I’m new to Taipei and I am here as an independent artist to work on a Theatre show. I am completely self funded which means I need to work in order to support myself and get a visa to be able to stay here for at least a year. I have a long history of working in Education however I have always worked with disadvantaged communities, something I find challenging and fulfilling. I have loads of skills that I would like to continue to use and extend while I am in Taipei. My question is how do I get a job other than teaching English in a cram school or to middle-aged business men? Ideally I would love to teach english to female inmates in a prison, or to nuns, as this is a continuation of my work back home and would serve as research for my show. But how does one get work like this? Does anyone know how hard it is to get into community development type work here in Taipei?
In Taiwan?
In Taiwan?
You’re better off staying back home.
I would normally make a facetious reply. However, I’m quite taken by your desire to teach nuns so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.
A good chum of mine taught English here in the usual shite schools (HESS, Giraffe etc) for a couple of years. Eventually he ended up teaching English to a group of Buddhist monks. So, there you go, it is possible. I don’t think that one could apply for this kind of gig from abroad, though. You’d have to come over here, do your apprenticeship as it were, and then build up the necessary contacts to get the jobs you want.
As for teaching female inmates. Well, rehabilitation through training and education isn’t a high priority in Taiwan. On top of that I call bollocks (sorry, couldn’t keep it up).
[quote=“tomthorne”]I would normally make a facetious reply. However, I’m quite taken by your desire to teach nuns so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.
A good chum of mine taught English here in the usual shite schools (HESS, Giraffe etc) for a couple of years. Eventually he ended up teaching English to a group of Buddhist monks. So, there you go, it is possible. I don’t think that one could apply for this kind of gig from abroad, though. You’d have to come over here, do your apprenticeship as it were, and then build up the necessary contacts to get the jobs you want.
As for teaching female inmates. Well, rehabilitation through training and education isn’t a high priority in Taiwan. On top of that I call bollocks (sorry, couldn’t keep it up).[/quote]
Yea, the mentality regarding the penal system in Taiwan is lots of discipline, and punishment while incarcerated, rehabilitation isn’t even a consideration. That said they generally don’t hand out long sentences unless its related to importing or dealing drugs.
Hi xiaozhu and welcome to the forum!
One of my job roles back in the UK was to organise and staff exactly the kind of courses you like to teach. I haven’t been here as long as other posters on this forum, but I’m sorry to say that I agree with their pessimistic responses. As far as I’m aware community development work doesn’t really exist as such here, or certainly not in the form you and I would understand it. Community care, when it happens, happens on an informal basis within communities. There isn’t any coordination nor funding for such activities.
I suppose it might be possible to approach a nunnery and ask for bed and board in return for English classes. I’ve heard of people doing that in other countries so maybe it could happen in Taiwan.
There’s none of these community government schemes, people just live In the community with their friends, neighbors and family without any government interference, its a novel concept.
If you want to do something in Taiwan you just go and do it yourself , it’s a different world out here.
Well, that’s not completely true. There are some borough representatives (i.e. 里長) who will go out of their ways to cook up some form of community services for borough residents. After all, they need the votes in order to continue being the borough rep.
It’s very unlikely you’ll find this unconventional job in your first year. If you need a visa you’ll have to suck it up and buxiban like most. If you want an unconventional job then start visiting local temples and try to start a language exchange with a monk.
My my what a cynical bunch we are! I am actually already in Taiwan and even though I have been here only 2 months I actually know that these jobs do exist! In fact I have already made contact with a 4 different community service agencies that offer English Language classes to disadvantage youth and women and have been given the contacts for four detention centers/correctional facilities that also offer English Language classes to their detainees. None have any positions currently but I am on their radar now. and if you look at their websites or talk to them on the phone you realise some of them are doing some amazing work.
As for the nuns, yeah it was a long shot, mostly that would have to be volunteer. I appreciate your advise but do you guys really have to act so superior to the newbies, just maybe we might find out something new also!
and you know what I found out all this by talking to locals, in English. If you look hard enough you’ll find it!
[quote=“xiaozhu”]
As for the nuns, yeah it was a long shot, mostly that would have to be volunteer. I appreciate your advise but do you guys really have to act so superior to the newbies, just maybe we might find out something new also!
and you know what I found out all this by talking to locals, in English. If you look hard enough you’ll find it![/quote]
I apologise for being cynical and superior and well done on making some contacts :bravo: . From experience I would advise you to be cautious with any positive comments you get from the locals. Culturally there is a tendency to tell people what they want to hear. This is not to suggest that you won’t land your dream gig teaching female inmates or nuns, just that you probably ought to have a plan B IMO.
[quote=“xiaozhu”]My my what a cynical bunch we are! I am actually already in Taiwan and even though I have been here only 2 months I actually know that these jobs do exist! In fact I have already made contact with a 4 different community service agencies that offer English Language classes to disadvantage youth and women and have been given the contacts for four detention centers/correctional facilities that also offer English Language classes to their detainees. None have any positions currently but I am on their radar now. and if you look at their websites or talk to them on the phone you realise some of them are doing some amazing work.
As for the nuns, yeah it was a long shot, mostly that would have to be volunteer. I appreciate your advise but do you guys really have to act so superior to the newbies, just maybe we might find out something new also!
and you know what I found out all this by talking to locals, in English. If you look hard enough you’ll find it![/quote]
Well done and well said.