Getting a Teaching License While Living in Taiwan (SA version)

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
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I finally got one, without having to take a full year off to do it, and here’s how I did it.

If you’re thinking of getting a teaching license to expand your teaching options while in Taiwan, you’ve probably run into the difficulties of doing so. According to the Education Department, in order to qualify for public school positions that are funded by the department, you need a degree from another country and a teaching license from another country on the English speaking country list (US, UK, ZA, NZ, AUS, etc).

Tainan’s public elementary school program started hiring teachers in 2014 (when I joined) and did not require a teaching license from applicants with an APRC (my case) or JFRV. However, in 2018, the education department required Tainan to change that and require all teachers to have licenses. I like my job and needed to get a license.

Obstacles to getting the license

If you’re not willing (or unable) to go back to your home country, or somewhere else, to complete the teaching license full-time over a year, there are two main obstacles.

  1. Accumulating practical teaching practice time
  2. Doing coursework all online

It is possible to get a temporary license (or equivalent) from the US, for example, the MTEL, which you can get by submitting your degree certificate and taking two tests, but that license still requires you get practical time within five years to make it a full license.

Unfortunately, my South African BSc from the University of KwaZulu-Natal was NOT acceptable for the MTEL because it is a 3-year bachelors degree, which are quite unusual nowadays (I graduated in 2000) but still not acceptable as the equivalent of a US 4-year degree required by the MTEL certification people.

Here’s where my angst starts to come in.

After being in Taiwan for almost two decades, the slow speed and inefficiency of South African institutions doesn’t just drive me around the bend but actually makes any dealings on that end almost impossible. Non-replies to questions, slow replies, incoherent or illogical replies, and generally just a system that moves as slow as molasses at the best of times. Which is why the first option or UNISA was completely off limits for me as a dysfunctional, non-responsive entity where the standard application method is to “go sit in a long line”.

I tried multiple times to contact UNISA by email and never once received a response. At this point, I was quite desperate as my job would likely end if I didn’t get this done.

Cornerstone Institute

So, I googled and found Cornerstone Institute (based in Cape Town) https://cornerstone.ac.za/

I emailed them, and got a reply… in 20 MINUTES!!!

From that point, the cost was a triviality and they had my business.

Additionally, my 3-year degree was fine.

Absolutely everything is online, and the staff are always helpful and will pass on any enquiries to the revelant person, and you’ll get a reply. Plus, they communicated well in email, which is pretty essential for international communication of this sort. The whole course is completed through their learning platform, and all assignments are submitted through there. Communication with their admin staff is all through email.

There are three teaching practicals for the course:

Prac A: 2 weeks (observation only)
Prac B: 2 weeks (10 hours total teaching)
Prac C: 4 weeks (20 hours total teaching)

All must be completed in South Africa, at different schools, and one of them must be done in a formerly disadvantaged school, i.e. non-white school, not model C. There are forms to complete and you need to go back to South Africa for these. I maxed out my paid and unpaid leave to get it done quick. For efficiency, you can do practicals A & B in consecutive fortnights. I did them all in schools very close to my parents’ house where I stayed when I went back.

I completed the entire course in a year and a half, less than the recommended minimum of two years. If you really hustle, I don’t see any issue with completing this in a single year, but expect late nights and dragging papers around with you to read at all times.

Costs (totals)

Tuition - ZAR60,000 (TWD150,000)
Books - ZAR8,000 (TWD20,000)
Flights - TWD100,000
GRAND TOTAL - TWD270,000

The whole course was well worth it and although it was a squash at times I really surprised myself with how much I could get done when I have to. Although this is not an easy (or shortcut) way to get a teaching qualification, it was worth the effort, even though after 4.5 months my SACE certificate still hasn’t arrived (ohh, the inefficiency)

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Which is it?

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What about living costs such as food, petrol, rent (if your parents charge you) etc.

Your flights are very expensive, I would say you got ripped off big time if you paid 100K for economy.

If you qualify (2 teachable subjects at 2nd year level), you can do a PGCE at a university for much cheaper than R60,000 and it is a one year course.

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I’ve changed the first line accordingly.

“without having to take a full year off to do it”

It was meant to express that I didn’t have to leave Taiwan for a full year to complete it, as I’ve seen others do.

