I don’t really where to look for it… I’m an exchange student in Taipei, but I could really used a part time job teaching French somewhere… I’m 18 and from Quebec and I’ll be in Taiwan until July 2003 … so please help me … if you know someplace where I could go, or if you want to learn French yourself… I would be more than pleased to help you! I’m really happy to learn your language and your culture so I would be more happy to be able to share mine! For now, my Chinese is not good so I can only communicate with people in English… or French…
So if any of you could help me, I would really appreciate it, just write me an email to valland_en_tw@yahoo.fr
You could put up posts at the well-known foreigner post boards such as Grandama Nitti’s and MTC. Another place to post notes for language tutors is the first floor of the NTU language center which is on Hsin Hai Road, just inside the gate, across from the Starbucks. Heck, check around any language school or university for post boards you might be able to use.
But do you really need to work? I know teaching/tutoring is tempting cuz it’s pretty easy money and we always need more of that. From my perspective, you’re half way around the world on a student exchange program… that’s a unique position that hopefully has unique opportunities.
Anyway, it’s good to hear from you again and to know that you made it Taiwan okay. How is it going? Are you able to get by at school? With your host family? Just curious!
Ok! thanks for the tips, I will try to go to the university! Well I know that I have a really great opportunity to be here as an exchange student and that I should live the most of it… but the problem is that my host family doesn’t care about me at all, never talks to me , never shows me their culture, helps with the language or takes me to any place… so I thought by helping some other people to learn my language and culture, I probably would learn a little bit more about yours… I’m really having problems with my family… I will move in a month and a half… and I’m losing all the great opportunities to live the culture… they didn’t do anything for the Ghost Festival nor the Moon Cake Festival… I mean… that only happens once a year and I’m only here for a year so I lost the only opportunities I had… anyway… if any of you could help me with this…
Perhaps you should just do a “language exchange.” Then you don’t have to feel guilty if you just end up chatting instead of actually teaching. But you can be picky about who you tutor or exchange with. If you want to learn more about Taiwan, find someone who likes to talk about their culture and their country and who might invite you places with them! It can happen! Heck, just sit in a McDonalds alone for a while and someone will strike up a conversation with you. Consider each a potential “guide” - sure, some you wouldn’t want to talk to, but some are just friendly, eager people.
You might also contact the Community Services Center. Their services are more focused to supporting families living abroad, but they might know of opportunities for you. For example, students from the Taipei American School regularly volunteer at a local orphanage and you might be interested in something like that. Your school might have some extra-curricular activity you could join or you could help out with their English club. You could try helping out at a school for young children. I learned a lot about local culture that way because children get a lot more excited about holidays and in fact they are still learning, too. Finally, I don’t know if you’re religious, but church groups have lots of regularly planned activities and people who are eager and willing to help you out. Good luck!