Preparing for the future while living and teaching in Taiwan

(I posted this in the wrong board – perhaps “Living in Taiwan” would be a better place.)

Introduction

Teaching English in Taiwan puts us in a place where we can save money while having enough time to prepare ourselves to do something better. This opportunity is rare in the United States, the only other country in which I have substantial experience, and makes up for the ambiguity that surrounds Asian ESL education in professional spheres back home. The following is a revision of my plans regarding my time in Taiwan and how these plans will connect to my transition to the United States. I would appreciate constructive comments, especially from those who have done something similar to what I plan to do.

Background

I am 25 years old and have taught English in Taiwan for a year. I graduated from the University of Washington with honors. Although working as an ESL instructor is not considered transferable work experience in the United States, I have, over several years, some of which were in the U.S., acquired a great deal of Mandarin. This alone is not a great asset, but when combined with my educational background and plans for the future, it becomes an invaluable skill.

Plans

I intend to teach English in Taiwan for two more years. I have three general goals I would like to complete during this time.

  1. Pass the advanced-level Chinese proficiency test (TOP - 高等華語文能力測驗 ).
    + I have had great success thus far in my Chinese studies, and I have already begun
    preparing for this test. Due to my passion for language learning, passing this test
    should not be a problem after two more years.

  2. Save $10,000 U.S.
    + Self explanatory – just don’t spend. This last year I spent a lot and took a trip home
    bringing my savings down to 2500 U.S. However, these next two years will be cheaper.

  3. Prepare for the GRE.
    + I have a lot to do in this regard, but it is all manageable.

  4. Brush up on some math.
    + This will be the hardest goal to complete, but with time, focus and all the tools the
    internet has made available, I don’t see how I can’t succeed.

At the completion of these goals and two years time, I intend to apply to graduate programs in the United States. During graduate school I hope to take some statistics courses. I plan to leave graduate school with a publication under my belt, a thesis and degree, and a certificate related to statistics. I expect it will take three years to earn a M.A. I should have my M.A. at the age of thirty – a bit older than I would like. Ideally, from that point, I can pursue further education (PhD) and a career in academia. (Many graduate programs in linguistics are PhD programs.) I should have my PhD around the age of 34 to 35.

I have considered doing a graduate program in Taiwan. (The scholarship and Mandarin exposure it will bring are tempting; I can get these things in the U.S. as well, though) There are a few characteristics working against Taiwanese programs; (1) the universities are not rated well relative to my alma mater and other U.S. schools; (2) there seems to be less flexibility in Taiwanese graduate programs; (3) a big part of graduate school is working with professors – I’m not sure if these opportunities are available here.

I plan to do more research regarding Taiwanese universities; perhaps I will come to a different final conclusion.

At the moment of writing my focus is on studying (and thus on time management).

Hope to hear some comments!

Thanks. :astonished:

Hmm. Just a thought: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans.”

I decided to come to Taiwan for 8 months in 1988. Just a short visit, you know. :roflmao:

Maoman speaks wisely.

I’d just like to say that if the next two years don’t get you–and I was less than a month away from my next adventure in Mexico when I got “stuck” in Taiwan, and you decide to go to grad school, you CAN do it.

A) The GRE is tougher than you think–especially the math–but entirely passable. I almost topped out on verbal. I almost bottomed out on maths.

B) 10Gs are not enough.

C) Be REAl sure you want that PhD before you get started on it. Don’t think only of what doors it opens, but of those it closes as well.

D) Good luck!

I see a lot of planning and preparation, but no goals. It just sounds like you want to hang out in school. What do you want to study math for? What makes you think your Chinese would be valuable? Is there a specific job you have in mind that requires your abilities? A PhD? PhD in what? For what purpose? Just to have a career in academia? You’ll need a lot more than the nebulous desire to practice academia to succeed in it that’s for sure. Do you see what I’m getting at? Maybe you have answers for these questions. If so, please share them. It would make it easier for me to offer more helpful advice.

Oh and $10,000 is way too little. You should be shooting for $20 - $25k given the time you plan to spend in Taiwan. Of course, the longer you stay in Taiwan, the harder it gets to leave… Which is precisely why I left after two years. Hell, if I actually enjoyed teaching as opposed to merely being competent at it I would still be there.

Just for a year,
Sitting pretty here…

Funny plans I had,
Not that they were bad.

Life tossed curve balls my way,
Caught them and decided I’d stay

For many, Taiwan is a stepping stone,
For others, we make Taiwan Home.

Well I came here planning to stay a year or so and am now planning on applying for permanent residency (APRC). Although I’m 10 years older than you, so that lessens my options in my home country if I decided to return.

[quote=“naijeru”]I see a lot of planning and preparation, but no goals. It just sounds like you want to hang out in school. What do you want to study math for? What makes you think your Chinese would be valuable? Is there a specific job you have in mind that requires your abilities? A PhD? PhD in what? For what purpose? Just to have a career in academia? You’ll need a lot more than the nebulous desire to practice academia to succeed in it that’s for sure. Do you see what I’m getting at? Maybe you have answers for these questions. If so, please share them. It would make it easier for me to offer more helpful advice.

Oh and $10,000 is way too little. You should be shooting for $20 - $25k given the time you plan to spend in Taiwan. Of course, the longer you stay in Taiwan, the harder it gets to leave… Which is precisely why I left after two years. Hell, if I actually enjoyed teaching as opposed to merely being competent at it I would still be there.[/quote]

Thank you for your comments, suggestions and encouragement.

