ABC? CBC? TBC? or what

unfortunately i can’t come before November, on many websites i’ve read that in some countries, including Taiwan, you can start a position each month??

Arriving in November or December would be a good time to get ready for positions opening in the Spring.

But it is possible to get jobs partway through the semester. Not as lucrative at the moment as it once was, though.

I wouldn’t come. Your already judging by what goes on in Britain.

If you keep doing that your going to go through one hell of a culture shock.

If you are a foreigner and come down south you are going to be pointed at, poked and even have people running away screaming.

If you are dark skinned then expect worse.

Run now my friend …run before they get you.

ABC: Almond Bitter Chocolate.

Many people who are not causasian native’s language is English. However in Taiwan your race may be taken into consideration as many Chinese cram schools expect English teachers to be caucasion.

You should ensure that your future employers are happy about this. I would be as you have great qualifications. The laws in the UK only apply in the UK.

Apart from that you can have a pretty good time in Taiwan, and learning Chinese while you are here also helps.

Arriving in November or December would be a good time to get ready for positions opening in the Spring.

But it is possible to get jobs partway through the semester. Not as lucrative at the moment as it once was, though.[/quote]

I have no idea what you’re talking but buxibans hire throughout the entire year since foreign teachers are coming and going throughout the year. The only downtimes might be during July/August when some cram schools reduce/take a break from classes and Chinese New Year when they take the week (or two or three) off. If he was applying for (and had a teaching degree) public school jobs then of course what you said would be true.

Be prepared for discrimination (in getting a job and possibly in pay). And it might not necessarily be better to go thru an agency since what they tell likely won’t be the entire truth. But with an agency you would at least be guaranteed a job before you get here.

Arriving in November or December would be a good time to get ready for positions opening in the Spring.

But it is possible to get jobs partway through the semester. Not as lucrative at the moment as it once was, though.[/quote]

I have no idea what you’re talking but buxibans hire throughout the entire year since foreign teachers are coming and going throughout the year. The only downtimes might be during July/August when some cram schools reduce/take a break from classes and Chinese New Year when they take the week (or two or three) off. If he was applying for (and had a teaching degree) public school jobs then of course what you said would be true.

[/quote]

I am sure people are talking about private school positions. Then, the hiring time is usually at the start of the semester. I think I remember the OP writing somewhere that they have an MA in English Literature. The private schools will hire people with an MA in Literature. It is possible that it would be more difficult if it seems as if your first language is not English. I kind of picked that up from the OP’s posts, but I might be mistaken. Although, I think even if English is not your first language, if you can fake it for an interview, you might still be able to get a private school position. :slight_smile:

No, that just makes you British.[/quote]
No argument here. Which is why I still can’t understand this thing that people of Chinese descent (be they actual Chinese, Hong Kongers, Taiwanese or even Singaporeans/Malaysians/Indonesians in some cases) have with being ethnically Chinese (Han?) yet second, third or fourth generation American, and still insisting on calling themselves ABC/CBC. When does one cease being an American Born Chinese, and just be American or even Asian American or Chinese/Taiwanese/Singaporean American?

People are free to call themselves whatever they want, of course, I just don’t get it. I mean, AFAIK, American children of Japanese immigrants might call themselves Americans or Japanese Americans, but I’ve never heard of them calling themselves ABJ or American Born Japanese (Same for Korean Americans). Calling yourself an ABC seems to me that you would still be classifying yourself as Chinese, albeit it born in a “foreign” country (America)…

Born and bred in the UK. please read her post.

It is her husband who is not a native speaker of English.

Born and bred in the UK. please read her post.

It is her husband who is not a native speaker of English.[/quote]

Oh oops! I guess I just picked up on some careless typing then. I still feel she should try some private schools first. They have ways of hiring people even without a teaching degree.

