Hi Annie, Wow what alot of questions. This is a good thing, making such a descision is a big thing. To be honest the easiest part was deciding, 'right I want to go and teach abroad' all the difficult things came after I found the job. 

finding a job

Take your time, think about what you want, where, what age, how much money, what benefits, on campus or off campus. 

Keep a record of all the people you contact, name, address, links to websites, email addresses. This will really help you because once the ball starts rolling it is easy to loose track of who you have contacted and which school they are from.

I wasnt worried about sending my details, CV, letter of application, photocopy of passports to potential employers etc, I know people that were. At the end of the day if something doesnt feel right or sound right dont send your details.

Do your homework

There are loads of website and ESL teachers boards that can provide feedback on potential employers. Its a good source of information about a school but please, pay attention, some boards have posts by people that are just bigotted and negative. Make sure you search for the people who have made comments because alot of schools come in for unfair critism.

Ask the school for as much information as possible. If they cannot provide you with a simple honest answer then you might want to ask yourself why?

Accomodation

I am living on Campus. Its safe, convenient and I have a fantastic manager who lives next door. Ok the accomodation is not as good as a private flat, but if i need anything I can just pop to my office or ask the manager for help.

The language

I have to be honest I knew very little chinese before I left, but I did read some books and got guides about the country which definetly helped. Its tough not speaking Chinese but you can survive still and enjoy yourself. I have been here three months and I am starting to understand but remember its the same for them, they cant understand what im saying, so there are some funny moments in shops for example. It certainly helps to have someone who can speak english to explain things to you. If you can buy a translator device or app for your phone it will be a big help.

So have you had any success? What are are you looking to teach? Which areas of China are you interested in?

Keep happy, I hope to hear from you soon.