Listen here is my Sunday afternoon, Scotch-oriented viewpoint on all of this. Taiwan is a place where there is lots of opportunity. Foreigners come to Taiwan for many reasons. Some come here because they could not find work back home, some because they would never want to work back home, some because they crave adventure, some for family (married a Taiwanese girl), some for pleasures of the flesh (sowing the royal oats), some to escape working a McJob existence
Sunday afternoon Scotch-oriented or not, great post!
:bravo: :bravo: :bravo: :bravo:
Well, I’ve just read through this thread and realised the connection with ‘Business Digest Club’, for whom I have worked previously (once).
I gave a one and a half hour lecture to a group of businessmen on the subject of ‘Business Ethics’, and led half an hour of discussion. It was the easiest and most pleasant NT$3,000 I have ever made, and I would recommend BDC immediately to anyone.
I’ve visited their new offices, and discussed the whole ‘Core-Corner’ thing, and I have to say I like the idea.
Chewycorns,
I disagree with some of your comments about teaching, especially that it is full of P.T.Barnums. Learning another language is a life long process, in my opinion. Crap teachers will fade away, or the student will wise up, or eventually the crap teacher will become better. What is more troubling is the lack of adequate training that teachers receive on the job. Your boss hires you, knowing you cant do the job he hires you for, then provides little to no teacher training, and expects you to succeed. Thats a big problem. The Taiwanese are not innocents being duped by Westerners, its broader than that. But dont exepct a fuller answer from me. Im just one guy. I disagree with you, is all.
Tom.
THE ABOVE COMMENTS IN NO WAY REFER TO TOE SAVE OR TO HIS TEACHING ABILITY.
I agree. In this regard, I am especially grateful to Kojen. At least the Shilin school where I work. They provide a huge amount of curriculim material, as well as a consistent teacher training program.
I’m still receiving assistance in preparing my lesson plans, after 3 months at Kojen. I love the teacher trainers there, and the Academic Director is a very easy going guy who is extremely accomodating.
Long time staff at Kojen tell me that Shilin is the best school in Kojen. I don’t know if that’s right, but after 3 months I have absolutely nothing to complain about, and everything to be grateful for.
Fortigurn, are you telling me that you get assistance with your lesson planning from Kojen, but can still command NT$1500/hr at BDC? Saying something like that is a good way to confuse someone like me.
Partly, the Taiwanese interest in English is a gullible one. Who has concrete evidence that if they improve their English that they will benefit? And many teachers don’t care about teaching.
It’s up to the bosses to bring together these gullible students who are willing to fork over cash so that the people they hired can indulge themselves. If the boss is a good one, he (or she) can make a lot of cash.
[quote=“twocs”]
Who has concrete evidence that if they improve their English that they will benefit?[/quote]
I do.
Our students place very high on tests thus placing them in better schools thus giving them a better chance to get a “better” education.
Your lack of understanding of what a “lower middle class family” can afford to spend on English instruction is really quite silly.
Yes, that is what I am saying. New teachers at the Kojen school where I work receive a certain amount of compulsory assistance. I think this is a Good Thing™, especially while I’m learning their curriculum.
But when I gave a talk for BDC, I was paid their flat fee. I didn’t complain. I didn’t walk in there cold, however. I had previously sat an interview with Elaine, an interview which lasted about an hour and a half. So they knew a lot about me and my abilities before they gave me that lecture to do.
I’m sorry to confuse you. 
I’m sorry to confuse you. [/quote]
That’s OK, it serves me right for vowing to give up thinking and become a buffon.
Anyone noticed the ad posted in this past Saturday’s Taipei Times? They’re using a web address @creative-english.com.
Was just curious given all the discussions and meetings about it a few months ago.
It grieves me to say this, but I have been in contact with the human being formerly known as Toe Slave. The bastard is still unbelievably IN A JOB!! 
This means that, however much I may wriggle and try to get out of it, I have to buy some drinks for somebody. Curmudgeon I may be, but I can’t ever let it be said that I don’t deliver the goods. So, putting a brave face on it, the great Toe Save challenge starts today.
All you naysayers are hereby challenged to make your pledges of intoxicating fluids to the Toe Save ‘Drink Your Own Words’ campaign.
Excuse me Loretta but what exactly is it that you are on about? I gather that you made a bet that Toe would be out of a job but “The Great Toe Save Challenge” “Drink Your Own Words.” Huh. 
Several people expressed the opinion that Mr Toe would fail miserably in this venture, but he’s still there and still drawing a salary. Ergo, he hasn’t failed.
I’m man enough to admit that I owe him a few drinks. We have a saying ‘eat your own words’, which I’m sure you must be familiar with. I adapted it because I’m not going to buy the bastard lunch. And I’m challenging everyone else to oo the same, the Toe Save challenge.
I would have thought that was all obvious to a man of your girth.
New project, similar idea, execution tbd: [Meeting for "entrepreneurial teachers"