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

Funky - three points:

1. Well said. Make the questions so darn easy even a dog could get some points, and so acquire a 'pass'.

2. Have it taught by teachers who really think English levels are good in Taiwan, or boost up grades because students 'try'. This latter factor is an endemic 'disease' in ELCs in Taiwan.

3. Culturally biased? To what? And whom? Oh, you mean the questions don't refer to Taiwan, and are too difficult for people to guess the answers. Well, lets rewrite the GEPT so that everyone can get a high grade in Taiwan. Here goes!

Taipei has a big tower. Its name includes three numbers. What are the number in its name? Clue: it includes the numbers 1, 0, and 1:

a) Taipei 8,999 Tower
b) Taipei 66,351 Tower
c) Taipei 101 Tower
d) Tower 423,724 Tower

funkystuff · Joined: 21 May 2008 Posts: 62

Miyazaki · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 635 Location: My Father's Yacht

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

There's also a new trend that has emerged in the past few years. That is to encourage ELC staff to get PhDs. Because ELC staff traditionally only hold a MA it's increasingly the norm to get them to get an event higher degree. Accordingly staff are being 'encouraged' to register with other unis in Taiwan, or to go overseas - with their job being held for a year. Of course there is one small snag to this problem. Getting a PhD takes years!!! So, how can this be solved. Get unis to register their own staff for PhDs within their uni departments!! The fact that ELC staff might be asked to do something is management or business studies is irrelevant - it's all about numbers on documents. Anyone else found this?

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

A point to raise to everyone and in particular the OP in relation to what the interviewee was offered as an employment package.

The person was offered a 1.5 month salary bonus for Chinese New Year, right? Well when I first came to Taiwan despite being told that I would receive a 1.5 month bonus I never received the full amount as it, the 1.5 months, was calcuable to 12 months of work done. So, having started in September of the previous year I thus only received about 50% of the 1.5 month bonus I was originally told I would get, and once tax was taken off it - 20% - I didn't receive a great deal. Or put it this way it was substantially less than the 1.5 month total menetioned to me at my interview.

By my second year I did received the full bonus but for my first year I remember feeling like I was being cheated. Beware of 'ghost' admin rules in such situations, that my advice.

Oh, and this was with a very well known university in Taipei.