Teach English in Taiwan (General Advice)
Here is some common advice from teachers who have taught in Taiwan:
- Do your homework before coming to Taiwan. Research potential employers online, look for “blacklists” of Taiwanese schools, ask questions on discussion forums, and talk to other teachers for advice whenever possible.
- Find teaching jobs on university bulletin boards, English newspapers or ESL/EFL job listings online. Apply for many jobs and compare schools on salary, benefits (accomodation, airfare reimbursements, commuting expense) teaching hours and other after hours work expected.
-Get the details of the job clearly specificied in an email or in writing before signing the contract.
- Before accepting a job offer, make sure you have read and understood all the contract details. This is the time to clarify and ask questions if you have any.
- A TEFL certificate is typically not a requirement but will often give you an edge over other applicants.
-Choose the type of school best suited to your style of working.
1. Government owned public schools generally provide the best working conditions but it can be difficult to find these teaching positions.
2. Private schools often have a more creative teaching environment. Salary, teaching hours and work environment vary considerably among different companies, so compare schools.
3. Language schools or ‘cram’ schools are the most common English language institutions in Taiwan. These schools focus on conversational English and you will likely have a mix of children and adults. The quality of schools vary widely. Many of these types of schools operate illegally, so do your research.
- Part time jobs and private tutoring outside of your sponsored employer is illegal. However, many teachers get away with outside work and it can greatly supplement your income.
- The best time to apply for a teaching job in Taiwan is between July and August and in January but hiring is done all year round.
[tag] taiwan, teach English, teaching english, esl teacher, efl teacher, efl, esl, teach english abroad [/tag]
