The newbie thread

Why don’t you just lie?
You can’t just put some name of some school in your home town and say you taught ESL?
How could they possibly check such a thing?

I could see it being relatively easy for me to come up with some half-assed believable story since in NYC everyone knows there are tons of immigrants, but if you come from a middle-of-no-where place I could see how that might be difficult. Just lie. Say you taught in some Gulf country or something. What’s the difference? From what I understand, they hand you the lesson plans anyway so its not like they’ll be testing you on “well, show us your skills!”

Hi,

I’m going to be moving to Taichung in late August/early September to teach English. Just wondering if anyone had any words of advice when it came to the big move/adapting to life in Taiwan. I’ve also heard horror stories about the traffic in Taiwan, but heard its quite easy to get used to, is that true?

Hi,

I will be coming to Taiwan around September 1. What cities have the most jobs teaching English?

[quote=“NickLane”]Hi,

I’m going to be moving to Taichung in late August/early September to teach English. Just wondering if anyone had any words of advice when it came to the big move/adapting to life in Taiwan. I’ve also heard horror stories about the traffic in Taiwan, but heard its quite easy to get used to, is that true?[/quote]
I hear traffic is awful most places (Italy, India, Peru (Experience: Do not drive in Peru). It seems like America and Western Europen are the few places where traffic isn’t “deadly”.
So its probably not going to be an issue for you unless you’re on a scooter. If you check around the forum, most seem of the opinion that riding a scooter is unnecessarily dangerous in the cities.

Did you know that teaching English positions usually open up early August? Therefore by early September you’ll be missing the peak opportunity time. Try to get to Taiwan before late August.

I’m not in Taiwan yet, but here is what I’ve learned so far in my preparation for the move.
Also depends on where you’re coming from. For example, I’m from NY and I think the hardest part for me will be the fact that decent, real milk is near impossible to come by. And also that its cheaper to eat out than in. I need my cereal/eggs, bacon, toast, and whole milk+coffee in the morning damnit.

[quote=“Gladiator”].

.[/quote]
Fascinating.

[quote=“Lili”][quote=“NickLane”]Hi,

I’m going to be moving to Taichung in late August/early September to teach English. Just wondering if anyone had any words of advice when it came to the big move/adapting to life in Taiwan. I’ve also heard horror stories about the traffic in Taiwan, but heard its quite easy to get used to, is that true?[/quote]
I hear traffic is awful most places (Italy, India, Peru (Experience: Do not drive in Peru). It seems like America and Western Europen are the few places where traffic isn’t “deadly”.
So its probably not going to be an issue for you unless you’re on a scooter. If you check around the forum, most seem of the opinion that riding a scooter is unnecessarily dangerous in the cities.

Did you know that teaching English positions usually open up early August? Therefore by early September you’ll be missing the peak opportunity time. Try to get to Taiwan before late August.

I’m not in Taiwan yet, but here is what I’ve learned so far in my preparation for the move.
Also depends on where you’re coming from. For example, I’m from NY and I think the hardest part for me will be the fact that decent, real milk is near impossible to come by. And also that its cheaper to eat out than in. I need my cereal/eggs, bacon, toast, and whole milk+coffee in the morning damnit.[/quote]

I’m teaching through Shane for the first year. They’ve organized a start on the 5th of September through to the 8th.

Cheers for the info!

David’s English (大衛美語) is an adult cram school that can offer you an ARC. Both group and one-on-one classes available.
They have seven branches in and around Taipei, and they’re also in Taoyuan, Zhongli, Hsinchu, Tainan and Kaohsiung.

I’ve worked at Taipei City’s Fuxing branch for about a year now, and it’s pretty good.
They don’t sponsor my ARC, however, so you’d have to contact them about that.

david.com.tw/
david.com.tw/index.php?do=contact

If you try to contact people around three or four weeks before the Chinese new year, they will most likely tell you to contact them again after the holiday, when it’s back to business as usual.

Totally! Showing your charm is better in person anyway!
If the decision maker isn’t there, find out when they will be and go back. They will notice your persistence.

Meanwhile, think of what other experiences you have that could help you find a teaching job. Working with kids, at community centers, organizing groups, etc.
Lay it out for them and show confidence that you can do it.

[quote=“Lili”]Why don’t you just lie? You can’t just put some name of some school in your home town and say you taught ESL?
How could they possibly check such a thing?

I could see it being relatively easy for me to come up with some half-assed believable story since in NYC everyone knows there are tons of immigrants, but if you come from a middle-of-no-where place I could see how that might be difficult. Just lie. Say you taught in some Gulf country or something. What’s the difference? From what I understand, they hand you the lesson plans anyway so its not like they’ll be testing you on “well, show us your skills!”[/quote]

So you are suggesting that people creat fraudulent documents? You know that is a serious criminal offence in Taiwan.

How could they check, the email or call the school.

Hi everyone,

              I'm a new arrived Canadian in Taiwan. I already have my ARC based on my family situation (wife and kids are Taiwanese). I do not have any uni degrees or English teaching experience. What are my chances to get a decent job and where should i look first to find one? Is agencies can be helpful?  

Thanks in advance.

