Asian Studies Program
Joseph Adler		 Kenyon College homepage

Study / Work / Travel Opportunities in East Asia

Note: This list does not cover regular study-abroad programs, although a few are included for China. The Association for Asian Studies (AAS) website has a good listing of academic programs covering all parts of Asia, but it doesn't include programs that just involve travel or work. Some of these are language programs held in the U.S., but many are located in Asia.

Most of the programs listed below I know nothing about, so I cannot vouch for the reliability of their promises. Those I can vouch for are marked with a red asterisk (*). Those with affiliations with American universities are also presumably reliable. It is important to note that most, if not all, of the English-teaching jobs do not require any teaching experience or training. All they need is native English speakers with college degrees. Undergraduates are eligible for some of the summer jobs.

Oxford Seminars offers a training and certification program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TESOL/TESL/TEFL). They have a three-week course (two meetings a week) for $1095 that includes a placement service and extensive support information on China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam.

Also, for a listing of Zen Centers in Japan, Taiwan, and the United States, some of which have opportunities for Buddhist practice for periods ranging from a weekend to three months, click here.

China Taiwan Japan
South Korea Mongolia Vietnam

CHINA:
General info Teaching English Internships Volunteering
Research A few study programs May or may not still be available

General information

 

 Living and Teaching in China A good website by someone who has done it.
TEFLChina Teahouse A website by and for TEFL teachers in China.
ESL Cafe: China Tips and warnings.

Universities in China

Index, listed by province and major cities, with web links.
Summer seminar :
  IMUSE 2009 Beijing Summer Fellowship Program IMUSE (Initiating Mutual Understanding through Student Exchange) "will bring thirty outstanding students from Chinese and American colleges and graduate schools together from August 9 to August 21, 2009 to share their opinions, experience Chinese culture, and learn from one another."
Teaching English:
(new) Learning Enterprises Teach English with a Chinese teaching partner from Nanjing University for 5 weeks in a rural Chinese village school, living with a local family. For the adventurous. Cost: airfare, visa, and about $500 for miscellaneous expenses.

 

 Teach for China Two-year teaching commitment at under-resourced schools in rural China. Training, housing, and stipend provided. Feb. 7 application deadline for 2012.
  WorldTeach* Teach English in middle-high schools (students 11-18 years old) in Hunan province. Housing and $250/month provided. A fee of $1000 covers round-trip airfare from the U.S., visa, pre-departure and in-country orientation, and health insurance.
  Teach in China A few job opportunities; unclear if they charge a fee.
  Amity Foundation Christian organization; BA required; teach English conversation to middle school teachers. Two-year commitment; housing, transportation and stipend provided. They also have a one-month summer option.
  International Teaching Advantage Helps college graduates find English teaching positions in China. $325 fee. Fifteen primary school positions currently available in Beijing (as of 1/26/08), beginning September, 2008 (more information here).
  Peking University Software School Teach Information Technology (IT) English in Beijing, 9/06-6/07.
  The Bridge Fund Teach English to beginning Tibetan students, ages 14-18, at Kangding Teacher's College, Sichuan. Here is more on The Bridge Fund.
  ESL Focus Focus on China: Information for English teachers in China, including job listings.
 

America China Exchange Society*

Teach English 25 hours/week, study Chinese 5 hours/week: all expenses paid, plus stipend and year-end bonus; receive training and TEFL certification. (The website only works with Internet Explorer 6 or later.)
  Alliance Abroad Group Teach English in a Chinese school or university for 5 months to one year (short term programs may be available during the summer). Free accommodation, plus a salary of $350 per month. Fee required.
  Teach in Liaoning Province English conversation instructors needed in fourteen cities in Liaoning Province, in China's northeast. All expenses paid (including airfare), plus salary.
  China Education Exchange A service that matches applicants with business internships, ESL teaching assignments, summer, and home-stay programs, in addition to full-time employment with multinational organizations in China. ESL Teachers receive a paid monthly stipend, furnished housing, roundtrip airfare, medical insurance, mentoring and advising services, and orientation programs. Interns receive a position in their program of study, either paid or not-for-pay with a multinational corporation, private institution, or government office. In many instances housing is offered. Here is further information about the ESL teaching program.
  U.S.-China Educational Exchange A private, non-profit service that helps native English-speakers with B.A. degrees to find jobs of varying length teaching English in China, Taiwan, and Korea.
  Teach-in-Asia.net

