Hello. I have never taught English before. I do have a MA, so proud! Paid good money for it! Hoping to give teaching a go in Yunnan. I have lived in China before but never taught. Can anyone recommend a school? Feel as if there will be less pressure in the countryside. The city makes me anxious. Any help much appreciated

You picked a bad time to teach in China because of the corona virus.

Also he's/she's never taught before! Oh boy are you in for a surprise.

@cosimo:

Perhaps you have different idea of "countryside" than what constitutes "rural countryside" in China, in Yunnan in particular?

In Yunnan most rural schools will not be able to pay you more than the "rural experience", and even if they had the budget, you wouldn't have the possibilities locally to get more out of it than that. Other than perhaps chasing chicken and dodging goat herds on roads (or often the road), entertainment is limited.

What you probably should want, is looking for opportinities in a city in Yunnan other than Kunming or Dali. There's usually plenty of ads for such jobs on this site, though now those may be suspended also.

If you want a low pressure job, then go to a low pressure culture. I know teachers in Laos who say the teaching environment and people are wonderful.

Education in China is a pressure cooker. I know teachers in Kindergarten who have been criticized because parents 'don't pay the school to let them play'. There are many aspirational parents in in rural areas, who want children to succeed/exceed.

Unless you get into remote rural, perhaps teaching ethnic minorities, you won't find any kind of rural idyll. Even if you do, as @Janjal said, schools won't have a budget, or even need for a native English speaking teacher.

***Topic tidied up***
No personal attacks, see posting guidelines

There are several charity and NGO programs that place English teachers in rural schools around Yunnan. Food and board should be covered but you won't recieve a salary beyond some token sum. As others said rural yunnan is a world apart from Chinese cities, life is tough but people are friendly.

I'll post some links later

@cosimo: I think a lot of the critical feedback others have given above is appropriate and correct for most people.

However, if you're the type who enjoys weeks-long back-country hiking treks, including camping or sleeping in trailside huts, then teaching in a rural area may actually be just the thing for you.

@cosimo
With no TEFL/TESOL qualification and no teaching experience you cannot qualify for a work visa to teach anywhere in China. You won't get a legitimate teaching job, city or countryside. If you try to work on a student or tourist visa you risk being deported. You need to do some homework and adjust your plans/dreams.

Especially now when everyone is under a microscope especially foreigners because of the corona virus.