Honest day to day classroom life at an English school

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
1

I want to know what it’s really like in the classroom at an English school in Taiwan that hires foreigners. Is there someone watching over you, how are you as the teacher, “graded”

How qualified does an applicant really have to be prior to being hired and in the classroom?

Are the rumors of “glorified babysitting” and “paid to hang out with kids who love to hear English” true, or at least to some extent?

Can someone with okay English (not the best, but can pull off good sounding English) but a love for kids and Taiwan culture (and a college degree from the states) get hired? Oh, Hess has been an idea but I get mixed responses from the posts here…
Current area possibility: XinDian.

Thanks for your responses, I’m looking to see if it’s a good idea for my boyfriend to come with me when I move to Taiwan for a bit to work for my dad, considering the economic woes in the states right now. I’ll be asking detailed questions about his qualifications later and/or other prospects of his possible move.

Please be honest, but respectful, this is a huge deal for both of us but more so for him because he’d be making a bigger move than me (he’s Vietnamese and has never had great opportunities and not sure if he should because his heart won’t be in it 100%…besides me as a good reason of course :stuck_out_tongue: but that won’t allow him to survive haha).

Thank you!!

2

You are “graded” by how many kids bring their friends to your school/class because you’re such a “great teacher” (entertaining), or at least by student retention–students not leaving your school for another one.

Let’s put it like this, my friend, who has a psych degree came, and on her first day asked the kids to pick up their pencils–holding up the pencil and pointing to it and saying pencil when they didn’t respond right away. Her boss saw her and said, “Yes! Finally, someone who knows how to teach!”

Yes, to some extent.

You’re hireability hinge on your having a passport from an approved country and a degree. Your actual English ability will never be tested, especially if you find a job before you leave for Taiwan. Even if you wait until you get to Taiwan, there are many buxiban bosses who wouldn’t know standard spoken English if it bitt them on the little toe.

I haven’t worked for Hess, nor lived in XinDian, but friends who worked for Hess assure me it’s like the McDonald’s of teaching and that the boss of each school makes a big difference in the working environment there, which makes sense. There are many foreigners in XinDian, and though I’m not in Taiwan any longer, the word on these boards is that jobs are harder and harder to find. If I were considering looking for work in a buxiban now, I might consider looking in places where there are fewer foreigners.

[quote]Thanks for your responses, I’m looking to see if it’s a good idea for my boyfriend to come with me when I move to Taiwan for a bit to work for my dad, considering the economic woes in the states right now. I’ll be asking detailed questions about his qualifications later and/or other prospects of his possible move.

Please be honest, but respectful, this is a huge deal for both of us but more so for him because he’d be making a bigger move than me (he’s Vietnamese and has never had great opportunities and not sure if he should because his heart won’t be in it 100%…besides me as a good reason of course :stuck_out_tongue: but that won’t allow him to survive haha).

Thank you!![/quote]

Good luck to you both. And remember, your experience teaching English in Taiwan will be what YOU make of it. It can be soul crushing and thankless if you just play a role and do what’s expected of you in that role, or you can actually try to make a positive impact in someone’s life and find ways to make your job matter to you and to your students.

3

thank you for your responses, and in such a great organized way :bravo:

I was definitely looking for some honest answers and they are beyond helpful, but I guess deep down I was looking for some encouragement too

Thank you again housecat :bow:

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[quote=“pheeb_s”]thank you for your responses, and in such a great organized way :bravo:

I was definitely looking for some honest answers and they are beyond helpful, but I guess deep down I was looking for some encouragement too

Thank you again housecat :bow:[/quote]

Encouragement to bring your boyfriend to Taiwan with you? What sort of work would your vietnamese boyfriend be doing in Taiwan? Might there be the possibility of finding a vietnamese community for him to hang out with? Most vietnamese in Taiwan are working as maids/caregivers or servents of some kind, so it is not unthinkable that he will feel like people are prejudiced against him. If his heart isn’t in it I’d think it over carefully.

How’s the possibility of comming for a short time, with long term stay options? You both could have a chance to feel the place and people around you out a bit before deciding to stay.

5

I meant encouragement in terms of it just being some hope that possibly, he could live here. Though of course I know all the reasons why he shouldn’t. I like to keep an open mind.

You know, those jobs held by most Vietnamese in Taiwan, which ended up spiraling to become “slave and sexual play things” in the states is what caused him and his mom to be cautious about me, because I was Taiwanese!

Anyways, he’s very open and understands how things may be in Taiwan so that’s not an issue, plus I’ve been there almost every year as a kid, and he’s been there just last year with me, and we’re going again in a month.

He is very immersed and loves Taiwanese culture and like me, he’s just an American born Asian, first generation. For us, and him, finding some English speaking friends or community would be nice eventually, but the main goal is to work. He’s considering teaching English and working part-time (or as an “internship”) with my dad’s company, as I will be working full time for him.

It all still depends when he graduates at the end of this year and if the economy looks better so he can get a job in his field, Justice Studies.

6

[quote=“pheeb_s”]I meant encouragement in terms of it just being some hope that possibly, he could live here. Though of course I know all the reasons why he shouldn’t. I like to keep an open mind.

You know, those jobs held by most Vietnamese in Taiwan, which ended up spiraling to become “slave and sexual play things” in the states is what caused him and his mom to be cautious about me, because I was Taiwanese!

Anyways, he’s very open and understands how things may be in Taiwan so that’s not an issue, plus I’ve been there almost every year as a kid, and he’s been there just last year with me, and we’re going again in a month.

He is very immersed and loves Taiwanese culture and like me, he’s just an American born Asian, first generation. For us, and him, finding some English speaking friends or community would be nice eventually, but the main goal is to work. He’s considering teaching English and working part-time (or as an “internship”) with my dad’s company, as I will be working full time for him.

It all still depends when he graduates at the end of this year and if the economy looks better so he can get a job in his field, Justice Studies.[/quote]

Well, if you both have your eyes open, then there’s no reason I can see for you not to jump. You have a few more months for things to get better, or worse, economically speaking. If your dad is Taiwanese, and has a business there, then I think he’d be plenty able to answer your other questions about appartments and such, right?

7

Yeah, my dad can, but I’m just too eager to wait :laughing: I want to find some places so I can show him how excited I am. I’ve never moved anywhere in my life, stayed home for college and all.

This post has obviously digressed, but has been worthwhile :slight_smile: