So what is 65,000 like in Tao Yuan? How much are living expenses? Is there terrible pay?
I don’t understand because I have been offered so many jobs.
[quote=“Acujer”]So what is 65,000 like in Taoyuan? How much are living expenses? Is there terrible pay?
I don’t understand because I have been offered so many jobs.[/quote]
There are a lot of teaching jobs in Taoyuan, mainly because the supply of teachers is relatively low as Taoyuan is an absolute hole. Living expenses can be pretty low - depending on what kind of lifestyle you want. It’s easily doable for a single guy to live on 30k a month. However, not many people seem to be able to achieve this. It depends on whether you want to drink in bars and clubs or not. The average salary in Taiwan is currently 47,000 a month, so 65k will be around 40% above the average Taiwanese monthly income.
Tao Yuan being a hole means a dump or boring? If one wanted to go to bars, get a decent one bedroom apartment, and be able to save money, how much do you recommend is needed to be paid? This is really hard for me as I know nothing about Taiwan. Is 47,000 a month for the average salary, are the average people poor? I assumed Taiwan was not a very poor country. I’m shooting in the dark here. As for the life I would like to have, After living for years in Shanghai, I am sick of huge cities, so I wouldn’t mind a smaller place, but definitely not a dump.
It’s a dump and it’s boring. I haven’t been single for a long time so I don’t know how much the average single western guy needs to get his jollies. There’s a thread about living costs in Taiwan that you should read for the opinion of others.
Yeah you can’t have a dump AND boring! That is like dating a chick that is fat AND stupid.
So what is the ideal location in Taiwan to live, if you could have a great job anywhere for scenery, environment, friendly people, living costs, and a nice community of expats, without the stress of a major city?
If I could have a great job, I would live in Kending.
As in “Definitely”.
WARNING: This post is going to drone on and on, and may leave you no better informed than you were before.
All boldfacing and italicizing were done by me.
[quote=“Earlier in this thread, I”]. . . I’m not a hundred percent certain that such a list or lists exist.[/quote] Master's Degree but no Bachelor's - #25 by Charlie_Jack
[quote=“Also in this thread, tomthorne”]The Ministry of Education does have a list of accredited universities which it checks against when the cram school manager sends a copy of the teacher’s degree certificate when applying for a work visa.[/quote] Master's Degree but no Bachelor's - #27 by tomthorne
[quote=“In another thread, PigBloodCake”]I don’t think they have a list. However, the MOE does have a regulation with articles mentioning that the applicant must submit a Letter of Consent on the authorization of an examination into whether the institution where he/she receives the degree from is accredited in its home country.
Here’s the URL: english.moe.gov.tw/content.asp?CuItem=7364&mp=1[/quote] Which degrees are recognized? - #5 by PigBloodCake
In the same post, PigBloodCake then quotes the English translation of Article 7 of the regulation he refers to. The translation of that article lays out the process of getting a school approved by the MOE. (By the way, thanks for the link to the regulation, PigBloodCake.)
Interestingly, the English translation of Article 8 of that same regulation refers to a list. The English translation of Article 8 calls this list “the ROC Ministry of Education’s reference list”:
[quote]Article 8
Terms and conditions for recognition of academic credentials awarded in foreign countries:
The diploma shall be awarded by an academic institution listed in the ROC Ministry of Education’s reference list. Those not listed in the reference list shall be accredited by the foreign government concerned or foreign accreditation agencies.
The term of study and curriculum shall be the same as those prescribed by the equivalent ROC academic institutions.[/quote] english.moe.gov.tw/content.asp?CuItem=7364&mp=1
So I guess there is a list. The next question would be [b]whether the list/b on the Education USA website is (are) the MOE’s reference list for foreigners desiring employment as teachers in cram schools.
WaltzingMatilda looked at the list on the site of Education USA, at educationusa.tw/dispPageBox/ … =USTUDYAHD , and made an interesting comment:
[quote]From looking at this page, it seems that it is just a list of US universities compiled by Fulbright - basically a portal for Taiwanese students interested in studying in the US.[/quote] Master's Degree but no Bachelor's - #38 by WaltzingMatilda
Indeed, that’s what it appears to be–a list of universities compiled by Fulbright.
WaltzingMatilda concluded:
Maybe WaltzingMatilda is right. Maybe the Education USA list is not a Taiwan government list of approved schools. However, I arrived at that list (or those lists) via a link on the Ministry of Education’s Bureau of International Cultural and Educational Relations website: edu.tw/bicer/content.aspx?si … nt_sn=8487
And to arrive at that list from the the Bureau’s homepage, one would click a link entitled “外國大學參考名冊 [Reference List of Foreign Universities].” On the page thus arrived at, the phrase “reference list” (“參考名冊”) appears more than 80 times. In one instance this phrase is linked to the Education USA website lists.
On one of the pages of the Education USA website, the site refers to itself as
[quote]. . . UStudy留美線上輔導網站」，除提供準備留美的完整資訊外，更規劃留美線上資料庫，收納教育部認可美國大專院校參考名冊及美國各大學台灣同學會資料庫。[/quote] educationusa.tw/dispPageBox/ … =USTUDYAA&
Google Translate renders the above Chinese as
It should be borne in mind that the regulation that PigBloodCake links to–the one that I quoted in part in this post–refers to Taiwanese students intending to study abroad, and that the list it refers to seems to be mainly for purposes related to Taiwanese students who wish to study abroad.
