Changsha at a Glance

Changsha (/'tʃa:ŋ'ʃa:/, chahng-shah), also called the Star City (星城), is the capital city of Hunan Province. It is an important city in middle reaches of Yangtze River in China, as it is designated as the National 'Two-oriented Society' Comprehensive supporting reform pilot zone, China's important grain production base, and the Yangtze River Economic belt important node cities. Moreover. it is also a comprehensive transportation hub and a national logistics hub, where Beijing-Guangzhou high-speed railway, Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway and Yuzhou-Xiamen high-speed Railway meet. Apart from its significance in terms of economy and transportation, Changsha is also culturally prosperous as one of the first National Historical and Cultural Cities. In the three thousand years of its long history, its city name and city site has remained unchanged. Changsha is also honoured as the Best International Image in China (mainland), the Cultural Capital of East Asia, and the 'Media Art Capital' of the world. It has created cultural brands such as 'TV Hunan Army', 'Publishing Hunan Army' and 'Amination Hunan Army'.

Where Is Changsha

Changsha is located in central China, the lower reaches of Xiangjiang River, the western margin of Changliu Basin, the north of eastern Hunan Province.

Population of Changsha

By 2019, the population of Changsha reported by the government is 8,394,500 with a population density of 630 persons per square kilometre, according to WorldAtlas.

Weather in Changsha

Generally speaking, Changsha is a warm subtropical city. Timeanddate.com has shown detailed climate information of Changsha. On average, the temperature reaches 30℃ in July (the hottest month), and goes down to 5℃in January (the coldest month). The annual precipitation is around 13848.8 mm per year. Most rain is distributed in spring. The humidity is 71%. The climate is basically mild. There are 275 days with good /excellent air quality of 2019.

How to Get to Changsha

From Guangzhou, the nearest tier 1 city, to Changsha, the distance is 568 km (353 miles). Flying from Changsha to Guangdong takes 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Teach English in Changsha, Hunan Province

Changsha is developed in the education industry compared to most areas in China. It has 51 institutions of higher education, 97 independent scientific research institutions, 73 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 14 National Engineering research centres and 15 state key engineering laboratories Research achievements include hybrid rice breeding, ‘Tianhe’ supercomputer and China’s first 3D sintering printer.

With its highly developed education, Changsha’ education market has grown to a huge extent, in which English learning plays a huge part. There are considerable English teaching institutions in Changsha. Basically, three sorts of institutions in Changsha demand foreign ESL teachers (click and see TTJ's definitions).

• International Schools
• Training centres
• Kindergartens

They differ in terms of responsibilities, salary, and requirements. Here we will first elaborate the how the jobs are like in international schools, training centres and kindergartens, before introducing the salary condition, after which we will explain the requirements. 

International School Jobs in Changsha

In TTJ’s database, we have recorded 15 international school, among which there are

• Cogdel Cranleign School Changsha
• Hunan Changsha Tongshenghu Experimental School
• Ningxiang Country Garden School
• Concord College of Sino-Cananda (HCCSC)
• Changsha Aibo Cambridge School
• Changsha WES Academy (CWA)
• Changsha Changjun Meixihu Middle School
• Changsha School Affiliated to Beijing Normal University
• The First High School of Changsha
• Hunan International Department
• Changsha Foreign Languages School International Department
• Yali High School International Department
• Changjun High School International School
• International Department of The High School Attached to HNU
• Changsha Mingde High School

The main work of ESL teachers in Changsha international schools is teaching English to students in primary schools, middle schools and high schools. The class size can differ from school to school. To take Changsha Cranleigh International School, for example, the teaching class contains 24 students at maximum. The teaching contents are not fixed as well. Schools often have their own curriculum. Other responsibilities of an ESL teacher involve creating lesson plans, class management, grade assignments and engaging in preparations for school events and activities.  

Kindergarten Jobs in Changsha

It is recorded that currently, we have 5 kindergarten clients that are hungry for ESL teacher, including

• Kids 'R' Kids, Changsha Yunda School
• Changsha Academy of A-STEM
• Etonkids International Kindergarten (Changsha Evergrande Metropolis Campus)
• Shanghai Academy of ASTEM Pre-school
• Genius International Kindergarten, Changsha

For Kindergarten ESL teachers in Changsha, the basic work is to make teaching plans and to deliver English classes to small children under 7. The length of English classes of kindergartens is usually shorter than international schools.

