Do what I did…how to teach

Under construction:

Answers to the 500 email questions I get occasionally from people wanting to do what I did, but just needing more information and some prodding to get off their bums and get to traveling!

*** Note all answers are my own personal opinions/findings if you have other views feel free to let me know and I’ll add them if I think they are pertinent.

Why Taiwan? Why not China, Japan, or Korea?

I think that the bang for your buck is highest in Taiwan and Korea. Cost of living in Japan is very high, in addition to very complicated social rules/customs. This may be interesting to you, and Japan after all is like the cool kids in highschool (everyone wants to dress/be Japanese or a Japanese pop-star). China, while incredibly large and um powerful..there are strings to this. The pay is not very high, and there are restrictions of freedom. No twitter, no youtube, no blogs, no no well…just no, you can’t do that. Korea is…well ok, I admit I’ve heard good things about Korea (but shhhh Taiwan is better). If you are just starting out Taiwan is less of a culture shock…its shocking, but not as permanent. Taiwan is democratic, there is a healthy amount of free speech. The ratio of earnings to cost of living is excellent…live like kings, or at least wealthy upper-class. And you have more access to Americanized items (hello, Costco, McD’s, Starbucks, Burger King etc etc. )If you want to escape these things (ewww Starbucks whyyyy) then there are millions and millions of Asian options as well (Hello Ikari Coffee). In the end, I found the market for English instruction booming, the people SO so welcoming and friendly, and the transition fairly easy. If you’re in Taipei there are western-er centric parts of town as well (see Tien Mu, Taipower/Gonguan MRT exit).

Do I need any experience?

You definitely need a college degree. In English? Not necessarily. You can have a degree in just about anything, my roomate had a degree in Spanish and Business, for example. It helps if you do have experience with children, babysitting, younger siblings, volunteer work, anything. But again, not necessary. A TEFL certificate bumps you to the top of the line, Education degree also. With these two things you can also earn more.

Is it hard to find a job? Should I find a job before I leave? Or just show up?

Previous to the US and World economic slump, I’d say show up! We’re hiring! However now the market is slowing a bit, while there are still plenty of jobs at certain times of the year, you might want to plan a bit more.  I did the show-up get a job in a week thing. I had several choices, I took my time, did some interviews and then was hired, wham bam, thank you ma’am. If you’re wanting to look for jobs before and secure one while in America I would say work through a consulting agency or larger school that is experienced in this sort of thing (Hess, Kojen, Giraffe).

Here are some resources to check out jobs if you’re browsing around:

Asian Consultants (I used these guys, they were great and helped my roommate find her job)

ReachtoTeach (had friends who worked here, also a consulting agency)

Tealit (the GO TO site for most everything. Weather check, Classifieds check, Apartments check, jobs check, personals check, doctors check, burecratic crap check. Ignore the ugly site design)

Taiwanted another classifieds site, also good.

ESL Island I never personally used it, lots of general info

Should I leave now? When should I go?

The regular school year starts the very beginning of September. Schools are hiring generally for the month of August. It’s good to show up a month early in order to get all your paper work (ARC, Visas, Contracts) set up and get an apartment etc. Schools are also hiring in June for Summer Session but generally they fill these positions with teachers who taught the previous year and are just renewing contracts. Also if you didn’t make it in July or August, during Chinese New Year (end of Jan/Feb) Spring semester is about to begin, occasionally schools are hiring at this time too for teachers that had to leave mid-semester or weren’t a good match but not as many as in August, and you won’ have a lot of choices.

What will I earn?

Generally schools offer around 600NT an hour for Kindy style teaching. Adults may be a bit cheaper…550NT. Have a TEFL certificate maybe 650-700NT. Private tutoring? One on one? 800-1000NT an hour. The New Taiwanese Dollar is about 30NT to 1 US..you do the math.

Chain schools versus smaller ones

I, personally, chose to work at a smaller school. I enjoy the more personal connection and the closeness to the boss. While there is less schedule flexibility at the same time there is more of an exchange between boss and teacher. However, if you are a brand new teacher and a bit hesitant about the whole experience it might be simpler to go to a larger chain school. The larger schools are experienced with processing new hires in the paperwork arena, as well as they often have a more set curriculum…you get the book, you assign the work, you check it, bam. Larger schools also have more flexibility in terms of hiring more teachers, so you can have your classes covered in case something comes up. (At my small school there were only 3 teachers total so often on sick days I felt a bit guilty calling in because there was a scramble to find someone).  However the downside is, bureacracy, more teachers to deal with, more bosses, less direct communication. Take your pick. I loved my smaller school, worked side by side with the assistants, and taught my boss’s kids. My roomate likes her larger school, has friends who are co-workers and has been offered new, diverse teaching opportunities.  Also a thing to consider…English owned schools versus Asian owned schools. The culture and expectations are definitely altered.

I don’t want to teach kids…what are the choices?

Not thrilled with wiping noses and unnecessary crying? You can always teach older kids: middle school/highschool or adults. With adults you are often teaching the finer parts of English, be prepared for challenging questions in which the answer inevitably is…”Its like that because it is…I know, it doesn’t make sense” Also, adults are slower to learn so be prepared for lots of repetition. Middle/High school students, are in school ALL day, you better have a firm grip on the classroom behavior because they’re apt to tease. Then again, the interaction and personalities of these kids are often amusing and more interactive than the babies. If you are teaching kindy, the kids are little sponges, suckers for stickers, and be prepared for lots of singing, playing, and acting like you are 5 yourself. (I was a kindy teacher, despite not being particularly fond of kids before, because in the end, the little kids can’t tell if you don’t know what you’re doing exactly…fake it till you make it? Also, I did have to sing The Wheels on the Bus 359 times to my 3 year olds, bleh)

Contracts and ARC

Is it full time/part-time? Can I travel?

Do we get vacations/holidays?

Health insurance wooo socialized

Apartments

Taipei versus other cities: Kaohsiung