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shoosh
Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Posts: 31
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 Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:15 am Post subject: Does Taiwan hire you to teach anything other than kindergart |
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Hello
Taiwan was a place I am considering teaching in (I think I've narrowed it down to somewhere in Japan or in Taiwan), and I was looking at some info. It seems that Taiwan hires a lot of people for teaching young kids (ie. 6-12). Is it common to find positions that teach an older age group... like maybe 16+? I don't have that much experience with young kids and the idea of being in a classroom of 15 or so kids is pretty damn scarey to me  |
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clark.w.griswald
Joined: 06 Dec 2004
Posts: 2056
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| Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:55 am Post subject: |
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The major student groups in Taiwan are kindy age (2-6), elementary school age (8-15), and adults. There is very little in the way of 16+ students at the sorts of schools that most foreigners work at as these students are spending their time in exam preparation buxibans that drill them in tests and grammar.
If you are a qualified teacher then there are opportunities within some of the government schools at elementary and junior high level.
Aside from that you might want to stick to adults classes in one of the adult focused buxibans. |
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Taylor
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 384
Location: Texas/Taiwan
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| Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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Hello Shoosh,
Teaching the elementary school kids is not bad at all--presuming you have decent textbooks and support from the managment.
You will need to establish a few 'ground rules' regarding classroom behavior. After that, just allow the kids to focus their energy in the right direction.
Best wishes. Let us know if you need further input.
Taylor
Kaohsiung
9 years.... |
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TaoyuanSteve
Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 1028
Location: Taoyuan
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| Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 7:30 pm Post subject: Re: Does Taiwan hire you to teach anything other than kinder |
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| shoosh wrote: |
Hello
Taiwan was a place I am considering teaching in (I think I've narrowed it down to somewhere in Japan or in Taiwan), and I was looking at some info. It seems that Taiwan hires a lot of people for teaching young kids (ie. 6-12). Is it common to find positions that teach an older age group... like maybe 16+? I don't have that much experience with young kids and the idea of being in a classroom of 15 or so kids is pretty damn scarey to me |
When looking at jobs from overseas, many will contain kindergarten hours. The type of job typically represented by recruiters advertising overseas is usually a kindergarten/children's English center. Kindergartens with English components are very popular, but for some reason illegal for foreign teachers to work in (in theory anyway. In practice, most teachers work kindies at soem point). It's typical of Taiwan to have a law that nobody wants and isn't enforced consistently. Still, if you work kindy, be aware and make sure the school is prepared for any visits from officials.
Your experience with any particular age groups won't matter very much. You have to learn how to teach in Taiwan. Most schools hiring first timers will offer some training.
Elementary age after school language centers are some of the most common jobs available and, in my opinion, some of the most fun. Don't worry too much about classroom control. Most schools provide an in-class local coteacher to manage behaviour and assist you.
I've taught junior and even some senior high students. Trust me, you don't want to teach that age group in Taiwan. It isn't really the kids' fault. It's just that their life is hell at that age. Their lives consist of long hours at school, followed by after school hours at cram schools and test prep centers. They are under immense pressure and are always tired. They have little energy or interest for English class. On top of it all, the kids tend to clam up at this age and have little to say in class, making a so-called conversation class a real chore.
Elementary kids, on the other hand, haven't yet hit the worst of the pressure and are still energetic, fun and bombastic. They are less inhibited or afraid to speak and experiment with language. If you make classes fun, kids will talk spontaniously and make an effort to intreract with you on their own. Kid's classes around about grade 4-5 are just a joy to teach, or so I found. |
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