Questions about teaching in Taiwan

I am in states now considering a move over to Taiwan to teach English. I have no formal ESL training or experience, but some teaching experience etc… Here are a few questions I have about teaching, living, etc…

1.What is appropriate attire for a teacher. ( I know it is hot over there–I was in SE Asia for 9 months.)
2. Did you get your desired amount of teaching hours?
3. How long did it take you to get, " up and running?"
4. Can you explain the learning process as a new teacher in any detail? ( My brother brought me to the top of an expert ski slope and I made it down–trial by fire–)
5. How much support can I expect–meaning books, lessons, and direction? Perhaps none–I have some ESL books from a friend who worked in Japan for 3 years that I can definitely put to use.
5.5 How do you ask and get honest answers to the amount of extra time you are expected to hang around the school?
6. Can you tell me (honestly) what your expenses range a month? Is it realistic to live OK on 15-20K a month. I’m not a big drinker and I am very happy eating on the street and shopping like the locals. I am a veggie and don’t crave the Big Mac! I have slept on Pan (betel nut) covered floors of Indian railway stations and lived in parts of Indonesia where screens, paved roads, and phone don’t exist.
7. What’s the best part of living/teaching in Taiwan?
8. What is your least favorite?

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR RESPONSE. I hope a few answers to this will lead to my final decision…

:laughing:

For questions 1-6, I would highly recommend using the search function with keywords like “teacher” and “attire” or “setting up”, etc as there are whole threads on this forum that would give you lots of answers to your questions.

My favorite part of teaching in Taiwan is how supportive my school is of my methods. I get a lot of leeway in my planning and teaching as long as it meets the school’s standards and I do my paperwork (lesson plans, progress reports, parent communication, calendars, etc). Not many schools here are like that, though. I just happened to have been very, very lucky in my job search three years ago.

My least favorite part is that Taiwan has a long way to go in English education. Where other countries encourage children to learn, Taiwan has shaky laws, usually against it. And they make teachers jump through hoops to work, but none of it really has to do with teaching English or being able to handle living in Taiwan.
It also bothers me how many schools here are more like businesses than places of learning. It affects me because I assess most of the kids trying to get into our buxiban program which requires fluency and being relatively close in terms of English knowledge to their native-speaker counterparts. Quite a few of children come to our school after spending years and lots of money in these schools and we have to turn them down because their English is not good enough…sometimes, being painfully poor English, despite having attended a full-day English program at one of these “schools” since the age of three. I hate the fact that we have to turn them away because they’d drown in our curriculum if we took them in and that these kids walk away discouraged all because some school owner way back when decided to hire people based on their looks and passport rather than their ability to teach effectively and then handed these people piss-poor excuses for curriculum.
My least favorite part of all of this is trying to keep a poker face when taking these kids back to them after the assessment without giving away the fact that their child doesn’t stand a chance and that they’ve spent thousands of dollars on nothing.

But then, I’m climbing up on a soapbox again…

I have searched attire, clothes, what to wear, professional clothing, etc… and so on. Nothing comes up except a few references to Mao suits and bad washing machines. Am I doing this wrong? The search turns up all sorts of stuff, just nothing pertaining to my inquiry!

[Forumosa - Taiwan's largest and most active Taiwan-oriented global online community in English … s+teach%2A](Dress code

Key words “clothes” “teach*” and searched in only the TEiT forum. Got it on the first try. :idunno:

In terms of attire for teaching - I think it mostly depends on what you are comfortable with, although clean, ironed clothing is preferred it seems. At some schools, teachers wear shorts and school provided t-shirts. But you’re the foreign teacher, and eyes are on you. I think some nice, short-sleeved button up shirts and khaki (sp?) pants are appreciated. Jeans, in good shape, now and again. There’s no question that foreigners wearing muddy sandals, tattered t-shirts and wrinkly shorts, unshaven and messy-haired, look like backpackers out to make a quick buck and bugger off to the pub. Is that you? If so, no problem! You can do that in Taiwan! I think dressing well (not dapper, just clean and neat), shows respect for those you are around. Having said that, I’ve met teachers who look like Ozzy who are outstanding, and valued. I think they earned the right to dress down, though, over time.

I think that for interviews, and then for the first week or so at the job, semi-formal is the way to go. Even a tie, at the interview, for guys, will give you the upper edge. Looks like you respect and value yourself, and mean business. I went to an interview once, though, for a kindergarten, and the principal was turned off because I wore a tie. How can you teach little kids in formal wear? Well, I said, “I’m dressed for the interview, not to teach.” Perhaps when it comes to the demo, if it’s very young children, wear neat clothes, but colorful, loose and comfortable, so you can move around, and not freak the kids out, giving them the idea that their new teacher is a stock broker or real estate agent.

When I taught, I liked to look clean cut and well dressed. Just made me feel better.

Number one though, you need to feel comfortable. It’s damp and chilly in the winter, and hot and humid in the summer. Bring some fleecies - you’ll be glad you did. Wrinkle free stuff is a really good idea, to. Who has time to iron - and you likely won’t have a dryer. Pack on set of formal wear for interviews, banquets, weddings, funerals - who knows?