[quote=“twonavels”]
I am sure people are talking about private school positions. Then, the hiring time is usually at the start of the semester. I think I remember the OP writing somewhere that they have an MA in English Literature. The private schools will hire people with an MA in Literature. It is possible that it would be more difficult if it seems as if your first language is not English. I kind of picked that up from the OP’s posts, but I might be mistaken. Although, I think even if English is not your first language, if you can fake it for an interview, you might still be able to get a private school position. :slight_smile:[/quote]

Maybe he mentioned it in another thread then because it’s not mentioned here.

Born and bred in the UK. please read her post.

It is her husband who is not a native speaker of English.[/quote]

Oh oops! I guess I just picked up on some careless typing then. I still feel she should try some private schools first. They have ways of hiring people even without a teaching degree.[/quote]

yeah, typos will be found, i’m fasting at the moment and my head is :loco:

English is my first langauge, i am multi-lingual though. i class myself as English/British, not Pakistani.

what i know of agencies is that, you are guaranteed a job before heading out, and most of the positions seem to be in private schools.

i am most likely going to apply for a job in North Taiwan. is that a huge cultural difference between the north and south then?

in England, i live in the north and i think we are pretty multi-cultural… i’ve never had any racial issues touch wood and neither has my husband.

[quote=“Abacus”][quote=“twonavels”]
I am sure people are talking about private school positions. Then, the hiring time is usually at the start of the semester. I think I remember the OP writing somewhere that they have an MA in English Literature. The private schools will hire people with an MA in Literature. It is possible that it would be more difficult if it seems as if your first language is not English. I kind of picked that up from the OP’s posts, but I might be mistaken. Although, I think even if English is not your first language, if you can fake it for an interview, you might still be able to get a private school position. :slight_smile:[/quote]

Maybe he mentioned it in another thread then because it’s not mentioned here.[/quote]

who is OP?

[quote=“elliotzany”]
who is OP?[/quote]
OP = Original Poster. That’s you.

ahh ok, thanks.

[quote=“elliotzany”]
yeah, typos will be found, I’m fasting at the moment and my head is :loco:

English is my first langauge, I am multi-lingual though. i class myself as English/British, not Pakistani.

what I know of agencies is that, you are guaranteed a job before heading out, and most of the positions seem to be in private schools.

I am most likely going to apply for a job in North Taiwan. is that a huge cultural difference between the north and south then?

in England, i live in the north and I think we are pretty multi-cultural… I’ve never had any racial issues touch wood and neither has my husband.[/quote]

I’m assuming that the agencies have jobs in what seem like private schools but are actually after school tutoring (taught classroom style with 10-20 students). These are called buxibans or cram schools and shouldn’t be confused with what others are referring to as private schools. It’s not bad and most English teachers (including myself) work in one.

the racial issues aren’t the nasty kind as far as I’ve heard but it’s more of ignorance. Like for example some (most?) Taiwanese will have a hard time believing that a non-white skinned person is a native English speaker. And the same goes for parents that pay a lot of money and MIGHT take their kid to a different school. So you might have a more difficult time finding a job and you might make a little less than a similarly qualified white teacher. It is probably better to be of Pakastani descent instead of Asian though. Sorry, but it’s reality.

I appreicate your honesty hun, i’m hoping that once they hear me speak they will start to change their opinion. and hopefully the parents will change thier minds if they see a postive response from thier children.

with the agency, i will fight for a decent salary, which is why i’m going to try and find a job through a British agency first if i can.

did you find a job via an agency and which are country are you from if you don’t mind my asking?

secondly, after working in a cram school, is it possible to find a job in a private school which is non-cram?

[quote=“elliotzany”]I appreicate your honesty hun, I’m hoping that once they hear me speak they will start to change their opinion. [/quote]The average boss can’t tell who is and who isn’t a native speaker of English. Neither can the majority of parents. They’re happy to hire white people who are native speakers of Romanian or Spanish, or whatever, because since they’re white they are assumed to be Americans.
Still, it is possible to find a job, especially since you have an advanced degree.

and would my British passport increase my chances?

With a British passport you can get a legal job in a buxiban, so it helps.
With an M.A., though, you might be able to get a university teaching job, which would be preferable.