1. Is Wuhu a nice place to live?
Yes. Wuhu is not as smog ridden as many of China's larger cities. Wuhu is also a great place to see the real China.

2. How far is it to Nanjing, Beijing and Shanghai?
Wuhu is about 1.5 hours away from Nanjing, 5 hours away from Shanghai and 12 hours from Beijing.

3. What is there to do in Wuhu?
There are wide varieties of activities to suit all people with many tastes in this city. A popular pastime in Wuhu is to relax by the lake. There are also many parks which have temples to visit and places to exercise.
Anhui Normal University, close to Aston¡¯s offices, has sports facilities that are open to the public. You can play tennis, basketball, badminton, ping pong and soccer. You might even want to join the local soccer club and play in league games. There is a running track at the university, however if Tai Chi is more to your taste you can join the many people who practice every morning in Jiu Zi Square opposite Aston.
Other nightlife social activities include going to a few nightclubs situated in centre of town and there are numerous KTV (Karaoke) clubs where you can sing your heart out.
You could also participate in other extra curriculum courses such as Chinese calligraphy classes, Chinese cookery, Chinese art painting and Chinese Opera all at a very low cost of 50-100 RMB per semester.

4. What if I want to stay longer or shorter than is stipulated in the contracts?
This may be possible, please contact Caroline Huang.

5. Do I have to know any Chinese to come teach in China?
No. A member of Aston's staff can meet you at the airport and travel with you to Aston's office in Wuhu. Many of our teachers have successfully come to teach in China without knowing any Mandarin, and have learned while teaching and living in China.

6. What if I have not graduated from college or university yet?
If you have not yet graduated, Aston recommends that you participate in the Language Exchange gap-year program. This program is tailored to fit the needs and skills of current undergraduates.

7. Do I need to have a TEFL certificate to teach in China?
No. Although Aston prefers to have teachers with TEFL certification, we provide a lot of on-the-job training so a TEFL certificate is not essential.

8. How much English will my students know?
Some of your students will know a lot of English, some will not know any. English is a mandatory class in Chinese schools, so everyone has a basic level of understanding. However, some students will have worked harder in English class than others. Therefore, classes at Aston are grouped by age and also by English language ability. For classes where your students do not know a lot of English, you will always have a bilingual Chinese teaching assistant.

9. Will I have a teaching assistant?
Yes. For classes where your students are almost fluent in English, an assistant is unnecessary but for all other classes, an Aston assistant teacher will help you to plan lessons and teach.

10. What if English is not my first language?
Aston prefers to have teachers whose first language is English. If you have spent extensive time in a Western country speaking English, that may also be acceptable. However, native English speakers are highly preferred.
If you are a native speaker of German, French, Japanese and Korean languages, Aston recommends that you participate in our business internship program.

11. How should I dress in the classroom?
Casual dress is acceptable. Flip flops and sandals, however, are frowned upon and should not be worn to class. Male teachers generally wear slacks and a button down shirt, although a t-shirt is fine as well. Women usually wear a skirt and blouse, trousers are also normal.

12. What is the weather like in Wuhu?
Depending on the season, the weather in Wuhu varies. During the summer, temperatures can climb to 30 degrees celsius. For the winter months, we advise you to bring some warm clothes.

13. What do I need to bring?
Depending on how long you will stay, you should bring whatever you would normally need for your daily life. For 1-2 months, we recommend 3 or 4 pairs of trousers and three to four shirts. Also, please take into account the time of year you will be staying in Wuhu because the winters reach temperatures of 0-5 degrees Celsius.? If you will be staying longer, you may want to bring more clothes. If you have a laptop, you may find it useful to bring to China, although at Aston we do have computers in our main office. Also be sure to bring a few good books to read in your spare time.
As travel is a main draw for people coming to China, a guide, such as the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide, would be very useful. Also a Mandarin phrasebook is essential.
Some products, like deodorant are hard to find and expensive so you may want to bring some with you avoid the hassle and extra costs.?
If you are unsure about bringing something then please do not hesitate to ask us.

14. How much money should I bring to China?
We recommend that you bring some spending money to supplement your salary but the cost of living in China is much cheaper than the UK and the USA so any spending money would not be a large amount of money. Also some or all of the first month¡¯s salary can be paid in advance.
As cost of living in China is low most of your salary can be seen as disposable income.? This can be saved, but be warned, exchanging RMB back into foreign currency is difficult, and the rate is very low.
Obtaining Chinese RMB is relatively easy now in the USA and the UK, it is available from many branches of major banks. Alternatively, exchanging Pounds Sterling (English), Euros or US Dollars on arrival in China is very easy.

15. How to set up a bank account in Wuhu?
On your arrival in Wuhu, our administrative staff will assist you in opening a bank account and obtaining a Debit card. You can withdraw money at any Bank of China ATM.
Shops in Wuhu don¡¯t accept foreign credit cards. You can withdraw the cash from the main branch of Bank of China, but beware of high credit card commission.

16. Do I need to bring teaching materials?
No. Aston provides books and all teacher materials. However, if it is possible we do recommend that you bring a few magazines or newspapers from abroad, as you may find them useful for teaching advanced lessons.

17. What kind of visa should I get?
The type of visa you should get depends on how long you plan to stay in China. If you will be a full time teacher, then Aston will send a recommendation to the visa office to allow you to get a business visa. Otherwise, you should probably get a tourist visa. Please see the visa section of our website, or contact us if you have any questions about getting visas.

18. Where to eat in Wuhu?
There are hundreds of great places to eat in Wuhu.? Only five minutes from the Aston's offices you can find Phoenix Street, a popular restaurant hub among college students. There you can find a wide variety of restaurants, particularly shops specializing in local Wuhu cuisine. There are also modern western offerings in Wuhu such as KFC, McDonalds and an Italian style restaurant, as well as many coffee shops.

19. How much does a meal cost in Wuhu?
Meals in Wuhu range from 4 to over 30 RMB per person. Scrumptious noodles, fried rice and other basic Chinese dishes can be had for about 4 RMB (0.6 USD). At the more expensive restaurants, fancier meals can cost more than 30 RMB per person.

20. Are there any western food restaurants in Wuhu?
Yes. In addition to McDonalds and KFC, Wuhu also has a few Italian-style, Korean and Japanese restaurants. Additionally, there are big supermarkets like Wal-Mart, Tesco and Auchan where you can buy things like coffee, cheese, peanut butter, cereal, western-style bread and just about anything else. Be aware however, that since this food is imported the prices are around the same as they are in Europe or America.

21. Is Wuhu a safe place to live?
Yes. Unlike many western cities, it is perfectly safe to walk around in Wuhu anytime at night. Aston teachers have never been robbed while walking around in Wuhu.

22. What to do about travel insurance?
The Company provides accident insurance for all employees on a full year contract, which covers hospital fees in case of accidents or injuries.
Prior to departure to China please contact your travel insurance provider to ensure you are covered for the duration of your stay.
Medical care in China is cheap and the hospitals are of a high standard.? However, we recommend that you have comprehensive travel insurance to cover any emergencies.?
We recommend that you consult your doctor or travel clinic about vaccinations before travelling.

23. How to make an international telephone call?
International calls in China are expensive and require a special phone card, which can be purchased outside universities for around 22 Yuan (face value 100 Yuan). This will buy 27 minutes of call time to anywhere in world.