A list of lists and recruitment services.
  Sinoculture Paid English teaching positions in China -- $300 fee.
  CIEE Teach in China* This is a well-established, reputable organization. Their fees are $1300-$1500. The teaching positions are in private schools in China, housing is free, and the salaries are slightly higher than in public schools.
  English teaching internships East China Institute of Technology and MOS Software College need English conversation teachers for periods of 1 to 9 months. See also here.
  English Teaching Program in Shenzhen Teach English in a Shenzhen public school (near Hong Kong). Free housing; monthly salary and travel bonus. Preceded by 3-week intensive courses in TEFL and Chinese language. Continuing Chinese courses available in Shenzhen.
  Western Washington University China Teaching Program Placement service, with training -- requires TESOL (TEFL / TESL) certificate.
  Colorado China Council for Teaching English in China Placement service, with training -- no teaching experience or certificate required.
  Teach English at Beijing Polytechnic University These positions (4 or 5 a year) are for people with advanced degrees, preferably married couples who both want to teach. The link is to a webpage by Marilyn Shea at the University of Maine at Farmington, who describes the position and the situation very well.
  Asia Volunteers Teach English, music, or art in China: no experience necessary, low pay, free room and board, work anywhere from two weeks to a year. Some teaching jobs are in summer or winter camps for kids 5-12.
  Global Volunteer Network Teach English in Yantai, Shandong Province: all levels, primary school through university. Free room and board, no pay. Cost ranges from $450 for one month to $1000 for one year.
Volunteer work:

China Summer Sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee; for anyone over 16 years of age. Teach English and environmental studies in a small village in Hunan Province (south-central China). Cost: $1,500 plus airfare to Beijing. Food, housing, and travel to Hunan provided.
 

Cross-Cultural Solutions

 Volunteer work (usually teaching English or caregiving) with local NGOs in Xi'an.
  Volunteers in Asia (VIA)

One- or two-year posts in Beijing, Ningxia, Qinghai, Hunan, Guangzhou, Sichuan, Yunnan and Jiangsu, mostly combining English teaching with English resource work at a Chinese nonprofit organization. Cost: $2,000 ($500 rebate if you remain for two years) plus airfare to Thailand (for training). Housing and small monthly stipend provided. They also have a 4-week traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) course in Hangzhou.

  Projects Abroad Volunteer or intern in a number of different fields (teaching, healthcare, journalism, business, law) in and around Shanghai or Hangzhou. Fees (not including airfare) for teaching range from $3,145/1 month to $5,345/3 months, but they include housing, food, insurance, and local support staff.
Internships:
 

Lehigh in Shanghai

 A six-week program run by Lehigh University -- students work on specific projects in national or multinational corporations three days a week, take classes in Chinese language and other subjects two days a week. No language prerequisites.
Undergraduate research:

National Science Foundation Research Experience

 

Great Western Development, Rural Peasants, and Water Policy Across China's Loess Plateau: A research program funded by NSF and Central Washington University for Summer 2010 (June 21-August 1), for students in Social Sciences, Environmental Studies, and Asian Studies. Some preference for those with some Chinese language ability, but that is not required. Includes a course at CWU and 5 weeks in Xi'an, Qinghai, & Gansu, China. All expenses paid.

A few study programs:
  Silk Road study tour (Wittenberg University) Mid-May through mid-June 2009; $5,050 to $5,550 plus international airfare to/from China.
  Beijing Institute of Asian Studies (Beijing University) Program affiliated with American University in Washington, D.C., with an unusually extensive selection of courses. Semester, year-long, and summer programs.
  Summer Language & Culture in Beijing Run by Central Washington University at Beijing's Capital Normal University.
  Beijing University Summer Travel-Study Program Three weeks of intensive courses in Chinese language, history, and culture at China's most prestigious university, followed by a one-week tour.
  Summer Program in Beijing (AIFS) A four-week program of mainly language classes, plus "an activity-based Chinese Cultural History Studies course ... consisting of a weekly class and weekly cultural activity" (i.e. field trips). Based at Beijing Language and Culture University.
Kunming College of Chinese Studies Chinese language program, with small classes, very flexible dates and curriculum, in the capital of Yunnan Province.
Scholarships for studying Chinese A list of links maintained by Prof. Patrick Moran at Wake Forest University.
The following may or may not still be available:
  Teach English in Xi'an Teaching at the elementary, middle, and high school level; time periods flexible.
  Teach English in Qinghai A regular job at Qinghai Junior Teachers' College in Xining, about 450 miles northwest of Xi'an. Here is an earlier announcement, with a fuller description of the job and conditions.
  The Bridge Fund

