EF English First was founded in 1965 by a young Swedish entrepreneur names Bertil Hult.
Five decades later, EF Education is the world’s largest private education company with a group of fifteen subsidiaries and non-profit organizations centered around language learning, educational travel and degree programs. Today, EF Education has over 31,000 employees, teachers and volunteers worldwide. With offices and schools in 51 countries, EF has turned the world into a global classroom.
Since opening in 2001, EF Shenyang have been providing high quality English courses for children and adults and currently have two centers in the city- one in the downtown core of Heping District, and the other in the quieter, but no less busy Huang Gu District, famous for the huge Beiling Park.
The school currently employs over 30 foreign teachers from a multitude of English speaking countries. They offer extensive support to new teachers as they adapt to life in China, providing SIM cards, wifi in staff apartments, assistance with opening a bank account and a tutor in the neighborhood you’ll be living in.
Small Stars (3-6 year olds) courses are grouped by developmental stages, and with no more than 12 students per group, allow for maximum interaction between student and teacher.
The next age groups are High Flyers (7-10 year olds), and Trailblazers (11-14), grouped by English ability, with a maximum class size of 16 and 18 respectively.
Each class has a local teaching assistant, who is there to help students review previously-learned language, assist with classroom management, as well as updates students’ parents about each child’s progress.
Though the majority of students are kids, EF also provide one to one lessons for adults who wish to improve their English ability to further their careers.
Having a good time and creating an inclusive environment for teachers to grow and learn is important. In addition to hanging out with your fellow teachers at restaurants, bars and parks, EF Shenyang treat their employees to annual Christmas Parties, dinner outings and even day trips nearby hot springs, Qing dynasty temples or even nature reserves.
In their free time, Shenyang teacher teachers love to indulge in a range of different hobbies and activities. Join the school’s own teacher organised football/soccer matches each week, attend Chinese lessons with a local teacher, have a picnic at one of the many city parks, join kung fu lessons with a locally trained master or check out an open mic night often organised by foreigners in the city. You’ll have tons of opportunities to pursue and discover your interests and passions!
Professional development is taken seriously at EF Shenyang with regular workshops and development sessions, designed to equip you with practical applicable teaching techniques.
Before you start teaching your own classes, you will spend at least one week observing current teachers and attending training sessions with the Director of Studies and senior teachers. All teachers are observed by the DoS and/or senior teachers with a goal of providing constructive, practical advice and guidance. You will have continued opportunities to do peer observations during your time at the school.
Located in the center of Liaoning Province on the bank of the Hun River, Shenyang has a history that stretches back thousands of years. While modern Shenyang grows bigger by the day, glimpse into the past can still be found. Cultural and historical relics, from Neolithic ruins to Qing palaces, are still well preserved.
Shenyang’s Forbidden City, the Qing dynasty’s first imperial palace, is a major tourist attraction that is worth a visit. Also still standing in the city are four Buddhist pagodas that represented the cardinal points of the city in the 17th century.
Areas outside of the city also offer exciting things to do in your free time. In winter people flock to ski slopes and nearby hot springs. Summer is the perfect time to explore the surrounding countryside on your bike or hike through nearby mountain ranges.
Shenyang is not a tourist trap, so foreigners here enjoy a rich and authentic Chinese experience, at the same time as being able to locate the creature comforts that they have at home.
Getting around in Shenyang is pretty cheap compared to most Western cities. Shenyang has a reliable public system of buses, and a new subway system which is continuously expanding its service. Taxis are not that expensive, but they can be hard to find just before the morning and afternoon rush hours. Of course, when the weather is nice many teachers prefer a bicycle to get around the city.
Travelling out of Shenyang to other cities is also super easy to do- as a major transportation hub, Shenyang is connected to most other cities via planes, trains and buses.
Check out the school’s Facebook page: EF Shenyang Facebook
Review their Instagram page: EF Shenyang Instagram