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Here at Opportunity China we appreciate that whether you’re an experienced teaching professional or a recent graduate, it’s important to feel prepared, secure and confident when moving away to live and teach in a country as different as China. So, how will Opportunity China assist you?

Well, in addition to the individual pre-departure support you’ll receive from your Coordinator and our online resources, we also offer a great package of online training – which is what this blog post considers…

Pre-Departure Webinar Series

All teachers are invited to join a series of 4 interactive training webinars. The sessions are a great way to practically prepare for your time in China, covering topics such as the work visa process and what to do before leaving for China- as well as some of the more theory based concepts such as the Chinese education system, cultural differences and cross-cultural communication.

There are two webinar series each year; one is held throughout December for teachers starting their roles January – May, and a further series is held in June for those heading to China July- November.

The next series will begin on December 8 2017.

What does each session cover?

Week 1: Starting your life China

This initial session looks at what practical steps to take to ensure you’re ‘China ready’, what will happen on your arrival in China, and what it’s like to be a foreigner. We also consider culture shock and how to limit it, as well as an overview of some of China’s core cultural concepts.

Week 2: Working Life as a Teacher in China

The second webinar delves more deeply into the Chinese education system and school differences, authority and etiquette at work, and how to sensitively resolve cross-cultural issues should they arise.

Week 3: Life Outside Work, Chinese Culture and Immersion

In our third session we give an overview of modern Chinese history and culture, and then move on to some of the fun stuff – amazing places to visit, how to travel, food, ex-pat culture, and nightlife!

Week 4: Making the Most of your China Experience

The final webinar consolidates the skills you will gain by working in China, how these can be used within a career path more widely, and how to ‘sell’ these skills to future employers. We’ll also pass on some tips on things you can do or get involved with that will build your skill set and help you develop both personally and professionally.

See a detailed overview here.

Is there any interaction?

Sure, there’s also an interactive element to facilitate your questions. The live stream will have an open question forum, where you can ask anything you like.

We’ll try to answer as many questions as we can at the end of each session, and any questions we run out of time to answer will be followed up on an individual basis.

What if I cannot join in live?

Given that teachers are located across the globe it’s understandable that the date and time will not be convenient for everyone, which is why each webinar is recorded and subsequently sent out to those who’ve registered.

All Opportunity China Pre-Departure Training Webinars can be accessed on our YouTube channel and via our Events Page on the Opportunity China website.

How do I register?

All Opportunity China teachers are invited to join as standard, and receive an invitation and joining instructions by email.

Opportunity China’s training sessions will be broadcast publicly for the first time from December 8th. So, if you want to get a taster of what to expect before making a decision to teach in China you’re more than welcome to join!

We warmly invite prospective teachers to get in touch if you wish to be part of the training. If you’d like to join either the December or June webinar series then please email us for more information: info@opportunity-china