Job Discussion Forums

[The_Hanged_Man]

Hi all,

I am interested in teaching English in Taiwan, but I was wondering what sort of positions and salary I could expect with my background.

I have:
A BA in Economics and Statistics
A teaching certifcate to teach secondary mathmatics in Texas and have two years of experience teaching high school math.
One and a half years of experience teaching English at a language school in Japan.
I am planning on getting a CELTA as well.

What do you think my options would be? What kind of salary could I expect?
Thanks in advance for your help!

[Taylor]

Dear Hanged_Man,

I suspect most of what I have written is very similar the situation in Japan. If it differs from what you know, I hope you will let us know.

The teaching certificate will only be relevant to International schools, which were established for the children of non-Taiwanese citizens. These schools use English and have students from many countries. The parents of these children are mostly diplomats, business people and missionaries. Taipei American School is the most widely-recognized school of this type. I suppose it is the 'official' one. Another one to consider is Morrison Academy. It is a Christian-based school that also offers an American curriculum.

By the way, you would also have lots of Taiwanese kids in these classes. This is possible because the parents have dual-citizenship (Taiwan and another country--usually USA). The parents also have lots of CASH it seems, so if you like being around these types of people...........


If you want to be an English teacher....and really get to know the REAL people of Taiwan, then your bachelor's degree is more relevant. Your experience will be helpful, of course, but mostly as it relates to classroom management, organization, being professional, etc. (You might could use English to teach elementary math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) but that's about it. Since you already have experience in Japan, I suppose you already know this.

Have you considered international schools in Japan? I don't know much about pay, but I presume that the pay in Taiwan would be about what a beginning teacher might get paid in Oklahoma or a less-wealthy district in Texas. As for private language schools, if you net $2,000 a month (68K in Taiwan dollars) it is a really decent salary. With the low(er) cost of living in Taiwan, it is easy to save $1,000+ a month after you get settled.

Why Taiwan? Why not back to Japan? I am not being nosy...just wondering if you really have a specific purpose for coming to Taiwan.

Best wishes,

Taylor

Oh, please ignore most of anything you see posted by A.K.A.T.D.N.

[wombat]

In order to secure work in one of the true international schools, you would need to actually have an education degree. This may not be a stipulation on the information that these schools give out, but given that they offer such a good deal, you can be sure that for each position that they advertise, they would receive enough quality applications to be able to choose someone with the desired qualifications.

Most universities here require a minimum of a masters degree, some even require doctoral qualifications. Don�t be confused between the language centers attached to some of the universities and the universities themselves. The language centers are really just buxibans.

This leads us to the most probable employer for you � buxibans. These are privately owned schools. In order to legally work as a teacher in Taiwan, foreigners need a minimum of a Bachelors degree. So you meet that criteria. Although your additional teaching certificate and experience may make it easier for you to get a position that you like, the type of position that you are offered is unlikely to be that much different than what most of us do here. You may also be able to negotiate a slightly higher rate of pay.

[The_Hanged_Man]

Thanks for the advice. Taylor, I suppose I want to go to Tawain to experience something new. I've already spent over two years of my life in Japan, and while I liked it I am always looking on the horizon for the next best thing. From what I gather Taiwan seems like a great place to live and work. Your point on international schools is well taken. They do seem like the best in terms of pay and benefits, although I'm not sure about the workload. I'm working as a public school teacher now and am overwhelmed by all the stress and paperwork. I'm putting in over 60 hours each week and still don't feel like I'm doing a great job. Teaching as a profession isn't what it used to be in the US, with huge responsibilities and mediocre pay. Do you (or anyone else) know what the conditions are like at international schools? No point in moving to another country if I am so busy working I can never experience life there. Wombat, I am 90% certain I would be qualified to teach at an international school. I think the main requirements are a teaching certificate and two years experience in a public school. Once you have the experience and are certified, a B. Ed. should become secondary as I passed all the same tests in terms of content and pedalogical knowledge in order get my certificate. If I were to teach at an international school I would probably teach math because of my qualifications and the general shortage of qualified math teachers. However, I am also interested in teaching English because of the relatively relaxed lifestyle. I know when I was working in Japan I wasn't nearly as stressed out and making about the same amount as I am now. I know teaching in the US would be the best in the long run, but I am planning on starting in a Ph.D. program after several more years anyway so it shouldn't make that much of a difference. One concern I have working at one of the private language schools, however, is being more of a entertainer than educator. I don't mind keeping the customer happy, but at the same time I don't want feel like a clown. How hard is it to find a more serious teaching position at a private school?
Thanks again!