I am a local. I studied in a Municipal Vocational Technical High School. My parents could afford to send me to a Bilingual School. But, I don’t have plans to study or move abroad. I work in Taiwan. I am a nurse. Those Bilingual Schools cost between 700,000NT-1,000,000NT a year. Do you think it is necessary for your kids? Some Public and Municipal schools aren’t bad in Taiwan.
They’re not that expensive. Taipei European School works out around 50k a month. I’m sending my kid there next year assuming she gets in. Retirement’s for losers.
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50K a month? Well, 600,000NT a year plus materials. I think you should do what you think it is the best for your kids. I made my own decision not going. My sister is a CPA accountant in USA. She didn’t go to Bilingual Schools, too.
I send my kids to the local elementary school, I want them to learn great Chinese and be comfortable here. As for junior high, lots to think about.
I also don’t send my kids to buxibans and let them watch fox family movies and read some books instead, that kind of stuff . But I would consider some kind of buxibans if necessary . I myself went to a buxiban in high school.but just one morning a week.
I couldn’t really afford to send my kids to TES even if I wanted to, I don’t have 1-2 million ntd.a year to spare , I need to save as much as possible. Probably I would move back to my homeland if I need them to get a different education and better English. I am considering it.
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How’s their English now? Is the only place they hear English at home from you? Is having one (or both) parents speak English at home enough for the kids to learn/speak English fluently without accents?
Is bilingual school really needed if the parents speak English?
I can and I can’t afford TES. Thus the joke about never retiring.
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My sister went to TAS when she moved back to Taiwan with my parents and I stayed in the US. It’s a pretty nice school. I know the kids there get a bad rep for being spoiled and stuff. But for a affluent school, they really are overall pretty good kids. I’ve been to a lot of affluent private schools and TAS kids were easy. I worked there for a bit and they gave me zero problems.
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It’s not great but then again their Chinese is great. So I’m not too worried. It also depends on their personal interests and abilities. Chinese is a lot more difficult to pick up then English.
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Of course TES TAS etc aren’t bilingual schools.
Everyone tries to do the best for their kids. The first word you learn when having a child is compromise.
tuition of typical bilingual schools may be 250,000~350,000NTD / year. Including everything, less than 500,000, I think. 700,000 is Kang Chiao.
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Nah, not every kid who attends TAS is a spoiled brat. We can also find spoiled brats from poor families. I mean, it is about searching other methods to educate kids without spending too much. My sister went to a High School for girls in Taipei. It wasn’t a Bilingual School. But, one of the best High Schools in Taipei. She earned scholarship to attend NYU. She is currently a CPA accountant in NYC. Of course, she was 1 out of 100. But, I was thinking if attending those schools can really predict the kids’ future. If they want to study abroad, can’t they just move abroad and enroll in Universities’ ESL courses to take English Proficiency exams first? Personally, I have never been to cram schools, language schools or Bilingual schools. I learned English because my sister was my mentor. I learned from textbooks, podcast, movies, etc. I have 930 score in TOEIC exam. But, it was just Listening and Reading test. I only took it because I was curious. According to some Native speakers, I can speak more fluent than writing. Instead of attending TAS, I asked my parents to allow me to visit my sister in USA during my Summer Vacation in Technical School. I worked at Food Franchises in USA temporarily while I was visiting my sister. Today, I am a nurse and I don’t plan to move abroad. If I make this decision one day, my sister and her husband said they will sponsor me to go.
I think it is still possible to raise children in an Bilingual environment without spending too much. I don’t condone about the spending. Perhaps, parents can spend in other ways to educate their children. I was thinking instead of spending 700,000 NT a year at Bilingual schools. Why don’t take the family to Native Speaker Homeland during vacation, allow the kids to experience the Native Speaking country, and spend time with family? It may allows the kids to decide if they want to study in a Native Speaking country or remain in Taiwan. Of course, it may work for some. But, not for others.
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Good, but IELTS band 5 due to paragraphing.
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IELTS is for Europe and Canada, right? If the kids plan to move to Canada or Europe, then it is fine. I would only travel to these countries, not moving or studying there. Some kids dream to move abroad, I don’t.
I didn’t go to one and I wouldn’t want to either.
I think it is still possible to raise children in an Bilingual environment without spending too much. I don’t condone about the spending. Perhaps, parents can spend in other ways to educate their children. I was thinking instead of spending 700,000 NT a year at Bilingual schools. Why don’t take the family to Native Speaker Homeland during vacation, allow the kids to experience the Native Speaking country, and spend time with family? It may allow the kids to decide if they want to study in a Native Speaking country or remain in Taiwan. Of course, it may work for some. But, not for others.
for some kids of some expats, those countries are not abroad but home countries.
Whoops, I just realized I replied the wrong comment to you. The message was supposed to be sent to Brianjones. But, I clicked at your comment. Sorry!
Paragraphs apply in all English speaking countries.
IELTS is for every English speaking country. TOEFL is preferred in the USA.
No worries.