Frank

Hey everyone, I’m a teacher in Korea right now with EPIK but I’m planning to move to Taiwan to teach there instead since I love Taiwan. I have a BA and will have 1 year of experience teaching by the end of my contract in September. What is the deal? Just land in Taiwan and find a job when you get there? Seems pretty risky since I havent heard of anyone that I know doing it lol. Also, where would be the best place to stay while you are trying to find a job there? I havent really got any contacts there that could house me … :frowning:
Thanks

[quote=“tboasis7”]Hey everyone, I’m a teacher in Korea right now with EPIK but I’m planning to move to Taiwan to teach there instead since I love Taiwan. I have a BA and will have 1 year of experience teaching by the end of my contract in September. What is the deal? Just land in Taiwan and find a job when you get there? Seems pretty risky since I havent heard of anyone that I know doing it lol. Also, where would be the best place to stay while you are trying to find a job there? I havent really got any contacts there that could house me … :frowning:
Thanks[/quote]

I just made the move from EPIK in Korea, to Tawain. I got a job with Hess hess.com.tw/careers/english/ which has it’s pros and cons. It’s very legit, being the biggest chain of schools in Tawan. It’s a good place to start. I get paid less than in Korea, and work harder. If you can accept that, make the move! Taiwan is an amazing country!

Hey guys,

I’ve been living in Taipei now for over a year and a half studying Mandarin at ShiDa and doing some English tutoring on the side. My Chinese classes have become borderline pointless and they bore the hell out me. I need a change, but I don’t want to leave Taiwan for another year or so. I’m a young, pasty white, clean cut American guy with a BA in Economics. I’ve also passed the level 4 TCOFL. What kind of teaching English job will I be able to get if any? I’ve heard about a few bilingual cram schools such as ACES English and MoDaWei that I am very much interested in but it sounds like I would need more experience before I could land a job there. Also my visa expires in early June so I’m in a bit of a hurry. What are the chances that I can find a job by then? Thanks a bunch for any info!

Yeah, I had about $2000 when I landed in TW. That seemed to work. Really push for the 2 month multiple entry visa though. They gave me a 1 month mult. entry visa. I had to fly out to HK 3 times before I secured a proper visa and ARC.

You have to show up in Taiwan to get a job. Few jobs to no jobs will hire outside TW. In my experience Taiwan generally has a lot more easier going work schedule than Korea’s. But I suppose it depends.

Visas are pretty tricky in Taiwan and in China. They are way easier in Korea and Japan. At least that was my experience.

Hello all,

My wife and I are looking with determination to find someone in Taiwan that can help us network and find a good teaching job at a good school. We are not looking for full time, but something that will help us get a working visa so we can make some money and enjoy Taiwan. So far we’ve been haggled left and right by recruiting agencies and we are beginning to think that it might be better to take the risk and just go to Taiwan and find a job after we get there. From everything we’ve read, networking with people you know is the best way to get a good job, so we are making a post to see if there is anyone out there who could give us a tour or help us set up an interview with a school for when we get there. If you know anyone that may be leaving Taiwan and the school is looking for a replacement, let us know. We appreciate any help we can get. We are excited to have an adventure in Taiwan.

A NOTE OF CAUTION TO ALL NEWBIES…

[quote=“frank_lemay”]Hi everyone,

              I'm a new arrived Canadian in Taiwan. I already have my ARC based on my family situation (wife and kids are Taiwanese). I do not have any uni degrees or English teaching experience. What are my chances to get a decent job and where should I look first to find one? Is agencies can be helpful?  

Thanks in advance.

Frank[/quote]

You can apply online to HESS or Kojen although they arent always the best paying ones.

Hello everyone!

I’ve just recently become interested in going to Taiwan to teach English and I was wondering if anyone could offer me some advice on where I should first start.

I’m 22 years old with a BSc in Social Anthropology and an RP English accent. I don’t have a TEFL Cert, since I’ve been told by a couple of people that they’re a bit of a waste of money. I’ve had no prior experience with teaching, but I’ve generally always been very good with children and I’m constantly told that I’m one of those ‘mother-hen’ types. I’m not currently in Taiwan, since I was hoping to get all the official paperwork sorted out before I go there.

I’ve read a couple of the threads around the forum and it seems like quite a few people are going to Taiwan first before going out to look for a job - is this something I should do? I’ve seen a couple of posts saying that jobs are hard to come by now. Are my chances of finding a teaching job relatively slim? If so, should I look to teach on mainland China instead? I want to teach abroad so that I can learn Mandarin.

Any advice offered would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Joy

[quote=“Joyie”]Hello everyone!

I’ve just recently become interested in going to Taiwan to teach English and I was wondering if anyone could offer me some advice on where I should first start.

I’m 22 years old with a BSc in Social Anthropology and an RP English accent. I don’t have a TEFL Cert, since I’ve been told by a couple of people that they’re a bit of a waste of money. I’ve had no prior experience with teaching, but I’ve generally always been very good with children and I’m constantly told that I’m one of those ‘mother-hen’ types. I’m not currently in Taiwan, since I was hoping to get all the official paperwork sorted out before I go there.

I’ve read a couple of the threads around the forum and it seems like quite a few people are going to Taiwan first before going out to look for a job - is this something I should do? I’ve seen a couple of posts saying that jobs are hard to come by now. Are my chances of finding a teaching job relatively slim? If so, should I look to teach on mainland China instead? I want to teach abroad so that I can learn Mandarin.

Any advice offered would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Joy[/quote]

My understanding is that TAIPEI has a surplus of teachers, while other areas outside of Taipei may have a shortage. I could be wrong, but this is simple economics. I would try branches in the more rural areas of Taiwan.