Job Discussion Forums

[lagerlout2006]

I follow this forum off and on. Taiwan interests me for a number of reasons..I have some agents e-mail me and I have something like a solid offer in...the name...a suburb of Taipai anyway. It is a combination of kids and adults.

Thing is I would like an adult students job. (no I wont get in a Uni) All the jobs seem to be ages 4-15 years. Yes I know the pifalls with adults. Split shifts-maybe less money-and students that are never satisfied. I will deal with it though. So question 1 are adult schools more difficult to find? They seem to be although I did get a phone number from a thread here.

As for kids? If it comes to that..Is there always a TA in the class? I have had problems here (mainland) with big classes I can't control...And do they expect you to be real dynamic ? Hence the performance art part. I have exp with kids but usually with 10 at the most. And I am not a song and dance kind of guy. In fact I am boring.HEH! But I am trained (a bit) and well read and think I am OK with students that WANT to study.

Some background I am native sp. 39--OKAY 41 years old. 3 years exp EFL not all of it verifiable---couple of schools out of business. B.A> TEFL but not a Celta...Any advice from our friends in the province of Taiwan-- just kidding -- would be appreciated.

[WorkingVaca]

Adult schools aren't too difficult to find in Taipei. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of the chains: Global Village, Gram, Williams, Wall Street English, David's English Center, KOJEN (mainly kids, but they have adult classes also), Spontaneous, EUROCENTRE.... and surely there are many lesser known names in addition.

Your qualifications and experience sound fine for an adult teaching job. Also sounds like you already have a good idea of what you're in for and will be able to handle it well.

[Danny]

You'll be fine. Are you going with an agent? I would recomend against it. I went with an agent in Taipei, of course they will accept you, they accept everyone. The trick is with agents, unless you use them they will use you. They are useful for first timers to Taiwan, or to Asia, with no teaching experience and no qualifications. They do, often, help you out with a hospital visit, bank account, visa, job. Acquiring a job is easy enough, and the school will probably help you out with the rest. The agency gets $30,000 Taiwan from the school for supplying them a teacher and then takes some of your pay each month. I had hell with my agent but there are some good ones there. The thing is, if you have already been through the ropes, even in another country, what's the point.
D.

[wood]