2014/2015

Chinese Language Assistants Programme

Background

The UK government is committed to encouraging the diversification of the study of modern foreign languages in the UK. This policy underpins an agreement with the Ministry of Education in China to promote the development and enhancement of education collaboration at the general education level. It is anticipated that the delivery of certain aspects of the National Curriculum can be enriched through links between schools in China and the UK. The UK Education Departments have therefore agreed with the British Council a strategy for the support of the study of Mandarin Chinese through direct access to native speakers, school linking and collaborative activities.

With the great support from HSBC and Hanban, this programme enables Chinese teachers to receive training and experience teaching Chinese in the UK. Participants teach Mandarin for one academic year – promoting Chinese culture in British schools and experiencing the UK teaching environment. The majority of Chinese Language Assistants will be sent to UK schools which already have a partnership with their school in China. This will help to facilitate long term sustainable links between partner schools in China and the UK.

Since 2009, the Chinese Language Assistants Programme has been provided with professional guidance and support from Hanban on the recruitment process, pre-departure preparation and Chinese Language/Culture teaching. From 2014, Hanban enhance their support to the program in term of financial support.

2014/2015 Chinese Language Assistants Programme

The 2014/2015Chinese Language Assistants Programme starts with recruitment in March.

Please note important changes from previous years. Both Type A(teacher from Chinese schools without partnership school in UK) and Type B(candidates from Chinese schools and organization without partnership school in UK) recruitment will open nationally in China and all the candidates must submit their online application form in the hanban system- and upload the UK application to the system.(you can find the UK application form here-)and after submission, candidates also need to generate the application in a written form and send it to subordinated provincial department of education or universities/colleges for approval in written form. Chinese schools with existing partnerships with UK schools will be advised by the UK partner school on how to apply. Chinese schools will recommend suitable candidates according to 1:3 ratio,and advise them to download the application guidance and application form. Type B recruitment will prioritize candidates from partnership school in China, if they failed to get one from their partnership school, a qualified type A candidate will be selected.

Eligibility

To apply for the programme, you must

  1. Be a qualified and experienced teacher or graduated students or returned volunteers with at least 1 years’ experience teaching mandarin overseas.
  2. Be currently employed as a teacher in a Chinese Primary or Secondary School.
  3. Be fluent in both spoken and written English
  4. Be able to communicate and teach in Standard Mandarin Chinese: Grade 2 Level A or above
  5. Be used to teaching through the medium of English
  6. Be supported and recommended by your school and/or the local education commission
  7. Be able to make a long-term contribution to your school(for candidates who are teachers) in China after returning
  8. No criminal records as proved by police certificates.

Priority will be given to candidates who:

  1. Come from a school that has a UK link school
  2. Have previous experience or qualifications in teaching Chinese as a foreign language
  3. Have a good sense of traditional Chinese culture and have gained relevant skills (for example: martial arts including tai chi, traditional sports games, calligraphy, art ,folk music, traditional musicalinstruments, folk dance, Chinese painting; paper cutting, Chinese knotwork, cooking etc.)
  4. Are interested in and able to teach all age groups including primary school and adults.
  5. Have an international view; can cope with the challenges and pressuresof adapting to a different culture and society.

Basic Conditions:

The successful candidate will:

1. Be offered a placement in the UK school for 9.5 monthsas a Language Assistant

2. Be provided with a return international air ticket to and from London plus the visa cost.

3. Be paid a monthly salary from September to June, tax free for 9.5 months, the salary consist 2 parts – salary from UK schools and subsidy from Hanban.

4. Be entitled to all the holidays in the host institution’sacademic year, which runs from September to June.

5. Teach for 12 contact hours per week (unless the school has asked otherwise in which case he/she will be paid extra for these hours) and be expected to play a full role in the life of the school.

6. Receive pastoral support in the UK through the British Council and the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in London.

Please note: Chinese Language Assistants are expected to bear the cost of their own accommodation, food and travel out of their salary. Living costs in the UK are considerably higher than those in China and Assistants should expect to spend over half their monthly salary on rent, bills and food.

Closing date

Please register at with your personal information, and upload electronic application and supporting documents no late than 17:00pm 11April 2014. (The electronic application can be downloaded at

Application documents (in English only):

1. Application Form with a passport-size photo on first page and a scanned copy of signature and date on last page

2. School/District Recommendation Letter with an approver’s signature and organisation stamp from recommend school or district

Electronic Versions (Application Form and a scanned copy of School/District Recommendation Letter) should be uploaded to 17:00pm 11 April2014. The first page of the application form should include a scanned passport-size photo, and the last page of the application form should include an electronic signature of the applicant and date.

The original recommendation letter with an approver’s signature and organisation stamp are required at the interview stage.

2014/2015 Programme Timeline

27 February / Application startup
  • Chinese Language Assistants Programme is formally launched in China.
  • Notified teachers to download the application guidance and fill in the application form.
  • Must send Electronic versions to the post address and email box of the British Council before the deadline.

11 April / Application deadline.
26/27 April / Interviews
May / Announcement of results.
June / Pre-departure preparations, including flight booking, accommodation arrangement, invitation letter from the UK school, work permit from the British Council etc.
July / Visa application
Late July-August / Participate in the pre-departure training course organised by the British Council and Hanban
September / Depart for the UK

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