Job Discussion Forums

[sigmoid]

I know every place has its good points and bad points, but having spent a bit of time researching teaching in Taiwan it sounds incredibly bad.

I get the impression that:

The bureaucracy seems difficult.

Most of the work sems to be teaching kids.

Dodgy schools abound.

Most of the foreigners are weirdos.

It's dangerous, polluted, corrupt and racist.

Conditions and pay are getting worse.

Is this stuff true or am I just getting a skewed view of things?

[go_lightly]

All these bad things you mentioned are not so much part of a "skewed" view, but just the extreme side of things. The only one i would argue the most with is that it is dangerous & racist here. I live in Taipei city & not in a particularly rich area, & it's always been amazingly safe here. I have never felt worried about walking home late at night. For a big city, Taipei is probably one of the safest not just in Asia but in the world. For the most part, people are friendly, helpful, and there is a wonderful blend of old & new, traditional & modern here. When my bf (who had never been abroad before) came to visit me for a month, he was impressed by how safe and friendly Taipei was. i realize that i am only commenting about Taipei city, but having traveled around TW before, i find that i do prefer it here as there are many things to do & it is very convenient to get around. As for working conditions, yes most of the opportunities are in the kiddie market. "Spoon-feeding" English is what i call it at its worst. It's true, there are a lot of shitty buxibans out there & education is not the emphasis. You will have to be o.k. w/ a lot of things, from the way to teach to your hours to the way paperwork is handled, but this also all depends what school you end up at. If you've been doing research then i believe you are already taking an active stance. Anyways, don't just come here if you want to teach English & make money, come here also if you truly have an interest in Taiwan or would like to experience it, b/c honestly, it can be a very nice place.

[clark.w.griswald]

Sigmoid I am not sure where you have been doing the research that you refer to but your opinion of Taiwan is certainly far from the reality.

Having said that, if you have already developed a negative attitude toward Taiwan prior to even arriving here then maybe you would be better seeking an alternative destination. I don't suggest this out of malice, but instead out of recognition of the fact that during a stay in Taiwan you will undoubtedly come across some things that you consider distasteful. If you have an open mind then you are more likely to accept those things as being part of the experience. If you have pre-conceived ideas of how bad things could be then it is kind of likely that you will not enjoy your time in Taiwan.

[izzyismydog]

the bureaucracy is difficult but if you do everything right and AT LEAST double check everything should be fine.

most of the work Is teaching kids and some people love it, some hate it.

there are dodgy schools and if you aren't careful you could end up at one.

a lot of the foreigners are weirdos, but so are a lot of the people back home.

it's somewhat dangerous to drive a scooter or stand too close to the sea during a typhoon, but otherwise I've never felt so safe in my life (and I'm from small city Canada).

it might be corrupt, but as a foreigner you don't get to see that side of things (unless you are fluent in Chinese and involved in politics and/or business, I would think).

can't say that it's not racist, but from what I hear it's better than a lot of other asian places. I should note though, I am valued for my extreme whiteness.

conditions seem the same as they've been in my 2+ years, as is the pay, but in my case the Canadian dollar has gotten stronger so I earn about $2 less an hour than I did two years ago. everything here has gotten cheaper though so I feel better about spending more freely here. I feel the pinch when I send money home for loan payments.

I agree with clark, you haven't spent a lot of time researching or you would see that it's one of the better places to be in this business.

I just returned to Taiwan after trying to teach in Turkey. all the bad stuff you posted goes double there, and involves most everybody. I love my safe, happy Taiwan though I have grown a bit bored of it and the work.

[izzyismydog]

also want to add, that I think it HAS gotten harder to get a job. I am a blonde NAmerican female with a teaching degree and experience and it's taken me 2 weeks to get work this time, and I REALLY had to pursue things. The first time I came, I was offered 5 jobs before I even put out one resume.

[Pop Fly]

[sigmoid]

Thanks for your replies and input.

Basically, I've been doing research on the internet. The list isn't my opinion, but just the general impression I've got from browsing several forums, so you folks don't need to get your feathers ruffled. If you think the info is wrong, please let me know. I'm interested in what people who are there now have to say about Taiwan, good or bad.

I should probably mention that I have been teaching for over a decade in Southeast Asia. I have never been to French Lick but it sounds like a mighty fun place.

[sbettinson]

I think the phrase "put that in your pipe and smoke it" come to mind.

[Pop Fly]

[sigmoid]

Thanks for the welcome and no worries.

So, any more comments about life in Taiwan? How true [or not] are these negatives? There must be some truth to them. No place is perfect. What are some of the positives other than the money?

Most of my teaching has been in Thailand which is nice in many ways, but as you know we don't make much dosh. Plus it would be nice to see some more of the world before the apocalypse.

I did some time in HCMC [Saigon]. It wasn't bad but it's a pretty sleepy village after BKK. I could go back. It's fairly stress-free. But recently a couple of schools in Taiwan have contacted me so I thought I might check it out.

If I did come to Taiwan what could I realistically expect?

[wood]

[Ki]

That made me laugh. Positive racism. Yeah, I love it.

[gregoryfromcali]

[Dr_Zoidberg]

Here's Zoidberg's take on Taiwan:

[TaoyuanSteve]

Here's my take: