Job Discussion Forums

[akmassager]

Ok, this is my situation: I am a 45 year old male massage therapist in the states. It looks like my ten year run as an MT is coming to a close due to the economy. I have taught ESL(with no training, just through contacts) in Argentina two years ago and have resisted teaching. But now with this economy, I am thinking of TESL in China or Taiwan for a year then, coming back to the states and getting my Master's in Education. I should add that my BA is NOT in education.
OK, here are a few questions:
1. Does it matter what time of the year it is to start a teaching assignment in China or Taiwan?
2. Will I get discriminated against because of age?
3. Will I be able to save as much in China vs. Taiwan?
4. Better working conditions in China or Taiwan?
5. Is it worth taking a ESL class online, or is it a waste of time?
6. Can you pick up work on the side in either Taiwan or China?
Thanks for your help,
Akmassager

[Laurence]

Mainland China has a broader range of oppourtunities than Taiwan - typically the state schools and universities here don't pay very much, but sometimes only require you to work what would be considered part time hours in most Western countries, with academic holidays to boot.

There is a top-end market in China too, with pay equivalent to Taiwan. These positions are usually filled by people with lots of experience in China and/or with solid qualifications in education. International schools and university bridging programs can (but do not always) fall into this category. These positions are not often advertised and vacancies tend to be filled some time in advance.

Living costs in major Chinese cities are not that low, and the oppourtunities in smaller, perhaps more desirable places (Guilin, Xiamen..) are comparatively limited.

I'm generalising, obviously -

1. Does it matter what time of the year it is to start a teaching assignment in China or Taiwan?
- for language schools (like Shane, Wall street and EF), no. Regular schools (state, private, international) willl want you to start in September or possibly after Chinese new year around February.

2. Will I get discriminated against because of age?
- No. Only very possibly for kindergarten positions.

3. Will I be able to save as much in China vs. Taiwan?
- Only if you get a top-end job, paying over 15000 per month.

4. Better working conditions in China or Taiwan?
- Taiwan.

5. Is it worth taking a ESL class online, or is it a waste of time?
- Waste of time, especially compared to the CELTA or TESOL. Not valued by employers.

6. Can you pick up work on the side in either Taiwan or China?
- Yes, both.

Although I do like China's 'rough edges',
If I was you,
I'd go to Taiwan.

[akmassager]

1. Does it matter what time of the year it is to start a teaching assignment in China or Taiwan?
- for language schools (like Shane, Wall street and EF), no. Regular schools (state, private, international) willl want you to start in September or possibly after Chinese new year around February.

So does this mean I'm shut out of the most of the market if I don't get in at these times?

[Laurence]

Joining a school part of the way through the term would probably mean replacing a teacher who had left without completing the year/term.

Bear in mind that:
a) this doesn't happen that often
and
b) when it does, it's often because either the school or the teacher were unhappy. Either way not a great situation to step into.

I think it's a good idea to plan your arrival to coincide with hiring periods.

[lou_la]

1. Does it matter what time of the year it is to start a teaching assignment in China or Taiwan?

There are a few places that hire year round - I think EF and Wall Street both hire year round, but i also think you need a tefl cert for them. You need one for Shane too I think. In Taiwan, Hess recruits almost constantly, and you don't need a tefl cert. Be careful with Hess though, many people (including myself) have had bad experiences with them. Lots of people have good experiences too, but be wary of them. There's alot of discussion about them on the Taiwan forum.


3. Will I be able to save as much in China vs. Taiwan?
Unless you get one of the highly paid jobs in China, it'll be easier in Taiwan.

4. Better working conditions in China or Taiwan?
My school here in china is much more organised than my school in taiwan, and the staff are nice, as opposed to the nutcases they were in Taiwan. My hours are better, but the pay is much worse.

In Taiwan most work is teaching kids in evening cram schools, or in kindergartens. Makes for strange hours. You have far fewer kids in your classes than in china though.

5. Is it worth taking a ESL class online, or is it a waste of time?
Yes!!! It won't help you get a job unless you take a proper CELTA or equivalent course (there are quite a few places that demand them - ef/wall street/shane/ IH (but they are only a few of them). But really, you should do one just to learn about what you're doing. It's only fair to teh students that you know what you're doing!

6. Can you pick up work on the side in either Taiwan or China?
Yup, fairly easy in both.


Although my work here in Qingdao is much better than my job in Taiwan, Taiwan was a lot more fun. It's hot, polluted, but they have much more culture than I've seen here (this could just be qingdao though, most of it is very very new). There's lots of temples and activity, and it's much easier to get around and explore. Taipei is on ok city, but I liked Taichong a lot more. Ilan and Hualien on the east coast are very very nice and chilled, but there's less work there. Tainan was pretty cool too. Just don't go to Taoyuan, it really wasn't a nice place. Massively overpopulated, spawling, dirty, boring, really not a pleasant place. Neili (just outside it) was ok though, if you like small towns.

[stillnosheep]

Clarification:

You have only missed the start of the academic year, for which.schools and universities recruit. Not only the private language school chains mentioned but most, if not all, private language schools and chains recruit throughout the year.