Hello, my name is Jonathan and I have been working for Real Life English and World Link Education for almost two years.

I originally came to China just for the experience. In business school I learned everyday how China's emergence on the world level was changing the way we live and do business - and I wanted to see this for myself.

I did not speak any Chinese and was unsure about where to start, so I thought I would begin by teaching and see if China was somewhere I would want to spend more time. I talked to friends who had lived and worked abroad and looking extensively on the internet and found World Link. After hearing so many stories of lost passports, invalid visa's, withheld pay and less than acceptable accommodations from other companies I decided to apply to Real Life because of how long they have operated in China and the support network they provide.

Once I came to Real Life English in late 2005 I was blown away by the level of service. My apartment was well beyond anything I had imagined, the school was in a clean and bustling part of town, and the teachers and staff were very open and inviting from the start. My intake group was given a teaching course and although I could hardly believe it soon I was teaching in Beijing. While intimidating at first I quickly grew to enjoy teaching and enjoyed getting to know our students. Working with all levels of learners and many different age groups gave me wonderful insights into real everyday life in China.

After nine months of teaching the staff came to me after reviewing my resume and asked if I would be capable and interested in heading up a new project: expanding our school to include an e-learning supplement. So after a lot of planning and decision making I was welcomed into the World Link staff as a project manager with my first project being developing a podcast based e-learning supplement. In the year since I have tackled a variety of projects and learned a great deal about many different fields - and I have to say it has been an amazing run. Everyday I work with my friends in the teaching staff, talk to my former students, and am challenged by next assignment.

So what began as a trip to get a feel for China has turned into a great career opportunity for me - and its not hard to see that applying with World Link was the best choice I could have made.

Many of our teachers stay for a second and third year, enjoying increased opportunity, development and personal growth as they continue to guide Chinese students towards the brighter and better futures that a second language can help to achieve.

Hey, my name is Ben, and I'm Head Teacher at RLE. I've been in China for just over a year now, and it's still just as amazing as the day I arrived.

In coming here I honestly had no idea what to expect. I knew of China as one knows anything from learning from books, I had a picture in my head, but reality turned out to be so much better. World Link Educations' program as given me opportunities I didn't anticipate, professionally and personally. Everyday, I'm privileged to work with an amazing group of teachers from around the world, and I can now say that should I ever decide to buy a round the world ticket I'd be set for a place to stay in most of the continents of the world! I didn't expect to meet the people I have here, and I've made friends that will last long after I ever decide to leave China. My students though have been one of the most unexpected but positive experiences I've had in China. It's almost a cliché to say – that I've sometimes come from lessons feeling like I've learned as much from them as they did from me – but it's true. I'm the teacher in the classroom, but many times I've found I'm equally a student. My students have opened my eyes up to China and its people and culture in a very direct, honest, and sometimes humorous way that no paid tour or 2 week vacation ever could have. They have been a pleasure to teach. I would highly recommend this program to anyone considering working in a unique, challenging, fascinating and ultimately rewarding environment. It's unlike anything you would find teaching at home and it has opened doors to opportunities and possibilities that I just couldn't have previously imagined.

Hello. My name is CJ Winter, and I'm a Senior Teacher here at RLE. Over the last two and a half years, I've had many rewarding and memorable times which have enriched my experiences here in China.

RLE is unique in its teacher-student dynamic, with regular coordinated excursions and events – many of which I've had the pleasure of coordinating and assisting.

In addition to both Chinese and Western seasonal holidays (Mid-Autumn Festival and Hallowe'en being particular favorites of mine) we've also held some really great outdoor activities. One that springs to mind was last year's trip to "The Wild Wall", were-in a combined force of 80+ Chinese and Foreign Students and teachers hiked through woodlands and hillsides to the top of the some of the last remaining vestiges of the original Great Wall. It was a fantastic moment of camaraderie and community for all members of our school, and I consider myself privileged to have participated in the event.

Above all, however, I feel the greatest reward in this company are the students themselves. We accept students from a wide range of backgrounds and ethnicities here in China, and there is no greater feeling of achievement than to watch an individual progress into a confident and competent speaker of the English language. In addition, interaction with students of such rich cultural diversity has allowed me to experience China in a completely unique way – providing insights I may never experience as a tourist.

I'm glad to have had the opportunity to teach with them, and look forward to many more amazing experiences.

When I applied to the Teach in China program with World Link Education I really didn't know what to expect. I suppose I expected to be faced with the difficulties and excitement of living in an incredibly changing foreign culture. But what I got was so much more.

Of course life in China has its difficulties. They range from not recognizing hardly any food in the supermarket on the first trip, to not being able to understand what people are saying, even though they are speaking English. There are a host of things that when you first arrive will find different and unique and crazy and unbelievable. However, I am astonished at how quickly i became accustomed to those things and actually began to crave them.

Yet amidst all of the times when you really feel like you're going crazy in a strange and foreign land, there are times when you feel incredibly at home. Holidays, for instance, a time when you would think you would be incredibly homesick, turn out be fun. Thanksgiving was the first major holiday that I spent here in China, and my roommate and I decided to host a potluck for the teachers at our apartment. It was a huge success, even though a good portion of the teachers aren't American and have never celebrated Thanksgiving! Almost everyone came bearing mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, devilled eggs, sweet potatoes or any other traditional Thanksgiving dish. It was an excellent meal and for those few hours during dinner it didn't feel like China.

Aside from those cultural experiences, everyday interactions with people have really made a dent in my memory. The students, for instance, always amaze me. They are so eager to learn. Some of the students spend almost every waking moment at the school, in hopes that each extra minute they spend with us will give them one more little bit of knowledge. But the amazing thing about our students and the school is the emphasis on culture as well as language. Of course the students are here to learn the English language, but they are just as interested in the culture, be it American, British, Australian, South African or whatever other culture is represented in our teaching staff. In fact, sometimes I think I learn more from the students than they do from me!

Besides the students, the Chinese people in general are a people greatly curious about "Laowai" (foreigners). This is evidenced by the occasional stares you'll get just on your ten-minute walk to work. But once you are comfortable with the interest, and if you can speak a little of the language, it is incredibly rewarding to be able to have a conversation with a random person in a restaurant. Or to be able to tell the cooks in the restaurant (that know you because you go there every night) what you want them to cook, and after you eat it to tell them how delicious it was. The people are so thankful and friendly and always willing to sit down and chat for a minute.

After teaching here for almost one year, and having extended my contract for over another year, I can safely say that teaching in China is an incredibly exciting experience. It is unbelievably difficult to sum up an entire year of experiences in an exhilarating country like China. I cannot begin to tell you how much you will discover, get upset with, learn, and enjoy here. The culture is extraordinary, the food is amazing, and the people are remarkable. It is truly an unforgettable experience.

World Link Education prides itself on offering opportunity to all, from its students who come to learn a second language to its teachers who bring with them a wealth of knowledge and experience. Teachers are actively encouraged to use and develop their multitude of talents and for all new posts we always look internally first - making sure that you get the most out of your time in China.

Joining World Link can be for more than a year, it can become your whole career!