No doubt, speaking Chinese when coming to China can definitely make your life a lot easier, but is it required by the schools for you to know at least some Chinese to be able to get a job as an English teacher here in China? And in short - the answer is no. More importantly, often they ask you not to use Chinese in the class, even if you are really good at it or if you know at least basic words. This is applicable to teaching really young students. The goal is - to create an English speaking environment for them only. The older the students you teach, the more Chinese you can use in the classroom. But once again - this is not required by any means, so don't be afraid coming to work here with zero Chinese. I know people who can't speak Chinese and live here for decades, so it's not necessary :) Don't be afraid to pursue your goals :)
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