My description was vague in terms of goals, although I do have them.

I enjoy doing research, especially research related to linguistics, particularly the interface between Chinese historical phonology and dialectology. I have some experience in this regard, but I lacked the language skills at graduation to move into a graduate program; additionally, I wanted to get out of school for a while to make sure I actually want to be there opposed to being conditioned by habit. As best I can tell doing research and teaching will suit me well in the long run, and as of date I have been highly motivated in achieving this goal. As for statistics, linguistics methodology, especially in phonetics and phonology, is beginning to require statistically valid research, and therefore I think it will be a powerful tool in my own work and my comprehension of others’. Phonetic analysis is based on physics, and an understanding of the principles underlying one’s tool is necessary to work with the tool in a flexible manner.

I find it very hard to objectively substantiate my desire to pursue an academic career; I am aware and have accepted that it requires many years of study, is highly competitive and the salary is poor relative to the amount of work put in. But honestly, I can’t think of myself being happy doing any other thing than research/teaching as a profession. So I just keep moving forward and I enjoy the process most of the time. Also, I am keen on working towards goals and improving skills. These goals and skills seem to naturally align with academic pursuits. For example, I gave up practicing the guitar for more Mandarin study without really thinking about it, although I jam at times, but that’s not practicing per se.

Thank you for your suggestions regarding my budget; I will need to increase my hours to reach 20g. In the U.S. 10g is not a substantial sum, especially when considering tuition. Although I will pursue scholarships.

Archy,

Glad to hear you love linguistics so much and understand its limitations career/moneywise. I faced a similar choice when my professors wanted me to pursue graduate studies in literature, and I simply could not afford not to work, so I took TEFL. They were not happy, but that is what made me happy.

There are many avenues of research open if you combine your Chinese learning experience and linguistic research. Maybe you could collaborate with a local university/research institute and get you started. I have a little bank of research that I’ve put aside for someday when I can devote it the attention it deserves. Such a pursuit in your case, being so young, can give you an edge, as many universities would love to have someone young yet with the background they are looking for -Asia experience, they call it. I am thinking several places on the East coast, if you like that kind of thing.

As a nonnative speaker, I found GRE preparation challenging but not that overall overwhelming. In general terms, it wasn’t that bad -and they still make leeway for us non-Math nerds. Rather try to aim to learn how to use the Math: you’ll need to really understand statistics for research analysis -says someone who repeated the course…twice. And I agree your money is not enough -that is what some nonnatives can save in a year -to go back confortably.

And yes, be warned, as the Maoman said. Plans we make, but changes we cannot even begin to imagine. Always have plan B handy, but be ready for opportunities beyond even that…

Although you may have already found them or begun similar programs, these links may be useful…
mandarinscholarship.com/taiwan-scholarship/
us.fulbrightonline.org/program_r … s.php?id=2
blakemorefoundation.org/

From your previous posts, the Fulbright may be something you should consider, as being selected for most programs requires prior language ability and fairly specific research interests. Most people use it to pursue an MA overseas, although some enroll in PhD programs as well. For Taiwan, last year they doubled the number of TESOL grants (mainland China seemed extremely competitive, but here, not as bad), but offer several “regular” research grants as well. They have an office in Taipei (near Ximen), and a good amount of info on the web.

As for your original question, it sounds like you have a fairly good idea what you enjoy doing (or at least a well-rehearsed response to the question!), which I’d count among the most difficult-to-define aspects of career/future planning. As already stated more succinctly by Maoman, I think those who are always doing what seems practical or best suited for “the future” are missing the point. Those who enjoy living “in the moment” seem to lead happier, more fulfilling lives.

Setting specific goals is also important (ie the Mandarin test - although it should be because you enjoy it or need it to do what you enjoy … not because it might be good resume filler). Do you have a specific position or locale in mind? Do you want to work in Asia? Washington? Hawaii? Teaching college? Teaching high school? Doing field research of some kind? Consulting for some international company?

Research grants & scholarships are a great way to get other people to pay you to travel & learn things. I have 2 friends (both under 30) currently completing PhDs in social science fields paid for entirely by grants & teaching/research assistantships. There’s definitely money out there if you know where to look & how to ask. The main question is: what do you want to get out of it when you’re done?

Oh, and just to beat the dead horse, $10,000 will barely even buy you a used car in the U.S. these days :slight_smile: However, you could probably live on that for a few years in Thailand if you do it right! :slight_smile:

Actually, the quantitative (i.e. math) section of the GRE is slightly easier than the math section of the SAT. It’s all lower high school level math-- arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. There’s no trig, no discrete math, no calculus, etc…

If it feels like the math is harder, it probably means your skills have just atrophied a bit since you got into college.

[quote=“Xiaoma”]Actually, the quantitative (i.e. math) section of the GRE is slightly easier than the math section of the SAT. It’s all lower high school level math-- arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. There’s no trig, no discrete math, no calculus, etc…

If it feels like the math is harder, it probably means your skills have just atrophied a bit since you got into college.[/quote]
:blush: I WISH! I never had the skills to begin with! But I passed with a week or two of study, so any resonably intelligent/educated person should be able to do quite well, I’d think. Really, if I can do it ANYONE should be able to.