Should I teach English in Korea or Taiwan?
If you're looking for quality of life, Taiwan can't be beat. The cost of living in Taiwan is extremely low, and there are loads of recreational activities and clubs that you can get involved with. One downside, though, is that the teaching packages aren't as good as they were 20 years ago. The hourly rate of pay hasn't changed since the 80s, and ESL teachers in and around Taipei are being forced to find a second job or tutoring work to make ends meet. South Korea is also a great place to live and work, especially if you're going through the EPIK program. The pay packages are much better, but you do need to be careful about finding a quality school to work at. The quality of life in South Korea is great, and you'll find that the expat community in South Korea quite welcoming. Yes, you need to be careful of which schools you're looking to teach with, but there are lots of great schools in South Korea. You just need to do your research. One other major distinction between teaching in Taiwan and teaching in South Korea is the package perks. Schools in Taiwan don't typically offer free flights and accommodations, whereas these are standard salary package perks for most schools in South Korea.
Teaching abroad?
I am interested in teaching English abroad it doesn't really matter where. I graduated in December with a BA in English. Any help, suggestions, or personal experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
How easy is it to get a job (other than teaching English) in Taiwan after studying there?
As a foreigner? Pretty grim.Taiwan isn't very international, local company rarely hire foreigner and international once tend to be based in anywhere but Taiwan.If they do need to hire foreigner it's usually experienced specialist which almost no fresh graduate people ever is.Outside of teaching your only real option is self employment ( or someone running their own shop already ), and even then it's pretty complicated, to open a local restaurant you probably need a local spouse or partner. More over it's hard to get local residence this way.Pretty much the only young foreigner that aren't teachers or students I've seen here are those working in restaurants opened by other foreigners
What has your experience teaching English abroad been like?
I am currently teaching English in China, and it is an incredible experience.After I graduated from university, I realised that I wasn’t ready to enter into the conventional graduate job market. I felt I didn’t have all the skills (nor the self-confidence) I would need to make a success of it. Here’s where teaching English abroad has come in handy.Skills development:On a daily basis I now present material to classes ranging between 30 and 120 students. My presentation skills, and public speaking ability has increased phenomenally. The first time you walk into a class with 120 kids (I say kids - my oldest students are only 4/5 years younger than me) staring up at you is an incredibly daunting experience. I can safely same I am not easily shocked anymore! Being in a Chinese town has also made me a bit of a local celebrity - there are only 2 foreigners in this town. When we go out in public there are lots of people taking photos of us; shopkeepers are very excited to help us; as are waitresses and fellow gym - goers.Personally:On a personal level, teaching abroad has been incredible! I have had the opportunity to visit so many cool places that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen. So far, I’ve been to Beijing, Shanghai and Zhangjiajie (avatar mountains). This weekend I’ll be heading up to Xi’an to see the Terracotta Army!Advice:My advice to you! DO IT!! Be sure to pick a country that you’re interested in exploring and/or learning the language of. It really is the most incredible and rewarding experience!
Can you teach English abroad without a Bachelor's Degree?
My brother wants to teach english abroad but he dropped out of college. He is thinking about getting his TEFL or some sort of certification to become more qualified for a position. Most of the job openings we found need a B.A. or higher. The only two places we found that didn't require a degree was Mexico and Romania. Is it worth getting his TEFL without a B.A.? Are there more countries/programs that don't require a B.A.? Can you share any good links you know of? Thanks!
Should I teach English in Japan, mainland China, or Taiwan?
My advice to you, in short: Go to China, get a job, then visit Taiwan for holidays.Pays are often reasonably well; judging from your description of relatively comfortably, I'm sure you'll be fine in that regards. Hey - since you can speak moderate Chinese, you might get lucky and end up way better than expected. Then again, these things really have to depend on many circumstances, but generally speaking, I've never heard of any expats having to leave the country because they feel they aren't making enough money. And as Roy Peng's excellent answer pointed out, the pollution isn't as bad as people imagine. I'm currently in Shanghai, and most of the time the air is quite clear. Beware though - some days are really, really bad. They usually happen once or twice a year and last a few days.People I've encountered are mostly helpful and kind. As long as you are able to communicate, they are usually willing to befriend you. As long as you're able to communicate on a basic day-to-day basis, you'll pick up the language. Dating.... well, *sigh*. If you did come I hope you'll have better luck than I did. It won't be that hard to find a nice girl (assuming you're male), but they are less willing to consider expats than a few years before. And the cultural gap really isn't something you'll get through with some cookies and a nice chat. I did love my ex's cooking though.How much spare time you'll have will depend on how much you work (obviously). You may be quite busy when you first arrive, but things usually settle down pretty quick and you'll have a better grasp on how long do you really have to work. As for living-cost ratio, rents can be quite high in cities like Beijing and Shanghai. I've met an American who moved from Beijing to a second tier city Tsingtao (I think), and according to him, he's making about the same amount of money while rents dropped quite a bit. Living costs are rising everywhere, so you may need some extra research on this. I'm currently renting a security apartment and its eats quite a chunk of my salary. Food can be expensive or cheap, depending on where you eat / buy your grocery. Some people feel open markets are not safe and have to go to walmarts (I'm still laughing at them for the walmarts scandal that came out recently), which is fine, but will cost more. I don't really cook as I'm now comfortable with smaller restaurants around where I work and they're not that expensive. Best of luck, whatever your final decision is!