So I’m still not sure the list I linked to earlier is the right list, and I want to emphasize my uncertainty. But I think it might be the right list, or that it might coincide with the right list.
All the above having been said, Acujer, I think it would be wise to try hard to get information from the government about your degree’s status (in their eyes) before coming over here. My coming over here was a kind of dice roll. I’m not advising anyone to do it that way, and I’m not advising anyone not to do it that way. But I’ll just say that getting information in advance, if such advance information can be gotten, is a good idea.
Good detective work, Charlie Jack.
One thing I’m still not clear about, though. Is there a list?
Beats me. Even with out-in-the-open stuff, I’ve often been part of “the two percent that didn’t get the word.”
I guess we can’t know unless we get a chance to look in the box.
I was hoping that somebody fluent in Chinese and familiar with the government here could help us out. That might help Acujer, and it might help others later.
Charlie Jack that is one of the greatest posts I have ever read on any forum anywhere! I need to come to Taiwan JUST so I can have a beer with you.
“THE LIST”
So this big teacher recruiting agency actually sends me a list and says my school needs to be on that list to get the work visa. I look and see that the link he sent me, my school IS on that list. I then email the guy asking if he’s sure that this is the official list. What do you think he said?
“I think it is but I’m not sure.”
You’ll find in Taiwan that the smaller towns can be far be often more stressful than the cities. More polluted often, certainly more garbage strewn, and lacking in public transport, parks, sidewalks you can walk on, and far worse drivers.
I’ve always lived on the outskirts of Taipei city. Cleaner air, close to mountains and hiking trails, and a 300km network of biking paths 50m from my door. MRT into the city when I need that.
I’d like to live in the countryside one day when I can afford a big piece of land. I don’t much like having to put up with rural habits such as burning everyday (garbage, leafs, you name it), garbage tossing in scenic areas, indifference to the plight of stray dogs walking around with mange from hell, and so on.
[quote=“Acujer”]“THE LIST”
So this big teacher recruiting agency actually sends me a list and says my school needs to be on that list to get the work visa. I look and see that the link he sent me, my school IS on that list. I then email the guy asking if he’s sure that this is the official list. What do you think he said?
“I think it is but I’m not sure.”[/quote]
That’s classic. That made my day. So we can start calling it The Double Secret List.
It would be nice if MOE would just go ahead and tell you. I’d be afraid to say, “Come on over,” even if you absolutely knew you were on the list, because I think things have changed since I got here (August of 2002) and since the last time I was looking for a job (September of 2004), so I’m not sure how easy it is to get a job these days. On the other hand, I don’t want to discourage anyone from coming here, either, because for all I know, fate might have something good in store here for that person.
About some things, I guess I’m like one of those time travelers to the past in the stories and movies–I don’t want to have any significant effect on the future. 
But anyway, Acujer, I hope you wind up having a good experience, whatever you decide to do.
Even if your school is on the list, does that answer your question?
I’m waiting for the reply from MOE. I’ll let you know when I find out.
I’m surprised to hear that Taiwan has so much pollution and trash and crazy people. I really thought that was mostly a Mainland thing. I knew there was smog, but I didn’t realize there were total dumps there and ignorant peasants.
I HIGHLY doubt there’s a OFFICIAL list. I bet there’s a list, very likely one sited in this thread, which the MOE has appropriated from the internet as its reference list of schools.
Someone earning twenty-six thousand NT per month (give or take a few NT) in a Taiwanese government office was tasked with the job of comming up with a list of schools so that they’d have some way of checking if a degree was fake (or at least if a fake degree had the name of a “real” school on it), and just copied and pasted lists he/she found for each state from whatever source was easily Google-able.
That’s really, likely, all there is to it.
[quote=“Acujer”]I’m waiting for the reply from MOE. I’ll let you know when I find out.
I’m surprised to hear that Taiwan has so much pollution and trash and crazy people. I really thought that was mostly a Mainland thing. I knew there was smog, but I didn’t realize there were total dumps there and ignorant peasants.[/quote]
To some extent, these things are universal.
Yeah so true! I doubt there is an official list.
Is 70,000 a month in Keelung Taiwan teaching full time good? Is Keelung cool? Is the pay good?
Man, Taiwan has some weird pinyin system.
Hi everyone,
I’m a new arrived Canadian in Taiwan (banciao). I already have my ARC based on my family situation (wife and kids are Taiwanese). I do not have any uni degrees or English teaching experience. What are my chances to get a decent job and where should I look first to find one? Is agencies can be helpful?
Thanks in advance.
Frank
Your arc gives you open work rights and also is seen as a bonus by some employers as they do not have to sponsor you. Some teaching jobs may actually specify this type of arc.
Therefore you do not need a degree to get a teaching job.
That being said, the school might have the requirement that all teachers have a degree. However the schools I work at were more excited about my marriage visa then any degree or experience.
Regarding agents. In my opinion they are a waste of time.