Teaching
ESL
(English as a Second Language) in Taiwan
Teaching
English in Taiwan - Basics
Welcome to Taiwan! There are English teaching jobs ALL OVER the
island, all year long, with lots of money to be made, and it’s
truly a teacher’s market!
If you are thinking about coming to Taiwan, have a friend already
here who is a teacher, or you aren't here yet, review the topics
in the 'TAIWAN ESL GUIDE' section
of this site, read postings in our forum,
and try chatting with other teachers in our chat
room to get more information from teachers already living and
teaching English in Taiwan.
Come with enough money, US$1,000 - 2,000 to get you here and set
up comfortably (don’t worry, you’ll earn it all back
in spades because the cost of living is so low…some have been
known to come with as little as $50 and find a job within 24 hours
of landing at the airport!)
If you are concerned about arriving without a job, then go with
one of the major chain schools (the pay is less but they have a
good system to train you and you’ll be able to use the knowledge
at any future job). Otherwise, do the search yourself when you arrive.
English teaching jobs are plentiful in Taiwan and you’ll get
the opportunity, and because it is a teacher's market, you have
a chance to evaluate many and see where you’d like to work
first without pressure and you can demand a higher wage to boot!
As a prospective teacher, it is highly recommended that you apply
for a ‘Visitor Visa’ (see the 'Taiwan
Visas' section) in your home country before you arrive because
this type of visa will allow you to extend your stay in Taiwan without
the need to leave on a 'Visa Run' after
a couple of weeks. Additionally, most schools won’t
require or force their teachers to apply for a work visa (although
technically illegal) because it is a teacher’s market now
with the high demand for foreign English teachers throughout Taiwan
and Asia in general and they need teachers! Larger chain schools
that are watched more closely by the government or jobs in fields
outside the English teaching profession usually do require you to
sign a work contract and apply for a work visa with the company
in order to hire you (which requires you to work for the company
for a period of a year or longer, although you may leave at any
time but you will forfeit your visa and be forced to make a ‘visa
run’ in order to return.)
Staying in Taiwan on a ‘Visitor Visa’ initially will
give you some time to scout out a school, see how you get along
with the students and staff, and get accustomed to living and teaching
English in Taiwan before you decide to sign a long-term contract
and take on more responsibility.
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