Will it be easy to find an English teaching job in Taiwan?
Taiwan is one of the most popular destinations for teaching English as a foreign language, not only in Asia, but around the globe. That being said, competition for high-quality positions is strong and not everyone can apply for a position in teaching English in Taiwan.However, you can increase your chances of getting hired by a renowned employer with a good salary by following a couple of tips.Get TEFL CertifiedA TEFL or TESOL certification is the first step towards a successful teaching career. If you possess a TEFL/TESOL qualification, your employer knows that you are qualified to teach and know what you are talking about. At the same time, the employer can be sure that you are serious about teaching and aren’t only looking for a fun time abroad.I taught English in China and South Korea and took my TEFL with International TEFL and TESOL Training (ITTT). I recommend their 120-hour online courseas most employers worldwide require their teachers to possess a certificate of at least 100 hours of study. The course also comes with tutor support and videos and you’ll have access to thousands of job offers worldwide after graduating.SpecializationsWhile your basic 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate is the first step towards your ESL adventure abroad, you should consider adding specialized qualifications onto it. The reason for this is that the competition for well-paid positions in competitive teaching regions is incredibly high. That’s why I took the 50-hour teaching English to young learners certificate and the 50-hour teaching Business English courses from ITTT as well.Check out the Taiwan PageYou can find a teaching position in Taiwan with private schools (buxiban), international schools, and public schools all over the island. ITTT is working closely with Teach in Taiwan, the only fully licensed and legally owned foreign recruitment company in Taiwan. Find out more about how to find a job in Taiwan on our dedicated TEFL Jobs in Taiwan Page.Have fun teaching in Taiwan!
How can I get a job teaching English overseas?
Hi Joshua, The two sites I point advisees to (who are in the exploration stage as you are) are: Transitions Abroad... http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/esl/index.shtml ...and Dave's ESL Cafe -- in particular its discussion forums: http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/index.php (both Greece & Russia are included) http://www.daveseslcafe.com/ Neither of the above sites is tied to any particular commercial provider or school (though you can get lots of information on providers through the stories, resources, and links on the TA page in particular, as well as exploring questions such as whether to get certified and the like). To conduct any effective search -- beyond this exploration phase -- you'll really want/need to get focused on what sort of communities you're interested in working with (kids, business people, etc) and how your background / experience / training matches with those more focused notions. If you're looking to explore connecting to English-language schools directly you can explore: http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/europe-schools/index.pl http://www.eslbase.com/schools/ I would suggest direct contact with schools down the road once you've educated yourself about the field a bit (and perhaps have a better sense of the sort of work you're looking for and where you'd like to go). If you're exploring teaching English abroad I'd also suggest two books: Teaching English Overseas by Jeff Mohamed Teaching English Abroad by Susan Griffith Certification is not a requirement to teach abroad though there are all sorts of reasons to get certified (or some training that sets you in front of a class if you haven't already). But it is not a requirement to find work teaching English abroad. If, you have the chance to tutor or teach in your community do it!! It will net you some valuable experience not to mention give you a sense of whether you like the work before shipping yourself, potentially, halfway around the world... Hope some of the above is useful!! Good luck. Best, Mark. -- Mark L Lilleleht, Program Coordinator Go Global! @ UW-Madison http://twitter.com/Go_Global http://go.global.wisc.edu/ http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4071801 go@global.wisc.edu Ph 608.265.6070
Is working as an English Teacher in Japan (& other parts of SE Asia) a respectable job?
I've been learning Japanese for a few years, I adore it. After I get my BA in 3 or so more years I planned to go teach in Japan for a few years, and if I liked it enough and it was reasonable (retirement plans scare me, in any country haha.) then possibly forever. Most of the time would be Japan, I'd start a real life there. But i'd like to spend a year in S. Korea and Taiwan just to know what it's like. But I have no idea of the popular opinion on such careers, how they are viewed in the public eye and treated, and if it's practical and a respectable job Whether it is or not, I'm still going But I'd like to know of your experiences, opinions, and if you think an MA in addition to the bachelors would be a good idea or not Thanks :D