Hi,
I am looking for some advice here on teaching English in Taiwan. I moved to the US as a teenager from Mainland China. Now I am a US citizen, have a Master’s degree from a US university, and have been working as a professional for 4 years. My husband, who is a white native-born US citizen, is interested in teaching English in Taiwan next year.
I would like to know what chances I will have in finding a job in Taiwan either teaching English, or as a Chinese-English translator. I am pretty confident in my language abilities (with really good American accent), but I understand having grown up in China may be a big factor in job searches.
Worst comes to worst, it seems like my husband should be able to support the both of us living in Taiwan. Of course I would prefer to find a job somewhere, too…
Any insights or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Come in your US passport and no one will care that you were born in the PRC. You might be overqualified to teach English in my opinion.
Since I assume you have no problem understanding Chinese. Why not get a job that will added value to your career?
Depends what you’re lifestyle was in the States. If you go to Taiwan you will both be immigrants now and have no natural advantage over the natives of Taiwan.
You’ve been an immigrant in the USA, so it might be the same for you all over again.
Is your husband ready to be an immigrant? I’ve seen my share of foriegners crack here in Taiwan.
Also I have no idea how both of you will qualify for an ARC without first acquiring a Taiwan job when your Stateside. Unless both of you plan to come here on a vistor’s visa and try to find companies to sponsor you for an ARC when you get here.
Thanks for responding! Our plan now is to stay for one year in Taiwan. We thought that we would either come on tourist visas in August and find teaching jobs later (which would have to sponsor our ARCs), or go through a more reputable institution like ELITE or Hess–although I am having second thoughts about Hess after reading this board. Or perhaps my husband could come as an English teacher (with a pre-determined job) with me coming as his spouse. I still need to investigate the last option.
I work for the local government, and from what I read about Taiwan’s governments, there may be too much interpersonal conflict for it to be worth it. I will still contact my counterpart in Taipei, though, to see if working for them for a year would be a possibility. Can always quit if it doesn’t work out, right?
My husband spent a few years in China, so he knows what he is getting into. 
Our lifestyle is not extravagant by any means. We’re more in for the experience than the money.
If you plan to come on a visitor visa and work illegally just make sure to have enough money for a round trip ticket to HK every 4 months so technically you can avoid overstay issue.
If you plan on working for the local government in Taiwan you best begin studying. They are all exam based.
I don’t know of any exchange program in government. But can’t hurt to ask as they say.
I believe that if you have been naturalized and have resided for more than four years in the US, you will be considerered a ‘normal’ US citizen rather than a resident of the “Mainland Region”.
You can do more research on the laws here by checking out law.moj.gov.tw.
If so, you should be able to get a work permit as an English teacher eventually although there is some discrimination in the job market against people of Chinese descent. If you look hard enough, you will find something though. Many people have had good experiences starting out at LTTC or ELSI.
If you stay in Taipei or Hsinchu, you should be able to find other employment. The tech industry is the easiest. Just go to www.104.com.tw and search for ‘writer’, ‘editor’ , ‘translator’. and ‘marketing’ in the job description field. Try some Chinese variants as well. Taiwanese companies welcome bilingual professionals. [Personal view begins here] However, some bilingual professionals are sometimes disappointed when they are not immediately given positions with signifiicant authority.
AC_drop is incorrect about working for the government here. Foreigners can and do work for many government agencies as consultants without taking civil service examinations. These agencies may be reluctant to hire you given your backgound and the current political climate though.
Given your background and qualifications, I would recommend that you look for non-English teaching work in Taipei while your husband looks for English teaching work. I think you will see another side of life here and be less confined to the ‘foreign ghetto’ of English teaching.
Good luck.
I believe that if you have been naturalized and have resided for more than four years in the US, you will be considerered a ‘normal’ US citizen rather than a resident of the “Mainland Region”.
You can do more research on the laws here by checking out law.moj.gov.tw.
If so, you should be able to get a work permit as an English teacher eventually although there is some discrimination in the job market against people of Chinese descent. If you look hard enough, you will find something though. Many people have had good experiences starting out at LTTC or ELSI.
If you stay in Taipei or Hsinchu, you should be able to find other employment. The tech industry is the easiest. Just go to www.104.com.tw and search for ‘writer’, ‘editor’ , ‘translator’. and ‘marketing’ in the job description field. Try some Chinese variants as well. Taiwanese companies welcome bilingual professionals. [Personal view begins here] However, some bilingual professionals are sometimes disappointed when they are not immediately given positions with signifiicant authority.
AC_drop is incorrect about working for the government here. Foreigners can and do work for many government agencies as consultants without taking civil service examinations. These agencies may be reluctant to hire you given your backgound and the current political climate though.
Given your background and qualifications, I would recommend that you look for non-English teaching work in Taipei while your husband looks for English teaching work. I think you will see another side of life here and be less confined to the ‘foreign ghetto’ of English teaching.
Oh, and by the way, Taiwan as you may know is very different from China. Ten or more years ago, it was common to here foreigners moving from China to Taiwan to not like Taiwan because it was somehow not Chinese (read ‘poor’) enough. These days though the quality of life has vastly improved here and one rarely hears such views.
Good luck.
Really appreciate all the information. I actually would prefer to be a translator or editor, since I am doing that semi-professionally now for a pro-human rights publication.
Professionally it would be fascinating to work for the local government, too, just to see the inner works of a completely different system-- although I understand the limitations of being an outsider, more or less.
Translator into Chinese or into English?
Are you well versed in the Zhen Ti character set used in Taiwan still.
They’ll probably label you a spy in ROC government and lock you up.