Job Discussion Forums

[stilljuliet]

Hello everyone,
I have searched the message boards and only found a few posts regarding the World Passport Summer Camps.

I am considering taking a position in this program, and I wondered if any of you have had experience with them. It's max 8 weeks teaching junior high or high school students, and they pay air fare, housing, and give you a stipend of 125 dollars U.S. every week.

My questions are: 1) Will I be able to break even with this stipend, and 2) I've heard horror stories about working at these kind of camps with young people--is it really that bad? I like kids a lot, and I have had teaching experience. I also have an MA in TESOL.

I would appreciate any information or suggestions!

Thank you very much,

Heather

[Dr_Zoidberg]

I can't comment on World Passport itself as I've never even heard of them; however, if they pay your airfare and provide accomodation while you are here, then $125 (approx 4 100 NT) per week is a sufficient living allowance, but don't expect to return home with savings.

A more immediate concern is the legality of the work. The worst that can happen is that you'll be caught and deported, and may have trouble getting into the country again in the future.

Yeah, yeah, I know someone will jump in here and say something like, "Everybody is illegal at some point," or "The odds of getting caught are negligible," but the point is, however slim the odds of being caught and whatever others do, it is still illegal, and the OP needs to be aware of that.

By the way, what horror stories have you heard?

[stilljuliet]

Hi, Dr_Zoidberg,

Thanks for the info. I have heard that American Language Village, for example, is illegal, but I have not heard that this program is. Apparently, they arrange for work visas for you, and reimburse you for the cost. Is it still possible that working there for only 2 months will be illegal?

As for the horror stories, I have read some posts that say that teachers who are already in Taiwan won't touch these jobs with a ten-foot pole, because of the low pay and the "energetic" students. Really, those posts make the students out to be hellions, but I can't say whether they are blaming it on the students themselves or the chaotic environment of the language school.

Heather

[TaoyuanSteve]

Stilljuliet,

the only reason summer camps are regarded as illegal employment is that they typically don't provide work permits due to their short duration. Longer term assignments (eg. one year contracts) usually will provide work permits. Summer camps often don't bother as the work term is so short that the classes will often be finished usually around the same time it takes to finish processing a resident visa/arc. If your prospective summer camp does, in fact, provide a work permit ahead of the start of classes, then you have the answer regarding the legality of the work (not that you should be overly concerned in any event-- a potential deportation would only be a bother if you had plans to stay here longer).

[Dr_Zoidberg]