Hey everyone…
I am planning on moving to Taiwan with my Canadian (white) boyfriend in January to teach English. My parents are both Taiwanese but I was born and raised in Canada and my native tongue is English so I am CANADIAN!!! I have a B.A. in english literature From the University of Toronto and a TESL certificate. My Mandarin is very bad actually… My relatives in Taiwan always say I sound like a white girl trying to speak Chinese…
Anyways, my question is …will I be able to find a job easily ? I am concerned because I am Chinese …I look Chinese…and so will employers discriminate against me based on my race despite my qualifications? Do employers prefer WHITE English speaking people instead?
Also…will I have any problems from other people because I have a white boyfriend and I will be living with him in Taipei? Are these sorts of interacial relationships looked down upon…because my mom said…that I better not introduce my boyfriend to my grandpa!!
ABC’s do get jobs here - even though it might be harder if you decide to enter the English-teaching scene, but your credentials seem ok. However, improving your Mandarin should be a top priority as it gives you more opportunities career-wise.
The combination Asian(looking) female/white male is very common here. Overt racism against whites and couples is rare.
The combination Asian(looking) female/white male is very common here. Overt racism against whites and couples is rare.[/quote]
Assuming you’re in Taipei.
Your qualifications make you much more suited for teaching English than probably 90% of other applicants in Taiwan, so while you may run into the idiot ‘I only hire whites’ (why would you want to work for someone so stupid anyways?), your qualifications will probably outweigh any such negative factors.
Look for a job after you have arrived. Just make sure that you have funds enough to sustain your existence for a month or 2. Some major chain schoold and (as far as I know) most agents have a less than stellar reputation among teachers. With your EFL certificate you should be able to do better paywise than the NT$550/hr paid to your average Joe with a BA in Chemistry.
A lot of white guys get a Cassanova Complex when they discover they are much more popular with girls over here than they are back home, so beware!
I knew an English (white) girl working here who invited her boyfriend over for an extended vacation. Within a short space of time he had dumped her and was shacked up wth some KTV girls.
It could happen to you…
Is my memory failing me? It seems to me that yesterday the title of this thread was “RACISM???” Why has the word “reverse” got tagged on overnight? Surely racism is racism whichever way it runs.
Not if they are from Vancouver. There’s already a lot more single women than men in that town and once you subtract the gays from the picture, it’s something silly like 3:1. I’m nothing to look at but was beating the girls off with a stick. I needed the stick since most of 'em had at least 40lbs on me
But, fair warning. I don’t know too many unmarried couples who arrived as one.
Where in Taiwan do they actually pay significantly more for having a TEFL certificate? It is my experience that they might say it’s nice if you have one but you won’t get any more money or respect.
[quote=“blueulyssess”] My Mandarin is very bad actually… My relatives in Taiwan always say I sound like a white girl trying to speak Chinese…
Anyways, my question is …will I be able to find a job easily ? I am concerned because I am Chinese …I look Chinese…and so will employers discriminate against me based on my race despite my qualifications? Do employers prefer WHITE English speaking people instead?[/quote]
You can certianly get a job, but yes you will be treated differently than the native speakers.
You’d get a pretty well paid job at our primary school. If interested, drop me a pm. We employ teachers with a TOEFL, TESL, CELTA etc each year for billingual classes. Any colour. Amos.
I have a B.A. in english literature From the University of Toronto and a TESL certificate. My Mandarin is very bad actually… My relatives in Taiwan always say I sound like a white girl trying to speak Chinese…