice or need assistance looking for a teaching vacancy in China, feel free to get in touch at [email protected] and we’d be more than happy to help.