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TWD100,000 is approximate for three flights for three practicals.

Stayed free with my folks, borrowed their car, just paid for food.

The only issue is that pretty much every university wants you there in person. I’m almost 40, have two kids, and a full-time job that I enjoy and want to keep. Convenience and efficiency, rather than price, were my greatest concerns.

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Thank you for sharing this.

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Thank you for the information BUT it doesn’t apply to me for several reasons

One I’m American and I’m from Illinois where the licensing rules are quite strict and specific.

Two, I’m 62, will be 63 when the new school year starts and my age is already an issue

And three, it’s all a mute point because I really have no desire to work for a regular school. I’m fine with teaching at a cram school that will give me paoers

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It’s not moot at all. This thread has nothing to do with you.

I think you’ve posted in the wrong thread.

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At this age most employers will be less inclined to hire you.

Also public schools cannot hire after 65 unless you are already hired (even then you’d be on thin ice)

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Is that age limit an official rule?

I’m curious because the government is a stickler for rules. If it isn’t stated specifically in the contract or elsewhere in the maze of government documents, then they can’t overtly discriminate based on age.

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Yes, it is an official rule. 65 is the mandatory retirement age in Taiwan. Most employers won’t hire you and do not get any labor insurance either it seems (as it is for workers aged 18 to 65)

Give it a try. The idea is to allow the elderly who have built up a pension to retire and allow fresh blood in. However, those that are needed can be extended on a case by case basis.

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Thanks for that.

I’m not there yet, but I’ve met a handful of teachers in their early 60s who had just started teaching here. The firmness of the cutoff age is a worry for them if they want to stay long-term.

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Pretty much the same in every country when it comes to work permits depending on the normal age for retirement.

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Wow. It really takes jumping through some hoops to teach legally here now. I taught for the first six or seven years I spent here, decades ago. Then all you had to do was be able to speak English fluently!

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Only takes a few bad eggs and the government will tighten the rules.

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Lots of new rules, but not much change.

20 years in, with a CELTA and teaching license under my belt, and I still see that what schools are still looking for is essentially a well-trained TESOL teacher (or just a well-trained teacher with CLT knowledge).

The government is teaming with people who have PTSD from years immersed in the direct translation approach to English, who see foreigners through the lens of the most ridiculous stereotypes (i.e., drunken hippie), and who are trying to “fix” the situation by upping the education requirements for new teachers. All this without knowing what they’re really trying to get out of it.

The only reason I got my teaching license was to keep my job.

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To be honest… quite a few did conform to that stereotype…

Here is an example of a South African who came to Taiwan to teach.

From the sounds of the article he was drunk and unrecognizable when he landed in Taiwan lol.

People like him are why many have PTSD of these old “teachers” who as the writer said… “pretend to teach.”

“There’s [another] South African bloke sitting behind me whom I later find is also coming to Taiwan to pretend to teach English.”

"I saw an advert in a Sunday tabloid along the lines of “Come and teach English in Taiwan! It doesn’t matter if you’re a dumbfcuk who knows nothing about teaching! All you need is a degree!”

“Luckily for me, I had managed to bullsh+t my way through two degrees before the irresponsibility and debauchery took over.”

“We took a taxi back to the airport and bought a cheap bottle of vodka, from the vile, overpriced, duty-free shop. Drank it in plastic cups with Sprite, while we waited for our flight, in the departure lounge. Terribly skint. Hardly a dollar or ringgit to rub between us.”

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Recently an FET teacher was posting on tictoc how he didn’t really have to do any work and get paid a lot. Then she wonders why people saw it and is being tracked down and won’t get a renewal of the teaching contract.

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It was a he… The funny thing was he took the video down quickly enough and the MOE management didn’t know who he was… and they weren’t really going to bother searching.

However 2 days later he posts an apology tictoc… with his full name… A Filipino FET teacher down in Kaohsiung and I am not sure what has happened but management are aware.

(Basically he posted how he watches youtube and stuff all the while getting paid. Other Filipino FET teachers are posting how they don’t have to grade students work or do lesson plans. Schools will likely be questioned as to why their FET teachers supposably have no work to do and make the job worse for everyone…)

Just utter stupidity these days.