This is for a paper in my sociology class, but I also have a personal interest in the answers as well:
What made you decide to go to Taiwan, and how long have you been there?
How much money did you bring with you? How much should someone interested in teaching English bring with them?
Do you have a four-year degree? Is it in education?
How much do you enjoy life in Taiwan?
How do the expectations you had about Taiwan beforehand compare to the reality?
What one experience you’ve had in Taiwan stands out the most in your memory?
I’ll answer your questions:
Came here to teach and make money, like most people. Already spent time in Korea and wanted to teach somewhere else where I could make equal (or more) money.
Been here 8 months.
I came here with about $1000. I would recommend someone bring more than that! Maybe 2000.
I have a 3 year degree, not in Education.
For the most part I really like it here. Not itching to leave like I was in Korea.
I didn’t have high expectations when I came here, so I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Couldn’t have imagined how hot it would actually be though.
I have a few memories that really stand out, a lot of kind gestures from locals like not letting us pay for our meal and one man who drove me from one end of the city to the other, to where I needed to be when I was completely lost, one of my first days here. And he didn’t speak a word of English. He just saw me with a map on the side of the street and tried to help. Maybe not the smartest thing to do but he really was just a kind man.
As a general rule, I don’t like to encourage using discussion forums for surveys for classes. That’s not what we’re here for. If the questions generate a good discussion and are to the point, I might go ahead and respond, but otherwise, I choose to not participate.
Your questions are very similar to those of someone thinking of moving to Taiwan and teaching and there are several threads with just the information that you’re looking for. I do encourage you to look through the old threads, get that information and find out more about teaching English in Taiwan. If you’ve got any other more specific questions, feel free to ask.