Teach English in Taiwan

So, do you want to teach English in the Far East? Read through the following information and then send us a letter at teach_in_taiwan@hotmail.com so that we can answer any further questions you might have. We're always glad to hear from prospective teachers.

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Why Taiwan?

Taiwan is one of the business power-houses of the Far East. As such, the ability to speak English is valued because it means better business opportunities. Few people in Taiwan can speak English, although recently the subject became mandatory in some schools. Like in South Korea or Japan, many people want to be able to speak English in order to gain a business advantage; and, like South Korea and Japan, people are willing to pay comparatively high prices to learn. The point is that you can make a lot of money teaching English in Taiwan while learning about a fascinating culture and people.

Taiwan is an interesting place politically. While China considers Taiwan a province, Taiwan considers itself independent, even though for political reasons it has no seat at the United Nations. Taiwan is also known as The Republic of China, as opposed to The People's republic of China. For more information on Taiwan, please feel free to visit The Nun Junior College of Technology's information site.

What's the money like?

The starting pay for a foreign English teacher is 400 New Taiwanese Dollars (NT) an hour, which means about $12 US or $17 CDN. (You can find current exchange rates in our Other resources and links section.) Teachers are expected to work at least 25 hours a week once they know what they're doing (which only takes a few weeks in most cases), and they're expected to sign a contract for one year; the contract is negotiable if you have special circumstances that you'd like us to consider, but we'd appreciate knowing them in advance.

The cost of living in Taiwan isn't altogether cheap, and in some places, like Taipei, the cost of living can be quite high, so we recommend a smaller city, where living costs are lower but the wages are the same. We work out of Taichung, which is Taiwan's third largest city in the middle of the island on the west coast, with a population of 2 million. Living costs are, for some things, about half of what they would be in Taipei.

An apartment here costs anything from $120 US for something simple in the suburbs to $250 US for something nice downtown. A meal costs from $1 to $5 US. Medical insurance which we will (as required by law) help you to pay, is about $25 US a month. A local phone call costs about 4˘ US. This is just to give you the idea that it's easily possible to experience the culture here and still save about $500 - $800 US a month.

Now, of course, while you're making this money, the government will want its share. The regulations regarding foreign workers is always changing (usually to the advantage of the worker), but currently income tax is 20%. However, if you work more than something like 164 days (it depends who you talk to) in a calendar year, almost all of it is refunded. Which means that if you come at the end or beginning of the year, you have a clear financial advantage.

Where will I stay?

Once you arrive, we will help you to find a place to stay. You will have the opportunity to decide what kind of living arrangements you'd like, and what you'd be willing to pay. Of course, costs rise with proximity to the downtown and with increasing size of apartment. Most teachers choose to stay in a smaller apartment close to the city. You can choose to stay by yourself, or have roommates to cut down on costs. Your choices will, of course, be limited to what's available in the city.

What's it like in Taiwan?

Now, that's a more difficult question to answer. The climate here is sub-tropical, which means the summers are hot and humid, and the winters are mild (even if the locals complain that it's cold).

There are 20 million people in Taiwan, so pollution is a problem. Locals here describe the air as "heavy", which is a rather accurate description, being both humid and polluted. Again, pollution is worst in the capital, Taipei.

Of course, every visitor to a foreign country is going to notice different things that are strange. The most common complaint is about the traffic. More than half the vehicles here are scooters, and they have special lanes that cars aren't supposed to drive in. However, traffic regulations are rarely enforced, so the streets are often a zoo. A red light here most often means slow down to see if anyone is coming; drinking and driving is still a serious problem on the weekends; as of only last year there's a new law making helmets mandatory for motorcycle riders.

Feel free contact us at teach_in_taiwan@hotmail.com if you have any specific questions about the conditions here.

Do I need special training to teach English?

No. There are only a few requirements to teach English. I can't stress enough how desperate people here are to have foreign English teachers.

1. A Bachelor's degree - from any institution, in any discipline. This requirement is for the government, so that you can get a work permit and teach legally.

2. A good command of the English language in a clear, North American accent. Yes, you do need to know how to speak English. Because the people here are learning English in order to do business, and most business opportunities are in the United States, it is important to them that they learn the North American pronunciation of English words. Chances are, if you can speak English in America or Canada without people asking where you're from, you qualify.

3. A sense of adventure and responsibility. We recognize that it takes, well, a lot of guts to even consider picking up and leaving to a very different country. If you're reading this page, then it seems you can cross this one off. Remember, though, that you are going to be standing in front of a class of people, maybe even children, so if you can talk in front of a group of people, you're set.

How do I apply?

All you have to do is send us an email at teach_in_taiwan@hotmail.com. We can answer you're questions, and prepare for you're arrival. You might want to include your name, address, email, expected date of arrival, and maybe a resume if you have one.

We do ask that you let us know your flight itinerary at least two weeks in advance of your arrival. That way, we can have everything set up for you when you get here.

There's a few things you can do if you want to get a head start:

1. You'll need a visa. There's a few different kinds of visas available for Taiwan, but we suggest you get a Tourist Visa, which can be valid from 30 to 90 days, depending on how (I think) friendly you are to the office staff. In any case, ask for the longest, and please don't mention you're going to teach, because they won't like you. Your passport must have at least 6 months remaining on it in order to get the Visa.

The reason we ask you to get a Tourist Visa is simple: it's so much easier. To get a Work Visa, you'll need a medical check, a copy of your degree, and a letter from your employer stating that they will sponsor you. This takes a lot of time to gather, and most people want to come right away. Once you're in Taiwan, we will arrange for you to get a work visa, and cut down on time.

See the section on Other resources and links to find a visa office near you.

2. You'll need a copy of your degree. While you're at the office getting you're Tourist Visa, you should ask them them for a certified copy of your degree. As already mentioned, this will be necessary for your Work Visa, and it saves you from having to bring the original copy.

3. You could also send us a few pictures of yourself along with a copy of your degree (and any certifications) by snail mail if you want to speed up the process. A picture here is worth a thousand promises. Back to top

What happens once I get to Taiwan?

- Once you've sent us your flight schedule, we will meet you at the airport in Taipei, and bring you to Taichung (a city of about 2 million people) where you will be working.

- Right away we'll begin showing you your options in apartments. It's important to us that you're comfortable from day one.

- Of course, you'll soon start teaching. We will guage from your performance and experience how much training you'll need, but most people need only experience to become great teachers. Soon you should be working as much as you want, and just raking it in. - Teachers, to us, are a valuable commodity. Our philosophy is that teachers come first, even before students. Although this might raise some eyebrows, we think that if a teacher isn't happy teaching a particular group, then no matter how much the students want that teacher, the students won't learn effectively because the teacher won't teach effectively. - Your comfort and happiness is our goal. -

With that said, we can help you with many things you might want to do. We can register you for classes if you want to learn Chinese. We can take you on trips to the mountains. We can go to the movies to see the latest films, which you've probably already seen. Or we can just leave you alone to let you explore your strange but fascinating surroundings.

Contacting us

If any of this information appeals to you, or you would like to know more about teaching in Taiwan, please feel free to send us an email at teach_in_taiwan@hotmail.com. We love to hear from prospective teachers.
Our fax number is (04) 436-4572 in Taiwan. (The country code is 886.)
Our snail mail address is:

4F, No. 1-3, Lane 75,
Sec. 2, Shuang-Shih (Double Ten) Rd.,
Taichung, Taiwan,
R.O.C.

And remember, your comfort and happiness is our goal.

Š1997 Keith Banerjee

Last Updated 16 Jan 98

Created 10 Oct 97