This argument could be made with any country.
I stand by my view that taking a month off of one’s life to complete a CELTA is a good decision.
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If I had an extra three months of savings, I’d consider doing it again—that or a DELTA. I did it before I had any teaching experience and learned a lot—more than I could retain really. Going back a second time would still benefit me a lot.
But I too am skeptical that there would be much to be gained from it in Taiwan in terms of better job prospects, a significant pay raise, or the like. Plus, if you’re teaching kids at the average cram school, you might not be able to put what you learn to that much use.
Regardless, I have a friend who’d probably be very interested in doing it if he didn’t work so much and could get to Keelung. I think it’s great that someone’s offering it now.
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Does the substitute teaching license counting as qualified to teach in the home country loophole apply to any other country?
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Good point, that argument doesn’t.
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Thanks for all the thoughtful comments. A lot of the points raised are fair, and we’ve had many of the same conversations internally.
It’s true that plenty of jobs still don’t require CELTA or any formal teacher training, and it’s also true that Taiwan is very different from how the market looked 20 or 30 years ago. Those things can all be correct at the same time.
The reason we decided to start the CELTA centre wasn’t because we think every teacher needs it tomorrow, or that it’s a silver bullet. It was more about creating a pathway. If the only way to get solid, practical teacher training is to leave the country for a month, most people simply won’t do it. When those opportunities exist locally, the barrier drops, and over time the overall teaching quality can rise.
We’re realistic about the challenges, but we’re also optimistic. If even a small group of teachers each year get better training, reflect more on their classroom practice, and carry that into schools across Taiwan, that feels like a step in the right direction. We appreciate the different perspectives here, and it’s good to have these discussions openly.
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I’d reiterate my point that it is really worth teachers taking a CELTA or equivalent. You might not need it short term, but long term it comes in handy.
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We completely agree with you. Fun and games absolutely matter for motivation and engagement, but they’re only part of the picture. What really makes a lesson work long term is having clear aims, thoughtful staging, good task design, and the ability to read the room and adjust when things are not landing.
That’s where something like CELTA really helps. It gives teachers a way of thinking about lessons, not just activities. Even if you don’t “need” it for a job right now, those skills stick with you. Planning becomes clearer, classroom decisions become more intentional, and you end up creating better learning experiences overall.
I’d say the same as you. Short term, you can get by without it. Long term, it’s one of those things that quietly pays off again and again.
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CenYing is excited to welcome Melissa Hecksher as one of our lead trainers for the March 2026 CELTA course in Taiwan.
Meet Your Trainer: Melissa Hecksher
CELTA Trainer. University Leader. Globally Respected Educator.
We’re proud to introduce Melissa Hecksher, one of our lead trainers for the first face-to-face Cambridge CELTA course in Taiwan this March.
Melissa brings over 20 years of English language teaching and teacher training experience to the classroom. She has trained CELTA candidates across New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, and Saudi Arabia, and currently leads two academic support teams at the University of Auckland—the English Language Enrichment team and the Inclusive Learning team.
A certified CELTA and DELTA trainer, Melissa holds a First Class Honours Master’s in TESOL and has delivered training on multiple Cambridge CELTA centres, including International House Sydney and IH Melbourne. She has a reputation for blending rigorous feedback with human warmth, and supporting each trainee’s personal and professional growth.
Want to become a confident, internationally qualified English teacher?
Join Melissa this March in Taiwan.
Apply now: celta@cenying.com.tw
Course info: https://cenying.com.tw/celta-taiwan/
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TBH, I had no idea there were teaching roles that paid that high. Maybe it’s because I’m not in a major city or something, but I’m genuinely curious which organizations pay that well.
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Two that I know of are The British Council (for senior teacher positions) and New World English (just for teacher roles). There’s also a poster on here, whose name I’ve forgotten, who owns a school and pays similar. The hardcore foreign owned buxibans pay similar, I believe, but require high level Mandarin fluency. VIS (Very Interesting School - believe it or not!) pays really well. Other than that the high paying teaching jobs usually require a teaching license.
There are almost certainly more that I’m not aware of.
VIS pays ok. Definitely not the amount you’d expect from an international school. I turned down a job there because the hourly (while good compared to most teaching gigs) was too low for the subject level and lack of paid prep time.
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Thanks a ton, that’s a ton more than I knew of. I should probably get out more.
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