Job Discussion Forums

[knautica]

Hi there, can you please advise me about EFL job prospects and pay in Taiwan.

I have;

TESOL Cert,
TESOL Diploma,
HND Business Studies,
first degree (Open University UK),
masters degree (MA Education),
PGCE (post compulsory)

I�m a director of studies of an EFL Dept. at a UK College of FE and I�ve been teaching for 17 years.

Given my situation, what kind of jobs and salary might I expect? Thanks very much for your help.

[romanworld]

There's no doubt that your resume is strong on qualifications and experience, but the TEFL environment has changed drastically here in Taiwan over the past few years. In the past, an MA in Education would have been a passport into a cushy university job, which would've paid around 56K for a 10-hour week.(You could've bumped up your hours by doing additional o/t hours paid at around $NT575 per hour.) However, now it's virtually impossible to get these jobs because the MOE is phasing out MAs in favour of Ph.ds.

Besides the universities, there are the high schools and the buxibans. The highschools pay anywhere between 55K and 70K, although you'll need to bear in mind that you'll be working from around 8-5pm each weekday, and possibly Saturday mornings. The buxibans, or Cram Schools, are private sector operations that are often run by business people and NOT educationalists, which means money - and NOT standards - is the bottom line for the owner. These jobs can pay anywhere between 50-65K, although you might get additional hours if the boss likes you.(If he/she doesn't, you might get less!)

I should add that jobs are becoming harder and harder to find here as the recessions kicks in. As the money dries up, parents are tightening their belts and being more cautious with their money. My advice is: DON'T GIVE UP A GOOD JOB IN THE UK TO COME HERE NOW. If you do, you might regret it.

[Taylor]

I'd like to support Romanworld's post. It sounds like he is observant, clear and accurate.

As for teaching in High Schools, I'm not sure exactly what credentials would be required. It may be different between public high schools and private high schools. You'd have class sizes between 25 and 65 students, I'd suppose.

Taylor
(10 years in Kaohsiung)