Job Discussion Forums

menso35 · Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 51

Is it possible to make a living teaching only adults? I have been in contact with a few organizations which say they focus on adults, though most of them only offer hourly and not salaried work. Any recommendations on these kinds of schools?

I am 35. From what I have read it seems like this may be a little over the hill in Taiwan. It will probably be a hurdle, but probably not insurmountable. Comments??

What does one wear to an interview for a teaching job there(I am male)? Slacks, dress shirt, and tie? Full on suit?

Overall how do the Taiwanese view foreign teachers? Are you respected or thought of more as derelicts from your home country coming over to rape and pillage and because you couldn't amount to anything back home? Just curious because I taught in another Asian country and due to recent media coverage teachers there are looked upon as the cancer of society.

Speaking of that other country, once there I found myself in a very untenable situation and didn't leave on very good terms and thus won't be able to use the company as a reference. The problem is that the work visa is in my passport. Will that raise any eyebrows? Would a new passport be in order? (come to think of it, I can't seem to find that thing).

Thank you in advance for your help. Have a great day.

TaoyuanSteve · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 1028 Location: Taoyuan

Ferfichkin · Joined: 07 Jul 2005 Posts: 140

I teach only adults and I'm not missing any meals. That being said, your income will be limited if you don't work mornings, and mornings in Taiwan, for the most part, means children. Bottom line, in my experience, it's much easier to make 'good' money teaching children, or splitting your time between children and adults.

Good luck,

fich

BJ · Joined: 03 Dec 2003 Posts: 173

As previous posters have said, yes you can make a living teaching adults only. But if you want the real money, then most have to teach those 20 hours in the morning kindergarten then 12 or so elementary and then find privates adult schools.

May i suggest you start that way, get a work visa, ask around when you settle down and find adults to work with. It is much harder finding adults only to start with.

Schools like DAvids specialise in adults but only generally offer 14 hours of so, IF you can get a work visa with them. other wise its 4 or 6 hours a week.

surrealia · Joined: 11 Jan 2003 Posts: 241 Location: Taiwan

There are a number of schools that cater to adult classes, including GVC (or Global Village), David's, Wall Street Institute, and TLI (Taipei Language Institute). I can't tell you for certain which of them are worth working for. This post over at Forumosa has a list of some other schools as well as some suggestions and links to other posts on the same subject:

http://www.forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?p=750008&highlight=teaching+adults#750008

This page has addresses and phone numbers for schools in Taipei:

http://www.geocities.com/allhou/schootaip.htm

menso35 · Joined: 27 Oct 2007 Posts: 51

OP here. Thank you for your responses, I really appreciate your help.

Based upon my research and what you guys are saying is that in order to make decent money I would have to combine kids and adults. Taiwan is a trip. They say teaching kindergarten is illegal yet Hess clearly advertises for foreign teachers for that level.

When you talk about teaching kids in the morning, are you strictly referring to kindy? If you are also referring to elementary, when do they go to their regular schools then?

I thought you could only work for whatever school sponsors your visa??

By the way, I think I am probably going to give Taiwan a pass if teaching kindergarten is unavoidable. I like kids, from a distance and as long as they are someone else's.