Teaching English in Beijing

Hi everyone,

In one week time I will be heading for my second stint in China (this time upwards of a year) and would like to make some pocket money during this period. An option which a lot of my fellow students do is teaching English, however I have a few concerns due to not having a Z-visa.

First of all, how real is the chance that you might get deported if they catch you working for a teaching company (or is this just an urban myth?). Secondly, is it illegal to work "for yourself", as in, I would prefer to simply tutor fellow students for a few hours every week and in return make some money from this.

Thanks in advance!