Anyone have any tips, info or leads on getting a English or French teaching contract at a university or college?
I have a masters degree, which I understand is required, as well as a teaching degree.
Looking in Taipei or northern Taipei County.
Leo:
I don’t know if you are still looking for a university job, but here are a few links for finding work teaching at a college or university in Taiwan:
List of Universities
http://edir.yam.com/edu/sols/uscs/univ/
Job Links for Taiwan and other places in Asia
http://www.geocities.com/allhou/teachlinks.htm
Scott Sommers’ website
http://scottsommers.blogs.com
Michael Turton’s website
http://users2.ev1.net/~turton/teach_index.html
verbalkint,
I am not LeoWhite, however, as I was just searching for this kind of info, I am happy to find these links.
Anyone,
Does anyone have any advice for getting an English teaching job in a university. I have over 6 years of experience working in higher education in the US Though I wasn’t a professor, I taugh workshops, seminars, and used English extensively in the performance of my job. My first year in Taiwan, I taught English to a variety of age groups, though I preferred older (college age or older) students, with the occasional mature and/or motivated high schooler thrown in.
I’ve heard, as Leo said, that all you need to teach English in a uni is a master’s degree, which I have. However, a friend of mine is a Taiwanese English teacher in a local (Taipei) uni. Along with some links he recently provided for me, he mentioned that I would need a masters in something English related. Is this correct? Is it a requirement (i.e., absolutely necessary) to have an English-related master’s? I’m sure it would help, but wondered if it was a must.
Also, any other hints, suggestions for finding uni teaching positions… OR… any thoughts on other (maybe student services related) positions I might be able to get (my master’s is in Counseling/Student Affairs). Please bare in mind that my Chinese skills are minimal at this point.
Thanks in advance!!!
oh… one more thing. Does anyone know anything about the following universities (they are some of the ones given to me by my friend)? Do you know someone who works there? Can you give me contact information (preferrably email) for sending a resume/CV?
Finally, any suggestions of other universities to try?
St. John’s & St. Mary’s Institute of Technology
Taipei Municipal Teacher’s College
Chinese Cultural University
Tamkang University
Thanks. 
Hi QM,
I once taught at St John’s… (for a year and a half). Unless they have changed the president and the chairman of the English department, I’m not sure I would, er, recommend it. I mean if you want to feel as though you’re making a difference with your teacher. If you can stand just “putting in the hours”, then SJSMIT is OK, although the location is a bit “out there”. But if you were based in Tamsui, it would be great. It’s about 20 minutes on the bus towards Sanzhi (away from Taipei) along the coast. I used to commute from Taipei on my (not-so) trusty used Vespa. Looking back I can’t believe I did it.
The kids were nice, though. I was teaching 13-15 year olds at that point, putting in a conversational enrichment program for which they had gotten some government money which they had to get rid of right away. I don’t know if that program is still in place or not. Otherwise, you would likely be teaching “fifth-year English” (remember this is a technical school) and they will definitely try to hook you for the night school programs.
Haven’t taught at any of the other ones.
I can’t say there was any “key” to my getting that job in the first place – I didn’t know anyone; I just blanket-faxed my resume to every school I could find a number for, and the time was right – they happened to need someone in a hurry, in February. What are the odds? At least you’re starting at the right time of year. I’ll keep an ear to the ground.
Oh – yeah! Fujen is looking for a full-time teacher. Or was recently. They probably still are searching, so it wouldn’t hurt to apply. Contact Father Bauer at engl1013@maDONTils.SPAMfju.PRIESTSedu.tw (mails with an “s”, taking out my addition to his address) and tell him I referred you. The poor dear man is my “thesis advisor”… Fujen is a really nice campus, and if you get a foot in the door now, if you should spend a long time in Taiwan, it will be a cushy job in 2008 when they finally let people ride the MRT out there…(!) Until then the busses aren’t too bad. 
better career prospects, better facilities, better programs (maybe), better job satisfaction (maybe), more prestige (if that’s important to you)
But my Master’s is worth more than 52K a month, thank you.
The presitge isn’t important, but doing something I like doing is. I’m currently in a job that, with the unusual exception, I hate and am growing to hate more each day. Also, I used to work in universities in the US and when my bf and I get back to the states, whenever that blessed day comes, I want to get back into uni work. So… I figure if I have to be stuck in Taiwan for now, I might as well do something semi-related to my career.
I agree…but what are you doing with your masters right now that gets you more than 52K? I can’t see many jobs in Taiwan, masters or not, making you a pocket full of cash. And, it would still be more than I’m making right now. Again, the career issues and great job satisfaction, for me, are the important benefit.
QM,
I’ve PMed you a reply. 
Qualifications depends on the school. If you’re looking at colleges then a MA will still be possible, although more and more of them require it be in TEFL or the like. At the national universities, it is unlikely you’ll get a job in an “English Department” without a PhD in English, Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, or TESOL. At my university, a national school, the minimum requirement for a Taiwanese teacher is a PhD but “foreign” teachers who teach languages can be hired with a MA if their credentials are directly related to language teachers. However, when we post new positions, we pretty much add the PhD as a qualification so the person can be used to teach graduate classes as well as undergrad. Language Centers at universities are a bit more lenient about credentials.
If you’re looking for positions in academia, then Scot’s blog is a good place to peek in at as is Ken Dickson’s Hwakang yahoogroup at a number of academic job openings are posted there groups.yahoo.com/group/HwakangJournal