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So you’ve decided to make the leap into ESL. It is a brave and rewarding choice. Whether you’re fresh out of college, or just looking for a bit of adventure, teaching English in Taiwan can be a beautiful experience. Despite what many recruiters may say, expect to encounter some difficulties on your journey. Here are ten things to look out for when teaching in Taiwan.
1. Prepare for privatized education
The majority of schools hiring ESL teachers (especially those without formal qualifications) are privately owned institutions. This means that they are subject to market forces and strive to remain competitive. Expect many of the decisions regarding your hours and working environment to be based on cost rather than the good of the children.
2. Prepare for chaos
You’re dealing with a lot of factors in Taiwanese schools and some things will be disorganized. Whether it’s large multilevel classes, outdated textbooks, or sudden staff turnovers, you must be ready for chaos and (as in suggestion two) ready to calmly advocate. Here are some tips for your first day teaching.
3. Prepare to advocate
As many schools in Taiwan are often subject to market forces, you must be prepared to present seemingly obvious issues to your management. Is cost cutting creating a fire hazard? Is the quality of your teaching being affected by the amount of students in your class? These are all issues which can be addressed tactfully with management.
4. Prepare to argue
Or rather learn how to win discussions within the given cultural context. It isn’t acceptable to shout at or get angry with your employer in Taiwan. Remember that much of your management at larger franchised schools is subject to the management of someone far more unreasonable. Instead of making emotional arguments, present logical ones. “Listen, I want to do a good job, but Edison is distracting the class” is far more effective than “get that sociopath out of my class or I’ll quit!”
5. Prepare to make compromises
Schools in Taiwan need to balance parental expectations, legal obligations, and teacher’s needs with the necessity to remain profitable. Therefore, expect to make compromises. It may be expected for you stay an hour longer to speak with, or more likely listen to, an anxious parent about their child’s results or helping the school with overtime on weekends.
6. Prepare for Taiwanese children
Yes, they can be just as naughty as children in your home country. Whether it’s a long-term exposure to unqualified teachers or being made to endure long class hours, Taiwanese children can be a handful. Don’t let their cute school uniforms fool you! If you an inexperienced teacher, expect each class to contain an “Edison”; a relentlessly naughty, uncooperative, class clown.
7. Prepare for the Family
Taiwanese parents aren’t the only actors with a say in your students’ development. Taiwanese people spend as much 17% of their monthly income on education. This income is not only drawn from the parents, but often the grandparents. Expect grandma and grandpa to have a say in young Edison’s education.
8. Prepare for bizarre gifts
Do you know what a mooncake is? It’s a calorie-rich cake that tastes delightful for one bite but can quickly become overbearing when you’re expected to eat them by the many – and you will be. Expect to be given several boxes of these in September.
In Taiwanese (and to a larger extent Chinese) culture, gift giving is a way of establishing a relationship. For thousands of years, so-called barbarians would present the emperor with gifts in order to establish diplomatic relations.
This is exhibited in most walks of Taiwanese life. You will receive gifts on most holidays as well as at graduations, and from time to time whenever when your student returns from holiday. These gifts will range from lovely peaches and wine, to awful pork jerky and the before mentioned mooncakes.
Remember to accept each gift with two hands palm facing up.
9. Prepare your stain removers
Your wardrobe should be clean and plain (but not high quality) – Most schools and businesses in Taiwan maintain a lax dress code. If you go to a wedding in Taiwan, there will be several members of the groom’s distant family wearing tank tops and black slacks. Due to the oppressive heat, you are not expected to wear overly formal clothes at work.
However, if you wear dirty or smelly clothes expect complaints and brutal insults from your students. In between banging on the table and pulling his friend’s hair, Edison may say “Oh teacher you are like a “pig”. I suggest you invest in blue jeans and clean pastel colored t-shirts. Don’t wear anything too high quality, or you’ll be cursing under your breath the first time you get dry erase ink on it.
10. Prepare for a life-changing experience
After discussing eight challenging aspects of teaching English in Taiwan, it seems prudent to point this out. Teaching in Taiwan will open your eyes, it is simultaneously a travel and work experience. Expect to be challenged and rewarded. Helping students achieve, amalgamating into a new culture and learning traditions, making new friends and creating memories that will last with you forever is worth the challenge. Try your best and stand up for yourself and you will come out a stronger, better, and wiser citizen of the world.
About Bryn Thomas
Bryn Thomas is a Master of Asia Pacific Studies from National Cheng Chi University in Taipei, Taiwan. His research focus is traditional industries and privatized education and currently writes for the UNI-Prep Institute – Tesol Certification Online. He has over ten years of ESL teaching experience, is a Chinese speaker, and is an avid practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
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Thank you for the insightful post! This is the inside information you don’t get from a recruiter. I appreciate both aspects(rewards/challenges) of your experiences teaching in Taiwan. I also appreciate how this article pertains to culture, work, and communication aspects within teaching ESL students. I will definitely give more of your articles a read. I agree about staying level headed when presenting an issue to administration. It is good to know what to expect and how to communicate with them. I never made the connection between the parents and private institutions, it is something to keep in mind when applying… Read more »
The blog post was very informative! I appreciate his candid explanation of the working and learning conditions in Taiwan. The children are blessed to have Bryn and other ESL teachers like him!