Thank you so much for your detailed and thoughtful reply. Out of respect and to participate more fully in the culture, I would of course learn some Mandarin. My family and I are considering our options. Thank you again!

Jose

In general the Chinese seem to have a lot of respect for older teachers; this has been my impression based on 5 years’ experience. You would not be expected to speak Chinese (Mandarin), so this won’t affect your welcome. It goes without saying that any Chinese you can learn once you arrive will be helpful in many ways, making friends and getting a deeper understanding of the culture etc.

If you travel on the tourist trail, you’ll find English widely spoken, so travelling won’t be onerous because of your lack of language skills. Travelling in China is usually onerous to some degree though, even when you do speak the language… patience is a prerequisite. Most people are friendly and helpful, especially to older travellers.

You will also find that before long many students will be offering you their help, and welcoming you to guided tours of their hometowns that may well be off the beaten track. No doubt that if you do want to go somewhere obscure, some knowledge of the language is going to be useful.

If you’re heading for a city like Beijing, where I live now, you probably don’t ever need to know a word of Chinese… but if you’re planning on going to a town/city that is smaller or more rural, there will be less English spoken. I do know many people who have been in China for years, and have basic or very little Chinese.

Hope this helps & Good Luck

I do. The site is called http://middlekingdomlife.com and I consider it to be the best overall guide on the internet about living and teaching English in China. And it’s free.

Emily Rosco