Training Centre Jobs in Changsha

TTJ has recorded 9 training centres in Changsha, the biggest titles include:

• Changsha Beirden English Club
• Changsha Monterey English Centre
• Changsha Vinston English
• BIRMY EDUCATION Changsha
• Bounce Kids English
• Acquire English Hunan
• Changsha C-centre American Illuminative Early Childhood Education
• Changsha New Channel School

ESL teachers in such institutions have the main responsibility of delivering English lessons to small kids, pupils, teenagers, or adults depending on the type of the training centre they are working for. Usually, the ESL teachers will be using video or audio materials in class. Chances are training centre ESL teachers will work in the evening or at weekends, as their students are likely to come when they are off school or off work.

Click and check more information about these top kindergartens with TTJ:

• Kids 'R' Kids, Changsha

How Much Do You Get Paid to Teach in Changsha?

The reward of teaching English in Changsha is quite ample, according to Changsha City & Salary 2020 Research Report. The mean minimum monthly salary for an international ESL teacher is ¥14,833.33 ($2113.75), the mean maximum salary is ¥20,800.00 ($2964.00), and the average monthly salary is ¥17,816.67 ($2538.88).

Working in a kindergarten, the average minimum salary per month of an ESL teacher is ¥14,500.00 ($2066.25), the average maximum salary per month is ¥19,100.00 ($2721.75), and the average monthly salary is ¥16,800.00 ($2394).

Working in a training centre, the average minimum salary per month of an ESL teacher is ¥14,710.53 ($2096.25), the average maximum salary per month is ¥19,964.29 ($2844.91), and the average monthly salary is ¥17337.41 ($2470.58).

Changsha ESL jobs requirements

Different type of institution has different requirements for candidates. Overall, the requirements cover educational background, teaching experiences, the English level, and licences.

• Educational background: bachelor or above. Some international school and high-end training centres and kindergartens will ask for a related degree, such and English language or education.
• Teaching experiences: Changsha City & Salary 2020 Research Report has shown that 56% of international school job openings and 50% of kindergarten job openings require 1-2 years’ experience. 72.73% of training centres ESL teachers are not required to have teaching experience.
• English level: according to Dongguan City & Salary 2020 Research Report, most job openings are looking for native English speakers, but non-native English speakers also have a good number of opportunities to be an ESL teacher in Changsha.
• Licences: see our specific definitions for teaching licences. Few international schools will need PGCE, PGDE iPGCE, QTs/QTLS and SACE, while others only require certifications like TESOL, TEFL or CELTA.
• Others: clean background and health condition might be inspected. Different institutions might have different specific requirements, such as personal traits and age.

For more detailed information, please refer to the city report below this article.

Living in Changsha, China

Living in Changsha is quite enjoyable, with delicious food and good sceneries around. This big city is equipped with everything you need to achieve a satisfying life.

Things to Do in Changsha

Changsha people eat Hunan cuisine. Hunan cuisine has a long history dating back to 2000 years ago. One of the most famous dishes is Fried Stinky Tofu. Although it does not seem tempting by its name, it is actually very tasty. The exterior of the tofu is crispy while the inner feels tender.

Changsha is also a perfect city of nature. Mount Yuelu in Changsha is a fantastic place for taking a breath away from city life. There are temples and cable cars, which can make a pleasant trip.

Cost of Living in Changsha

According to Numbeo, domestic beer (0.5 liter draught) is ¥6.00 ($0.86), imported beer (0.33 liter bottle) is ¥14.00 ($2.00), Cappuccino (regular) is ¥24.60 ($3.50), milk (regular, 1 liter) is ¥14.00 ($2.00), fitness club monthly fee for 1 adult is ¥741.67 ($105.69), and an apartment (1 bedroom) in the city centre is ¥1,680.00 ($239.40).

Where to Live in Changsha

Many expats choose to live in apartments of the university town near Hunan Normal University.

Changsha Subway Map

Changsha City&SalaryReport