Taiwan teaching contract

Hi
Ive been offered a competitive teaching contract for a school in Taipei County, 10 months, $53,000 for first three months, then $58,000 there after, with $5000 a month toward accomodation, and half flight cost. Works out 40 hours per week, but to a maximum of 25 hours contact time. Though when you work out the hourly rate not as impressive.

I know this is ok, but wondering if I can still do better by just arriving end of august.

The end of August is a great time to arrive because the new semester begins in September and many schools are getting desperate to find new teachers. Most people will tell you not to sign a contract before coming here. In my opinion, this is sound advice. You don’t want to get stuck at a school you hate, right? Come here first and chose a school that is best suited to your needs. Best of luck. :slight_smile:

P.S. You can find a job that will pay better than the one you were offered. Around $600/hr is average/good.

WHERE in Taipei County? Schools near Taipei seldom have to bother with deals like that. It’s the way out there places like Hsin Chuang or Tai Shan (way out there if you don’t have a scooter) that usually will try to attract people like that.
That said, I lived in Hsin Chuang for a year, never saw a single “foreigner/non-Taiwanese” for about three months, lived in a breakfast shop with no windows and cockroaches wandering around, and was perfectly happy. It kept me from falling into the “I-only-know-Westerners-in-Taiwan” trap, and forced me to learn a lot of basic Mandarin, and some Taiwanese, very quickly.
They do the same thing in China. My friend went over on a deal, thinking that he was going to work in Shanghai. He spent a few days in Shanghai and loved it, before being told that there will be visa problems or something, and being posted to some tiny spot in the middle of nowhere. At least he was reading “The Lord of the Rings” in Mandarin by the end of his first year, though.
So if you don’t mind running the risk of possible isolation, go for it.
:smiley:

Hi
thanks for the replies. I reckon Im best just turning up, I do have friends in Taipei, nationals, so thats a bonus.
So having said that, do I need anything else other than a 60 day visitor visa when I arrive? Will the employer apply for my work permit/ARC after I find the positions or is this illegal?

I think you’ll probably be able to find many existing threads somewhere on here answering those questions…
You only start with ARC/work permit application after you find the job, yes. The employer helps with that usually. Just make sure to bring your original degrees/papers here, and for some countries they now won’t accept the degree unless you bring a copy that 1) was notarized in the country of origin/or where you completed your studies 2)at the Taiwan liaisons office or whatever those semi-embassies are called.