Job Discussion Forums

[elliot_spencer]

Hey, I am wanting to do a survey on Teachers in Asia, I was wondering, how Taiwan compares to Japan and Korea, in the sense of retaining teachers. Which country retains teachers for longer and which has the shortest 'sell-by' date for English teachers, where do people stay longer?

Thanks

[dangerousapple]

I've been here for more than 11 years, and plan on living here for quite some time. I'm married to a Taiwanese and own my own school. The older you get the harder (and less interesting) it is to do the usual "English teacher" type job, as there is no future in it. Every lifer here eventually moves on to something either bigger or completely different.

[matchstick_man]

I spent five and a half years in Taiwan. In that period a lot of friends I made in Taiwan left and later returned. As for retaining teachers eventually almost all that I've known has to take an extended break from Taiwan. There's the pull of family and friends back home plus lack of opportunities for advancement plus people want to experience living in other countries. I'd imagine the biggest reasons for staying long-term in Taiwan over other countries would be finding a partner and studying Chinese(which takes longer to learn than Japanese or Korean).

Read a Korean board. Search using "midnight run" and that should answer your question about the shortest 'sell by date'. I lasted two months. I spent over five years in Taiwan however I've met people who have been in Korea far longer than that.

[bluetortilla]

I'm with those who feel that anything over five years at an English conversation school would compromise your sanity. Unless, 1, you were promoted into an adminstrative position, 2, you open up your own school, or 3, you get into some other business or academics.

Most of the positions available are not meant to be long term, despite exceptions.

My two yen.

BT

[StayingPower]

You know, there are exceptions to both although I think there are far more teachers in Korea. Fact is, the incentives are there, whereas in Taiwan you must make it on your own, therefore making a majority of longterm expats stay here because they've invested so much financially. Korea, however, is far more generic, although its incentives of salary, paid holidays, bonuses, living standards, and of course work hours are more appealing to an average Westerner.

Japan hasn't the financial impetus to attract a lot of foreigners. Taiwan hasn't the comfort. But Korea has a unique quality of 'kindness' which many foreigners find ingratiating.

Those that do stay, stay at least a few years. Being in Taiwan, however, I've met many who've stayed for 15-20. Yet I find these to be sort of 'immigrants,' in a sense, since Taiwan pushes you in this direction and is a sort of free-for-all.

Korea, in my opinion, is better for short-term, unless you think you can fit in to a completely homogenous culture and be treated as 'different' the rest of your life.

For this reason, I think people stay in Taiwan the longest. Yet there aren't the same numbers of teachers here as there are in Korea, so in a sense, Korea is more of a mecca. Japan is quite sterile, I believe, especially since the Japanese language has lost its advantage over Chinese and the economy has been pretty much in the doldrums.

[SanChong]