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Note: This community is meant to be a source for sharing information. If you want to read about a current PCVs experience in China please go to their individual blogs or websites!
The views expressed on this website are mine alone and in no way reflect those of the U.S. Peace Corps or any agency of the U.S. Government.
20 comments
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July 18, 2007 at 10:04 am
Valerie Sartor
Dear PCVs,
I am an ex-PCV who lives in China, if anyone is interested in staying and teaching at a university in Inner Mongolia please contact me.
February 19, 2008 at 12:18 am
Anonymous
Great site!
September 29, 2008 at 4:29 am
Gerry
I’m 63 and considering, at retirement (66) excellent health, going to China (been there once before) to teach English. I’ve been in business all my adult life, successfully. Your thoughts would be welcomed.
thx,
September 29, 2008 at 5:28 am
Chinkerfly
Hi Gerry,
Good luck! I’m sure you would be welcome, what kind of students do you want to teach, do you want to be in a city with a lot of Western conveniences available to you, or out in the country where it’s less polluted and crowded and maybe the people are nicer? Do you care about how much money you would be making?
October 3, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Sam Sweeney
I am applying for the Peace Corps now and I would love to go to China. However, I am nervous about the language. Spanish was enough in high school and college!
Can anyone share their experience with learning the language? or succeses they have had?
Thanks,
Sam
October 15, 2008 at 1:51 am
merrykarilou
Hey Sam, we have a section on here about learning Chinese, which is one place you can check for success stories.
I’ll be honest, learning Chinese (or any other language you may have to learn as a PCV) is going to depend a lot on your own efforts and initiative. Some volunteers become nearly fluent in their 2 years here. others can barely order food in a restaurant after 2 years. you’ll receive an intense crash course during your first 2 months in training, and then you receive a tutoring stipend every month. hope this helps. if you DO get placed in China, then there are things that you can do before you even get here to help prepare yourself. Check out the “learn Chinese” section for more guidance.
December 6, 2008 at 4:29 am
Mark Flanigan
I have a very simple question. I am very much interested in serving in the Peace Corps. I am a current US government civil servant who has taught EFL/ESL in Mexico, the US and Japan. Therefore, I would really love to serve teaching English in China. I realize that we can’t “request” to go to a specific country or do a targeted job…but how much of an interest would you recommend that we demonstrate to our recruiter?
I learned Japanese, have lived and traveled throughout Asia (2000-2004 on the JET Programme) and am definitely interested in learning much more about Chinese language and culture.
Cheers and thanks! Please feel free to email me directly at genkimark(at)hotmail.com
Mark Flanigan
December 6, 2008 at 5:33 am
Anonymous
Hi Mark! You can put a regional preference, and know that they usually send invitations out for China in January so you would want to get your initial application in either at the end of summer or in fall. Different interviewers and recruiters will tell you different things. Some really frown upon people for leaning heavily towards one place, but others are supportive and try to work with you. I know one volunteer actually turned down an invitation to go elsewhere and then was given a second invitation to China. That’s pretty rare, but you never know.
And at the end of the day if you’re really set on teaching in China and only China there’s no shortage of paid teaching jobs. Us volunteers worked right along beside them at our schools.
December 6, 2008 at 5:33 am
Chinkerfly
Oops, sorry that was me.
December 18, 2008 at 11:37 am
Mark Flanigan
Excellent! Thank for your prompt and very helpful response.
March 10, 2009 at 1:06 am
Micaela Olmos
Valerie Sartor and Everyone,
I am looking forward to teaching English in China soon – would appreciate input about WHERE in China.
I have experience teaching EFL, enjoy it and feel certain I can help others. But what I want is to be in China near a Buddhist/Taoist
master, and where I can study Traditional Chinese Medicine, specifically herbs and acupuncture.
Any suggestions? Are these found everywhere or more so in certain areas?
Thank you.
July 15, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Jeanne Louise
I am tentatively set to teach English at a university in China next year – via Peace Corps – but at this point do not know exactly which college. Meanwhile, I would like to learn the language ahead of my departure…and welcome any information about the universities and students. I believe that I will probably live on a campus.
July 20, 2009 at 9:21 am
Catt Stearns
Hi there!
I actually have no affiliation with Peace Corps BUT this fall I will be teaching English at Chongqing Three Gorges University in Wanzhou through the Colorado China Council (CCC). From my understanding, Peace Corps also sends volunteers to this university. Because this is the first time that the CCC has sent teachers to this particular university, it’s been difficult to really find out more about the university and surrounding area. Is there anyone that could help me connect with current/former PCVs that have served in Wanzhou? Any insight or guidance would be GREATLY appreciated seeing as though I leave in less than two weeks!
THANKS!
July 28, 2009 at 4:52 am
Anonymous
Catt and others – Please keep me posted about your experiences. I’m searching for more information on the universities and will certainly look up Three Gorges. I’m still waiting for PC to clear my medical review. Perhaps I could find employment through an agency as you did. Best of luck to you. Information on websites is narrow and limited to travel experiences rather than teaching – except for this one, which is a great help.
August 21, 2009 at 7:37 am
Ken Forrester
Don’t know if it is permissible (from Chinese gov’t point of view) but my fiancée and I will be touring China for our honeymoon and we would like to bring a few things over if your PCVs needed/wanted a few items. Should a few of your PCVs desire we could bring a few items over for them. I was a 3 year PCV in Ukraine (TEFL 2000-03) and someone once sent me a 5 lbs jar of peanut butter while I was in training and I thought I had died and returned to heaven to have such a familiar comfort food available. Plus my language cross culture instructors loved the stuff. They had never had it before. If we can help we will. We could then drop the items off at your PC office if it is in Beijing, Xian, Guilin or Shanghai. Email us directly at kwf1958@yahoo.com
September 22, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Ken Forrester
We had a lovely time in China. Pity no one took us up on our offer as we would have loved to have spent some time with PC China volunteers. I however will be in Vietnam for a week in November from the 16th to the 20th for the Jimmy Carter Works Project Habitat for Humanity build so there still may be a chance to help out in some way as it looks like I will be flying thru HongKong.
Ken
September 22, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Chinkerfly
Hi Ken,
I’m sure the sentiment was appreciated.
Glad you had a good time in China! Our China PCVs serve in the Western provinces, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, and Gansu. I guess the nearest you might have come to seeing any of them would have been when you stopped through Guilin or Xi’an? It was really kind of you to offer to bring them stuff.
~thalia
October 14, 2009 at 10:08 pm
Lynie
Hi Hi,
I came across your blog and was interested because it seems to post alot about china, and its happenings, are you doing this from China.? if so how because i heard that wordpress is blocked? i’m worried because i will be working there for 7 months and really need/want to update blog (:
thank you for your help
Lynette
October 15, 2009 at 2:21 am
Chinkerfly
Hi Lynie,
We posted most of these while we were in China, and we used a proxy to get in to post. Tips on accessing blocked sites and workaround for blogger/wordpress Good luck!
October 16, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Lynie
Hi Chinkerfly,
Thank you for your reply, i appreciate it heaps! (: i will def use your advice and the given sites (: can’t wait to live in china!
Thanks again.
L