Let’s face it, English teachers in China don’t have a great reputation. Often described as LBH (Losers Back Home) by fellow expats, they seem to face discrimination from all sides, despite being in the majority when it comes to expat jobs. So why do such negative perceptions exist about English teachers in China?

An easy ticket?

The term LBH is omnipresent in many internet forums and articles discussing expat life in China. There is a firm perception that many expats find work in China’s English teaching industry because they are largely unemployable in their home countries. Perhaps at one time, when China’s visa requirements were much more lax, there was a nugget of truth to this. In yesteryear, I personally worked at schools and language centers in China with foreigners who could barely function, didn’t take their jobs seriously, were constantly late and had a drinking problem that would make Amy Winehouse wince.

However, these days expats wanting to get a visa to teach English in China cannot count on their foreign passport alone to get them in the door. You’ll need at least a Bachelor’s degree, some kind of teaching qualification, like a TEFL or a TESOL, and at least two years of prior work experience. This, I dare say, has removed most of the truly rotten apples from the barrel.

Reasons for teaching in China

That said, foreigners come to China to teach for a myriad of reasons, most of which probably are not because they have a passion for teaching English. Some want to subsidize international travel, some want to make a few bucks while studying Chinese, others want to fund a gap year or even find a spouse.

But to give the LBH theory some credit, it’s true that some expats may come to China to teach because they are struggling to find work back home or because they think a teaching job in China will be easy.

There is, indeed, a prevalent belief that teaching English in China is an easy job that basically involves singing funny songs to small children. This, of course, ignores the massive range of classes that foreign teachers conduct here and the hard work many put in to improving the quality of their lessons and the standard of education in their schools as a whole.

Other expats

Lateral aggression is the phrase that best describes how some non-teaching expats respond to foreign English teachers in China. As foreigners in China essentially wield no power or influence, those that are perceived as less able or capable are targeted by those who feel more worthy. This phenomenon has been researched extensively in relation to workplace bullying and violence in ethnic-minority communities across the world.

China can be a very frustrating place to live as a foreigner. Expats who are perceived as lazy, unprofessional or uninterested in China as a country are a convenient target for vitriol from other expats.

Offhand comments include, but are in no way limited to:

Oh, you’re just another English teacher.

You’re smart, for an English teacher.

You’re an English teacher. Don’t worry. I won’t judge you.

It must be nice to have such a cushy job.

Perceptions of Chinese

In my honest opinion, although Chinese people are raised to respect their teachers, I think most are absolutely baffled as to why any Westerner would want to move to China to teach. Many Chinese have aspirations to study or work abroad and become part of the same rat race that many of us expats ran away from. They don’t realize that for us, China provides a fascinating and exciting life experience. They, therefore, can probably get onboard with believing the LBH stereotype is true.

Treatment by employers

Language schools in China in particular often don’t show respect to their foreign teachers, but not necessarily for the same reasons. These institutions are businesses first, schools second, and most employ foreign teachers simply to justify the trumped up tuition fees they charge. Some owners resent having to pay foreigners a relatively high salary for what they perceive as an easy job. As a result, they treat their foreign staff very poorly.

Backwards perceptions of race and ethnicity

Much has been said online about the attitude of Chinese employers in the ESL industry toward non-white and non-native speaking expat teachers. Even within this paradigm, the right race often trumps native language skills. Many commentators say Chinese language schools would rather employ a white person from Russia than a black person from the USA. If challenged, these employers would no doubt say they are simply echoing the perceptions of the parents, many of whom hold the ridiculous belief that white people from the USA, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand are the best people to teach their kids English.

I’ll never forget an exchange I had with an HR exec at my previous school:

Her: Alex, can you help me find a new teacher?

Me: Possibly. I know of a couple of people who may be looking for a new job.

Her: Great. They must be white people, though. Okay?

Another teacher I know, who is of Greek American descent, was threatened with having his contract terminated when he returned from holiday with a tan that was deemed to be too dark by the school’s administration.

What all this means for the LBH stereotype is that, oftentimes in China, the best teacher doesn’t necessarily get the job. If people are employed because of the way they look rather than their skills and experience, you’re obviously going to end up with a less skilled and less experienced workforce.

So what, if anything, can English teachers in China do to change these negative perceptions of their profession? Until the industry itself and parental expectations change, I dare say, very little. However, I think that the best English teachers in China are successful and enjoy their time here because they can rise above the stigma and don’t need a pat on the back from someone telling them they’re doing a good job. If you’re a genuinely great teacher, your students’ progress will be reward enough.

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