Picture this: you are standing in front of a classroom in China, twenty bright-eyed kids waiting for you to make English click for them, and six months ago you’d never taught a lesson in your life. That’s not a hypothetical. That’s the actual starting point for most of the people who join us at English 1.
If you have been quietly Googling “teach English abroad no experience” at 1am, wondering whether it is really possible to land a stable, full-time teaching job overseas without a teaching degree or years of classroom time behind you, the answer is yes. We built this role specifically for people standing exactly where you are now.
Who This Role Is Really For
We are hiring entry-level English teachers to work in China, and we mean entry-level in the truest sense. Maybe you just graduated and aren’t ready to lock into a traditional career path. Maybe you’ve spent years in retail, sales, or customer service and you’re craving something with more meaning and a passport stamp attached. Maybe teaching has always been a quiet “someday” goal you never got around to.
None of that matters as much as one thing: a genuine interest in education, travel, and stepping into a culture that isn’t your own. Everything else, we’ll teach you.
What You will Actually Be Doing
This isn’t lecturing teenagers from behind a podium. You will be working with young learners aged 3 to 16 in classrooms designed to be interactive, energetic, and genuinely fun, both for them and for you.
- Teach using English 1’s award-winning curriculum, complete with digital tools and lesson plans that are already built for you
- Run high-energy, immersive lessons that keep kids engaged instead of watching the clock
- Give students real, constructive feedback that builds their confidence in English, not just their vocabulary
- Get involved in school events and cultural activities that turn a job into a genuine community
You will also walk away with skills that follow you well beyond the classroom. Communication, relationship-building, public speaking under pressure, and a kind of adaptability that’s hard to fake on a resume. Former teachers have carried these skills into sales, marketing, HR, and management roles long after they left the classroom.
What You will Get in Return
We’re not going to pretend a job abroad is just about the paycheck, but let’s be honest, it matters. Here’s what’s on the table:
- A competitive salary, with a performance bonus kicking in after your first six months
- 21 days of paid leave each year (10 personal days plus 11 statutory holidays)
- A flight allowance to help get you there
- International health insurance, co-paid by English 1
- Airport pick-up, so your first hour in China isn’t spent lost and jet-lagged
- A fully sponsored legal Z work visa, plus up to two weeks of sponsored hotel accommodation while you settle in
- In-class coaching and mentoring from people who’ve done this before
- A comprehensive induction, ongoing support, and lesson materials that are ready before you walk in the door
- A TEFL certificate, along with structured skill development and a clear path for career advancement
- Access to distance learning courses, including Level 6 Trinity College CertPT and DELTM, for teachers who want to keep building their credentials
- Free Mandarin lessons and a calendar full of social and cultural activities organized by English 1
A quick note on the practical details: your first two weeks of hotel accommodation become a sponsored benefit once you complete your first full year on contract, and the cost of your sponsored Z visa is reimbursed. We believe in being upfront about how these things actually work, not burying them in fine print.
What We’re Looking For
The bar here is intentionally accessible, because we’d rather hire people with the right attitude and train the rest:
- A bachelor’s degree, in any subject at all
- A valid passport
- A real interest in education, travel, and cultural exchange, the kind that doesn’t fade after week one
- ESL certification such as TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA is a bonus, and if you don’t have it yet, we can sponsor it
- A clean background check
That’s it. No prior teaching experience required, no Mandarin needed, no overseas work history expected.
Why English 1
We have been doing this for more than 30 years, which in the world of overseas education recruitment is a genuinely long time. Today, that experience translates into 200+ schools spread across 50+ cities, with a strong, established presence in both China and Indonesia.
We say teachers are at the core of everything we do, and we mean it in a practical sense, not a slogan sense. It shows up in the training we invest in, the mentoring we provide once you’re in the classroom, and the career pathways we actively build for people who want to grow with us rather than just pass through.
Ready to Make the Leap?
Whether you are about to graduate, looking to pivot out of a career that is stopped feeling right, or simply chasing the kind of international experience that changes how you see the world, this role was built with you in mind. You bring the curiosity and the willingness to show up. We’ll handle the training, the visa, and the support system around you.
Apply today using the link below and find out what it feels like to build a career and a life abroad at the same time.