Too Old to Teach English in Taiwan?

you might send me your resume,
Erik

Yeh, age is not important, it’s if you LOOK young and energetic and can perform well on stage, so to speak. Sure, come, enjoy. Lots of work here. Even 54, 64, you can do whatever you wish.

There are 80 year old priests here still doing great missionary position work here, and nobody bats an eye.

At your age, of course, you don’t want to teach kindergarten but there are lots of adult teaching jobs. Yes, do come over. You might never leave, like the rest of us here…

[quote=“formosa”]Yeh, age is not important, it’s if you LOOK young and energetic and can perform well on stage, so to speak. Sure, come, enjoy. Lots of work here. Even 54, 64, you can do whatever you wish.

There are 80 year old priests here still doing great missionary position work here, and nobody bats an eye.

At your age, of course, you don’t want to teach kindergarten but there are lots of adult teaching jobs. Yes, do come over. You might never leave, like the rest of us here…[/quote]

[quote=“formosa”]
But dire predictions are my strong suit

and

do not take me seriously ever.[/quote]

I second this post. Demand is high, supply isn’t sufficient to meet it. Get your young-looking arse over here and start reaping the rewards that await a seasoned, articulate Westerner.

Must be something in this religion after all… :laughing:

Plus, while it might take a little longer to build a social network, the people in that network will for the most part be more stable and helpful and probably more interesting to talk to over a beer - not to say that there aren’t some interesting 22 year olds but I hope you get what I mean.

I came to Taiwan at 46 and I have had some trouble finding work, but was always able to get it. I am now 54 and I am finding it very difficult to find work. I’ve become too old to teach children (they think I’m a perv), plus it takes too much energy. Some of the adults also feel I’m too old. But at 44 you should be able to find something.

Hi Doug

Thanks for the posting. Your information is very interesting because my plan for life is to move into the teaching English field and travel as I get older. My belief being that in SE Asia there is a great demand for English teachers so there should be jobs available. The reason I started this topic was to discover if ageism was prevelent in the teaching English scene.

I am now thinking of delaying coming to Taiwan because my current employer has offered me a permenant contract. (I was previously due to finish Jan 2005). Since I am quite happy with my post I will stay a while longer. I may be able to persuade them to give me a sabbatical so that I can come to Taiwan for 3 months to study Chinese and test the water.

So, that is my plan. What kind of job do you have currently?

Ageism exists but there are always ways around it, if you’re a man. If you come here, or stay here so long that you can’t find work, and you’re male, just hop on up to S. Korea. They say that they won’t hire anyone over 30 or 35, but they also cannot refuse a man a job if he is elder than his boss! And men love it there in general.

A lot of reports about South Korea on this site are very negative. I have been learning Chinese so would like to go to a Chinese speaking country.

However I did know a Korea girl who could have tempted me :slight_smile:

Well…I am neither male nor young, but 2 years ago I retired from teaching in Canada and decided to come to Taiwan and teach Kindergarten for an “adventure”, so to speak. I got my job on the internet, knew no one and could not speak Chinese. (Oh, yes…I was 59!) Now, three years later, I work as a curriculum assistant for my (very good!)school, also for a Corporate Engish Company in the evening and on the weekend, I have private students (and a waiting list) and I have some really great Taiwanese friends. The young teachers who work with me all treat me with respect and I am invited into their social group whenever I choose to go. My son and 4 of his friend have also come here to teach and 2 of my retired friends will join me in January. (By the way…if schools were smart, they would be cultivating this garden of “young” retired teachers…we are trained and smart and energetic and have vast experience with children. It could be a good thing!) I’m not tired and by the way…I’m now 61! Other “older teachers” were also hired the first year I came and taught in our Kindergartens and they did just fine (and they were not trained teachers). So I guess it’s who you are and how you are, and above all, ATTITUDE is everything. I’ll go home soon, but right now I’m working out some activities that will sustain my ties with Taiwan and I will come back for extended visits every year as long as I can. I love it here!

Nice one Sharper.

I think there’s been too much emphasis put on age rather than ability by posters on this thread. I’m not a teacher, though I have been one, albeit untrained. I recall then there was a retired Canadian teacher at my school who like you was doing damned fine thank you very much. And why wouldn’t he?

HG

Sell yourself upmarket. Demand NT$1000/hr. That’ll show 'em.

I get 1000NT an hour now. And I didn’t even have to demand it.

I am 47 - No problems. You are as old as the girl you feel !

Teaching private students is also a viable option for “older” teachers, and indeed some of the business-people would probably prefer older teachers who had “life experience” which they could share.

However, unless one was teaching these “individual students” in a registered school, one would not be able to get a visa based on such work – that is a fact of life.

As far as being “presentable” goes . . . . . . I believe that many Chinese people (or “Taiwanese people”) in Taiwan pay more attention to the neatness of their clothes and appearance than westerners in North America do . . . . . and something else that has to be remembered is that they generally sweat less than we do, and hence ( … and of course I am sorry to bring this up …) IN GENERAL … they stink less than we westerners do.

I have noticed these types of things over my 30 year stay in Taiwan. Little things like . . . . . . foreigners’ hair may be messy . . . . . . . but local people will pay attention to having their hair neat all the time . . . . . .

I just offer these comments with the hope (… however remote … ) of clarifying what “neat and proper” means in the Taiwanese idea . . . . . also you must remember that TEACHERS are ( … according to the Confucian tradition … ) supposed to be highly respected and/or respectable, hence it is no doubt true that there is a higher standard of neatness of appearance for teachers, than for some other kinds of work. But again you have to look at this in the Taiwanese sense . . . . . . . so while you are expected to be very neat in clothes and appearance, including (for men) always wearing long pants and leather (or at least “simulation leather” shoes), as opposed to shorts and sneakers, yet it is perfectly acceptable to wear white socks with a dark suit . . . . . . .

. . . . . but . . . . . live and learn!!

Age in English teaching is just one further distraction with which the Taiwanese like to trouble themselves. I’m pretty sure this only applies to foreigners though, as Shi Da was always happy as Larry to foist a load of geriatrics onto us. You don’t see pictures of Confuse-us as a young man, do you ?

[quote=“Hartzell”] IN GENERAL … they stink less than we westerners do.

[/quote]

(speak for yourself !!! :shock: )

I invite you to travel in the elevator of any Train Station buxiban any time between 5-30 and 7-30 and inhale deeply. My, those students smell good !

:laughing: Spot on!
Mind you they at least had the courtesy to feign a Pukeing accent. Now how many teachers try to put on the desired North American? :wink:

Umm, Richard. respeck an all that but you raise YOUR smelliness rather often. I also have it on good advise that you have on one occasion, that was reported to me at least, been requested to shower. No names. Now were it just the once you could probably work it out. However, more than once you’d have to be asking yourself some prickly questions.

HG