With China's seemingly insatiable demand to learn English, it's no small wonder that so many expats come here looking for work as ESL teachers. While many of us are able to find teaching positions that bring in a decent wage, allowing us to live a comfortable lifestyle and learn a bit about the local culture, being an English teacher in China is far from easy. Administrative red tape, visa complications, increasing competition from other teachers, not to mention the ever-present issue of "how exactly do I get these kids to pay attention" are never far from the expat English teacher's thoughts.

Question 1: Is it possible to find a teaching job in China without qualifications?

MissA's answer: Yes, you can get a job. Maybe even an okay one…if you look 'right'. Although it won't be a very good one and the risk of being screwed over by your employer is very high. That's the short answer. The long answer is much more complicated. The thing you need more than anything is a degree. You'll almost always need a degree to have the paperwork done properly, and having all the paperwork correct gives you much more room to act if something goes wrong with your employer. So, that's the real 'need'. But then you'll also need to seriously consider how long you're planning to teach for: (1) a short-term thing that you're planning to leave and go back to your real life, (2) a couple of years while you save money for something major and experience a culture in depth, or (3) your brand new career…
Question 2: Do you have to have a release letter from a previous school to work at a new school?

Xpat.John's answer: By law, the company has to give you a release letter when you leave the company. It doesn't matter how you leave the company (quit, fired, midnight run).  Once you have paid all fines, returned all equipment etc., then they must give you the letter by law. The release letter is tied to your visa. If you get new employment someplace else without the letter, than you are technically working illegally. That is the legal side of it. If your new employer has pull with local officials, they can either pressure your former employer to give you the letter, or just have a new visa issued for you under their company name.
Question 3: Can I work above the age of 65?

HappyExpat's Answer: The restriction for work once you are 65 years of age comes from the health insurance companies that will consider you a high risk factor and refuse to accept you with their coverage. No health insurance

Question 4: Does it pay more to teach English at a Kindergarten than private school?

mArTiAn's Answer: Kindergarten does pay better because it's far more demanding, particularly if you're a newbie teacher. Personally I enjoy it, but I'd never teach kids younger than eight unless there was a classroom consultant present—they haven't had enough experience of being in classrooms and don't yet know that your supposed to sit in your chairs and not climb around under them. Also helps to have some Chinese under your belt too.

AdamE's answer: One piece of advice about making more money that I see a lot of foreigners not realizing: contact schools directly. If you see job ad online for a school, it's pretty likely that someone is getting a percentage of what the "real" salary is. If you have some Chinese friends that don't mind helping out, have them call some schools and talk to them directly. You'll usually get paid quite a bit more.
Question 5: Any tips for motivating students to speak more English?

Ken55's answer: The biggest problem is that society has taught us that mistakes and failure are things to be feared and avoided, so people won't end up trying things out of fear of being wrong. It's like the kid in class who knows the answer but won't raise his hand because he or she is afraid that it might be wrong…The simplest cure? Encouragement. I always remember Thomas Edison's quote: "Results? Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward...." Once you make them feel that mistakes are a good thing—an opportunity to step forward rather than a thing to be punished by mockery, embarrassment and judgement from you (or if in a classroom, others)—they'll talk your ears off. So, I tend to do a couple things…