Teaching English in Taiwan

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Teaching English in Taiwan: High Salaries, Plenty of Work

Teaching English in Taiwan is a wonderful alternative if you're a backpacker who wants to experience traditional Chinese culture - as it intersects with Western modernism - or if you feel teaching English in China isn't for you.

Taiwan, once known as Formosa (I know this from my childhood stamp collection), is the 'other China', the one mainland China is always threaten to invade and reunify. Ties have become closer over the years, but there are still two Chinas, for better or for worse.

**Taipei at night seen from its tallest building**
Photo: poagao via Flickr

This is a more offbeat destination, not on the usual backpacker trail across Asia, yet you'll find everything you usually find in many parts of Southeast or East Asia: great food, lush rainforests, fabulous beaches and cities that buzz with nightlife. People are welcoming, possibly in part because comparatively fewer Western tourists make it there. And don't forget the hot springs!

EU citizens can get jobs teaching English in France or teaching English in Spain, so Taiwan is an attractive option if you're from the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

You can look for a job or a place to stay before getting to Taiwan through one of the many recruitment agencies on the web or through English-language classifieds, some of which are listed in the Resources section below. One of the best web resources for teaching English overseas is always Dave's ESL Cafe.

Or, you can wait until you arrive. There are several English-language newspapers with classified ads, and they are crammed full of teaching jobs. Another of my favorites for classifieds is Craigslist. Your hostel should have a bulletin board, and fellow foreigners should be able to give you a few pointers as well.

**Racing in the dragon boat festival at Bitan**
Photo: poagao via Flickr

The Visa Issue

Either way, you'll have to deal with the issue of visas, which is relatively straightforward.

If you get a job teaching English in Taiwan, the school will usually get a visa for you.

If you enter as a tourist, you'll have to leave the country - most people go on visa runs to Hong Kong - to get your working visa if you find a job and want to stay.

Most people can get a visa on demand when they land, but that's good for 14-30 days depending on the type of visa (there are two) and can't be extended, so if you want to teach, these visas won't help.

If you want to teach English in Taiwan, your best bet is to apply at home for a visitor's visa - it's valid from 1-6 months, depending on where you're from, and should give you time to find work. Once you find a job, you can apply for a resident visa and eventually the ARC, the Alien Resident Certificate, if you want to stay long-term.

You can also get a student visa if you take at least 10 hours of Chinese classes a week. It's less cumbersome and easier to get, but in theory you're not allowed to work - though most foreign students do.

Advantages of teaching English in Taiwan

Clearly any country where teachers are in such high demand and salaries are good is worth looking at closely.

**The matrilineal Ami dance in the harvest festival**
Photo: poagao via Flickr

In addition to being a beautiful country with a fascinating culture, there are plenty of other advantages to teaching English in Taiwan. Here are just a few:

cheap medical care
classes of short duration with few students
good pay, which can go over $20/hour
cheap rent and food when compared to salaries, so ability to save money regularly
required credentials aren't too heavy - you do need a bachelor's degree but not necessarily a TEFL or other English teaching certification

Despite these advantages, all isn't rosy and English teaching in Taiwan does have its downsides. Here are a few things to watch out for:

read your contract carefully - each is different and they are designed to protect the employer, not the employee; how many hours do you work, are you paid for Chinese holidays, is accommodation included

some restrictive rules are often imposed - again, read your contract carefully: some may dock your pay if you take an unexpected day off or if you're sick - or even if you're late; there have been a few cases of teachers fired for being ill

and yes, you often do have to clock in

there doesn't tend to be much feedback on your work - unless there's trouble

**The Hsinchu coast, Taiwan**
Photo: Allen Hsu via Flickr

although the practice is illegal, some schools may ask you to pay a deposit just in case you decide to leave early before your contract is finished

if the school says it's paying your taxes, make sure; there have been cases of the money being pocketed...

curricula are usually not flexible, and there's little room for innovation

pay is often only once a month - this could be difficult if you're used to being paid every week or two - and especially hard your first month

Don't let any of this deter you, though - these are extreme cases but you should still be made aware of them. Most people teaching English in Taiwan love it! And being a foreign woman in Taiwan is like being a foreign woman in the rest of the region - easy!