21st Century ELT Review's guide to English language teaching, testing and study organizations.
THE British Council was founded in 1934. In the UK, it is registered as a charity (not-for-profit-organization) and operates as an executive non-departmental public body. The British Council has 7,500 staff in offices, teaching centers, libraries and information and resource centers in 109 countries and territories worldwide. The organization delivers hundreds of projects in the areas of education, arts, science, sport and governance. The English Global Products reach every teacher and learner of English in the world.
In China, the British Council operates as the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in Beijing, and the Cultural and Education Section of the British Consulate-General in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.
Exams
The British Council administers over 100,000 exams every year on behalf of UK EFL, professional and academic bodies. In China, the major exams include:
* International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
* Business Language Testing Services (BULATS)
* General English (CAE & CPE)
* Legal English
* Financial English
Working for the British Council
Working for the British Council offers you a unique opportunity to gain experience and develop skills in international cultural relations. For TEFL jobs you will need a recognized certificate level TEFL qualification, eg Cambridge ESOL or Trinity TESOL, and at least two years’ experience. There are sometimes opportunities for exceptional candidates with a certificate level qualification.
