Job Discussion Forums

Solar Strength · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 557 Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Are there any university TEFL positions advertised in the Taipei area or around Taipei County? I have not seen any adverts here on Dave's and have been checking for several months.

Why are there no university English teaching jobs advertised on Dave's for Taiwan? I see there are dozens of university English teaching jobs for Korea and the M.E. but none for Taiwan. Is there a reason why Taiwanese universities do not advertise on Dave's?

Also, where do they advertise if they do not advertise on sites like Dave's?

A few questions:

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

There has been plenty of posts about university jobs and advertisements on other threads.

So to repeat, Taiwanese universities do not advertise at Dave's Cafe. Hence you have not seen any adverts. Most universities only advertise at their own websites should any jobs be available. Maybe occassionally adverts will be placed in local newspapers but by and large you will need to be checking through university webpages if you want a university post.

Furthermore the other questions you ask have been covered in other threads at this website.

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Have you checked out Scott Sommers or Michael Turton's websites?

They have in the past posted a volume of information about where to find university jobs, salaries, work conditions, expectations, contracts, etc., etc.

Have you checked these sites?

Solar Strength · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 557 Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Thank you for the information. I did a quick search and have read several of your posts on university teaching in Taiwan.

Other than forest1979, do any of the other teachers here have additional (current - as of 2010) information on hiring for upcoming semesters at Taiwanese universities?

forest1979, where do you teach in Taiwan? Are you in a university in Taipei or somewhere else on the island?

What is the starting salary at your university?

Does your university put caps on the number of times contracts can be renewed?

Thanks again!

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Salaries are fixed by the Ministry of Education (MoE). So it doesn't matter if you are employed at the best or worst of universities, your salary will be the same. Instructors earn about NT$55,000 a month, assistant professors earn in the region of NT$66,000 a month, i.e. US$2000 a month.

As for caps, no such thing exists. However there are moves within some universities to push instructors into doing PhDs with, possibly, the threat of pushing people out if they don't comply with this request.

In the past the biggest employer of foreigners was the English Language Center at Ming Chuan University in Taipei and Taoyuan. However in the past 2-3 there has been serious downsizing there and movement at the top of the university management to maintain this trend.

Remember too, for the first 183 days you will be in Taiwan you will pay 20% tax. Consider that if you only hold a MA/MSC/MEd degree as it will impact upon your lifestyle and ability to afford decent housing, especially if you want to work in Taipei.

Seymour Glass · Joined: 18 Jul 2010 Posts: 35

There are two schools I have seen looking for ESL teachers in the Taipei area, both require a master's degree. One that always seems to be looking is the Chinese Culture University's city site near Da An Park. The other is not in Taipei, rather in Taoyuan County (though they seem to have a bus that takes you there from Taipei) Yuan Ze University's International Center. I have also seen an interesting job offer for a university in Peng Hu, these ads appear on Tealit and one on the Tainan Bulletin....The Chinese Culture University seems to be looking often....

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

The CC uni is always on the look out for instructors as it offers a wide variety of programs that use English. However for genuine language instruction classes they tend to be centered upon its campus in Yangmingshan, rather than the downtown campus to which many adverts in local papers tend to focus on.

Seymour Glass · Joined: 18 Jul 2010 Posts: 35

There are no language classes for the general public at the Yangmingshan campus, all extension service language classes for the Culture University are in the city. The ESL program there is run in conjunction with the University of Buffalo and they seem to be sticklers for having a language-related degree to work there.

Solar Strength · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 557 Location: Bangkok, Thailand

I contacted the downtown Chinese Culture University about their advertisement back in April or May.

They want like 25 hours a week, possibly more if required from teachers, a Master's degree, and they do not get the long summer and winter vacations.

Doesn't sound like a faculty position to me.

Nothing like what the lecturers / professors get on the main campus, although the starting salary is about NT $60, 000 a month.

But those downtown positions are terminal and not part of the regular academic system or rank structure.

The guy I spoke with said that they are considered "Staff" teaching positions.

Seymour Glass · Joined: 18 Jul 2010 Posts: 35

That is true, those language school, extension service jobs can be demanding, I saw an ad for a public university in Peng Hu that looked like it was what you could be looking for, if you are into water sports and living outside the hustle and bustle of cities, that may be worht a look. Don't know if the International Center at Yuan Ze would be along the lines of the Culture University, but you could ask.
There is a comprehensive list of universities on the Tainan Bulletin, you could send out your resume and hope for the best. One of my friends landed a job at the last minute because a teacher his school was going to hire backed out. He worked his ass off, but made good money...

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Apologies all. My error. CC Uni teaches EFL at its Yangminshan not downtown campus. Sorry for not making this clear and thanks to Seymour for noting this mistake of mine.

25 hours at CC Uni. That's their normal faculty contract for English teaching. They expect teachers in their ELC to be on campus 4 days per week. This is how they run their show. However this differs from other unis as they, the others, just tend to have teachers in for classroom hours and a handful of office hours per week. In other words teachers who come and go, unlike at the CC Uni where daily presence is more important/valued/required. But, at other unis where they ask teachers to be on campus akin to CC Uni's 25 hour rule these professionals (of local rather than foreign origin) do tend to be on staff contracts and paid nearer to NT$40,000 than NT$55,000 (or so) for a faculty instructor.

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Solar - Yes, downtown it could well be different to the Yangmingshan situation. For instance, I know of retired profs who work at their downtown campus and from what I understand they are certainly not thought of as faculty even though they hold PhDs and teach a large number of hours per week (i.e. equal to what they did as faculty members at their prior place of employment).

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Solar - Technical point about faculty contracts.

Did you know in theory a university can stop its faculty members from leaving Taiwan in the summer? In theory permission is needed from the HoD to be able to leave (i.e. go on a holiday) but basically nowhere enforces this rule, hence faculty members see themselves as having 16 weeks vacation per year.

People on staff contracts get about 10 days per year (exc. public holidays). They certainly don't enjoy the freedom of being able to leave Taiwan as they please.

Solar Strength · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 557 Location: Bangkok, Thailand

Solar Strength · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 557 Location: Bangkok, Thailand