Teach English to Tibetan teenagers in Sichuan and Qinghai Provinces.
  Huangnan Nationalities Teachers' College Teach English to Tibetan students in Qinghai Province, starting August 28, 2006. Requires B.A. degree plus EFL/ESL training.
  Teach English in Beijing Five temporary English teaching positions (Oct. 21 - Dec. 20, 2002) at Peking University Software Institute.
  Teach English in Changchun Changchun University of Technology, Jilin Province, needs two English teachers for the 2002-03 academic year, by August 25, 2002.
  Teach English in Xiamen July 1 - August 31, 2002: BA required; renewable for up to 6 months. Xiamen is an island just off the southeast coast, opposite Taiwan.
  National Science Foundation Research Experience Field research in the social and environmental sciences in Beijing and Xian, China, for juniors and seniors -- all expenses paid (Summer 2003).


TAIWAN: Humanistic Buddhist Monastic Life Program* Study and practice Chan/Zen Buddhism at Fo Guang Shan monastery in southern Taiwan. This program is designed for speakers of English. It is not an academic program. All expenses are paid.  
  Living and Teaching in Taiwan A very good website with tips on living and teaching English in Taiwan, by a longtime American resident. Includes a page of Other Work Opportunities and Links.
  Teaching English in Taiwan Another good guide, with further links and job ads.
  Teaching English and Living in Taiwan Job listings and advice
  Teach English in Taiwan A good, full-service job placement service.
  Teach in Taiwan A listing of teaching jobs.
  Teach-in-Asia.net A list of lists and recruitment services
  Taipei Times jobs listing Includes lots of English teaching jobs.
  U.S.-China Educational Exchange A private, non-profit service that helps native English-speakers with B.A. degrees to find jobs of varying length teaching English in China, Taiwan, and Korea.


JAPAN: Fellowships, Study Abroad, and Internship Opportunities An extensive list from Ohio State University -- some are for OSU students only.
  Formal Programs to Teach / Live in Japan A list from the Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco.
JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program * One of the most popular ways to teach English in Japan after graduation. 
  Teaching English in Japan * A program run by Earlham College.
  Teach English in Numata, Gunma TEFL certificate required. Good salary and benefits.
  Suzuka English Fellow Program Assistant Language Teachers in Suzuka schools (Mie Prefecture), one year program, one year renewal possible.
  Ohio-Saitama Summer Internship Program * Limited to undergraduates or graduate students in Ohio colleges and universities with three years of Japanese language study.
  Pasona (formerly Nambu) Summer Internship Program Open to undergraduate and graduate students. High level of Japanese proficiency required. Paid summer internships in Japanese companies. Housing, ¥120,000/month, $1,000 for airfare provided.
  Teach-in-Asia.net A list of lists and recruitment services
  Suzuka English Fellow Program Assistant language teacher positions (only 2) in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, in west-central Japan (near Nagoya).
  Bridging Project for Study Abroad/Japan Scholarships available for study in Japan.
  Japanese scholarships for International Students Scholarships funded by the Japanese government.
  Summer academic program in Kanagawa Run by the University of Kansas, participants take two courses.
  Summer Program in Japan (KIIS) A four-week summer program run by a consortium of Kentucky universities, with academic credit.
  Summer Program in Kyoto (Univ. of New Orleans) Five-week summer program at Doshisha University in Kyoto.
  GoTravelEnglish This is an opportunity to teach English to Japanese students via Skype, but NOT necessarily in Japan.


SOUTH KOREA: Teach-in-Asia.net A list of lists and recruitment services.
  Worldtipsnet A recruiting service for full-time English teachers in schools, mostly near Seoul. Travel paid and accomodations provided.


MONGOLIA:

 

 US-Mongolia Field Research Program

The American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS) in conjunction with the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC) and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) offers student fellowships for research in humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, to be conducted under the supervision of a Research Sponsor who plans to be on site in Mongolia.

(new) Learning Enterprises Teach English for 4 weeks at the Sant School in Ulanbataar, Mongolia's capital city, while living with a local family. Cost: airfare, visa, and about $500 miscellaneous expenses.


VIETNAM: Vietnam Study Tour
 Contact Steven A. Leibo, Professor of Modern International History and Politics at the Sage Colleges (Albany and Troy, NY), to see whether or not this will be offered next summer.

       Edit date: 2/8/13
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