It’s pretty easy to live cheaply in Taipei if you need to. I can eat very well on NT250 per day if I want, without even trying. Say, 50 for soy milk and a 燒餅夾蛋餅 for breakfast. 80 buys me a nice 三寶飯 for lunch (at the place I’m thinking of, this is duck, sausage, and some other kind of meat that’s really good but I haven’t bothered to ask about , plus vegetables and lots of rice). So then I have 120 left for dinner, which is enough for a good dinner, maybe teppanyaki at the place on Shi Da road, for instance. I do usually spend a little more than this, but this sort of day isn’t uncommon at all, and you could easily do cheaper. I have friends who eat in the student cafeteria nearly every day. Rice and soup are free there, and the other stuff is cheap, so you can eat a decent meal for NT50 or so.
Anyway, tutoring, part-time teaching, and proofreading have all been easy enough to come by. I’ve been offered three gigs just in the past week, actually. In my experience, most of this sort of work (including all three jobs I just mentioned) is found by word of mouth, so try to make friends with some people who do this. People will often contact them first, asking if they know anyone who could take the job.
For me, proofreading is more lucrative than the others, but that’s because I’ve found somewhat of a niche, and have enthusiastic recommendations from previous (and recurrent) clients. I charge NT1000 per hour for individuals, and 1500 for the rare business that hires me. For tutoring I only charge 700 per hour, but it’s more steady than proofreading. You have 2 years of experience on me (minus a couple of months) in teaching ESL, so you should be able to ask for more than 700 per hour for tutoring. In fact, I know non-native speakers who earn 700 per hour tutoring. If you’re teaching a class you may have to go with what they offer you, though you may sometimes be able to negotiate.
Thanks for the info, CQ. I’ve read all of your blog and it and your posts here have been a great resource.
I’m looking to enter the MTC in the fall with PAVC 2 or 3, so your study methodology and perspective is a great guide and inspiration for my own studies. Keep up the great work!
ChineseQuest - which teaches do you recommend taking at MTC? I will be arriving for the fall term and have 0 experience with Chinese so I am looking for an educator that can bring out knowledge vs push in information. I have been following your blog and think its very informative. Thank You for your time.
As far as which teachers I can recommend, it’s hard to say. Learning styles and needs differ. I don’t know anyone who generally teaches Book I, although the teachers do switch around sometimes. I’d also be hesitant to post any specific names because…well, they’ve become my friends since I left their classes and I just don’t feel comfortable talking about them online, even if it’s positive.
More important than the teacher (though the teacher is of course important) is what you do outside of class. In my experience, most of the people who complain about MTC being so bad are the ones not doing much outside of class and expecting the teacher to perform miracles. I don’t really know how a teacher is going to “bring out” knowledge if you have zero experience in the language, but I’m sure there are some teachers who feel it’s their duty to stuff your head full of stuff you don’t need. My favorite teacher (first term) gave us a bunch of extra information (vocabulary), but didn’t require us to learn it. That was great, and some of the stuff I learned from her while studying Book 2 we’re only just now covering in Mini Radio Plays (same-ish level as Book 5).
You should be able to spot a bad teacher during the first few days. If that happens, switch. Ask around as much as possible about how other teachers are (this will be easier your second term because you’ll know more people in your level by then). But really, put in the time outside class and most teachers are just fine (albeit maybe not stellar). I’ve had one outstanding teacher and two who have been just fine (though one gets pushed into the “good” category for being very attractive and friendly). But I’ve done fairly well at MTC because I’ve (occasionally) put in a lot of extra effort outside of what we study in class.
i just got feedback from the taiwan embassy in austria. they say they can’t give me the scholarship, too many applicants. but i can apply next year again.
sucks.
for everybody else, gl in taiwan then…
Turned in my acceptance letter and itinerary to the Houston Culture center. Was told that official award letters will be sent from the beginning of June to July. Will be going next week to Houston to get my visa.
I just heard back from the SF TECO, and I received the 6-month Mandarin Language Scholarship. Best of luck to everyone else!
I would love to hear where everyone is planning on studying this fall…I applied with the intention of attending the International Chinese Language Program (ICLP) at NTU, but it just isn’t financially feasible (even with the scholarship) for me at this time. So I am considering either the Chinese Language Center at NCCU or the Chinese Language Division (CLD) Language Center at NTU. Any thoughts?
I also won the SF Hua yu language scholarship and will probably start in Feb 2013 (though). I was wondering which program I should do as in which is more intense: the one at NTU (not the International thingy…which is quite expensive) or the program at Shida?
Additionally, where do people generally live comfortably and cheaply?
The teaching at NCCU is supposed to be decent, but they move very slowly through the material. I’ve heard relatively good things about NTU’s CLD, but I know they don’t offer much as far as advanced courses.
I’d personally recommend Shi-Da’s intensive program. Most of the students I’ve met have been fairly serious about learning Chinese, although that does mean different things to different people. The teachers, in my experience and from what I’ve heard from others, mostly range from decent to very good, though there are of course a few bad ones. You have the first week to switch out of a class if it’s not good. The biggest thing to me though is that they offer a decent variety of classes (some quite interesting, IMO) at higher levels, more than any other program in Taiwan other than ICLP.
Not to be repetitive, but has anyone heard back from Washington?
Also, did anyone apply else for AMS? I can’t find information on their process anywhere except for official sites. I’ve been in contact with them to send in some documents, but does that mean I’ve unofficially won? I’m too nervous to outright ask!
[quote=“taiwantiger”]so I hope I get my acceptance for the scholarship soon too
for the visa: you can not switch visa types inside Taiwan.
[/quote]
Actually you can switch Visas in Taiwan. I did so from Visitor Visa with “Student” written on it to a Resident Visa/work-ARC
You just need to be nice and persistent at NIA.
What you CANNOT do is switch a “Landing Visa/Visa-Exempt” stamp into a Visa.
[quote=“Disorted”]Not to be repetitive, but has anyone heard back from Washington?
Also, did anyone apply else for AMS? I can’t find information on their process anywhere except for official sites. I’ve been in contact with them to send in some documents, but does that mean I’ve unofficially won? I’m too nervous to outright ask![/quote]
Yes, I also won the AMS from DC and will be studying at ICLP for a year starting this Sept. Which language center will you be attending?
If I get the scholarship, I’ll be at MTC. I want to study at ICLP, but I simply can’t afford. If I can’t get a scholarship, I can’t afford anything at all ;_; It’s so frustrating!
Edit: Update 6/13
After a short series of clarifying emails and paperwork, I have officially received the AMS scholarship! I’m thrilled!
I’m an American and have been teaching in Taiwan for 2 years, 3 by the time I try to apply for the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship. I’m from NY State, but should I apply via the Chicago TECO office? I don’t have a residence in the US right now, so can I apply to the TECO office of my choice?
Im going to take the TOCFL test this April. My question is that since I’m not leaving for Taiwan until late next year, can I choose when to activate it? Will they penalize me for not collecting it immediately?
, plus vegetables and lots of rice). So then I have 120 left for dinner, which is enough for a good dinner, maybe teppanyaki at the place on Shi Da road, for instance. I do usually spend a little more than this, but this sort of day isn’t uncommon at all, and you could easily do cheaper. I have friends who eat in the student cafeteria nearly every day. Rice and soup are free there, and the other stuff is cheap, so you can eat a decent meal for NT50 or so.
