Teaching English in Taiwan
Teaching English in Taiwan
Requirements
Bachelor’s Degree: Required
Monthly Salary: $1,800 to 2,500 USD
Peak Hiring: Lunar New Year and July/August
Visa Information: Work visa prior to entry
Housing: Not compensated or subsidized
Airfare: Not reimbursed
Student Types: Business English and children
At a Glance
Taiwan has a rich culture and history. The food is fantastic, the people are friendly, and the scenery is breathtaking. If you’re looking for a way to make money while traveling, Taiwan is a popular destination for ESL teachers.
Overview
Taiwan is modern, safe, and filled with nature. It has hiking, beaches, nightlife, and so much more. If you’re looking at teaching English in Taiwan, you can expect to live comfortably with a good quality of life. It’s also clean and people are generally friendly towards foreigners.
Salary is high compared to living costs so it’s easy to save. You get a good work-life balance and it’s uncommon to work overtime. You require a Bachelor’s degree to teach English in Taiwan. If you don’t have prior teaching experience, a TEFL certificate helps prepare you to become a teacher abroad.
In Taiwan, teachers are generally a well-respected profession. You have lots of space to grow and develop your career. Almost everyone starts as an English teacher. But it’s easy to diversify into different roles. If you go to Taiwan with an open mind and a sense of adventure, you’ll get over the culture shock and have an amazing time.
English Language Schools in Taiwan
The most popular option for teaching English in Taiwan is cram schools (Buxiban). It’s a major source of English teacher placement in the country. Students enroll in a Buxiban to pass their entrance exam into a high school or university.
But there are also government programs available as well like “Teach Taiwan” and “Foreign English Teachers in Taiwan”. The requirements to enter into these programs are more rigorous than cram schools and often require a teaching license.
Foreign English Teachers in Taiwan (FET)
If you are already a qualified/licensed teacher in your home country/state, this is the only way to get accepted into the Foreign English Teachers in Taiwan (FET) program. Teachers who get accepted can expect to work in the Taiwanese public school system as foreign English teachers and teaching assistants.
Teach Taiwan
Teach Taiwan is a recruiting arm of the Taiwanese government for foreign teachers to work in the public school system. Entrants require a Bachelor’s Degree and a teaching license. In addition, you must be a native speaker of English.
Salary
The salary in Taiwan is reasonable compared to the cost of living. You get around 60,000 New Taiwan dollars per month. If you convert this to US dollars, you can earn anywhere in the range of $1,800 to 2,500 USD per month. It’s easy to save money when you’re teaching English in Taiwan.
In general, teachers receive health coverage, sick time, flight reimbursement, and bonuses for completing contracts. Throughout the year, teachers enjoy a fair amount of vacation days as well in Taiwan. Even if you work in a major city like Taipei, you don’t have to try hard to come out ahead at the end of your contract.
| Monthly Salary | Total |
|---|---|
| US Dollars (USD) | 1,800 to 2,500 USD |
| New Taiwan Dollars (TWD) | 53,000 to 75,000 TWD |
Certification
Teaching English in Taiwan is one of the best options for native English speakers looking to live abroad, and TEFL certification is the best way to get started. TEFL is a globally recognized certificate that proves you have the skills to teach English as a second language.
By adding TEFL certification to your resume, you are showing potential employers that you can effectively teach English to non-native speakers. In addition, TEFL certification proves that you have a solid understanding of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you need to have nothing less than a Bachelor’s degree from your home country to work as an English teacher in Taiwan.
On average, you can earn about 60,000 New Taiwan dollars per month, which equates to anywhere in the range of $1,800-2,500 USD per month. This makes it a pretty good wage in Taiwan. Not super high, but enough to get by and save the rest.
First, you should try to sort it out with your school if they are breaking any stipulations in the contract. Otherwise, you can try contacting the Bureau of Labor Affairs and file a complaint.
Schools withhold money from your salary as fees so you don’t break out of your contract early. If you stay the full length of your contract, you will receive the money paid in full. But these types of clauses in your contract are not allowed and you can ask them to remove them.
Traveling is convenient in Taiwan with a lot of different modes of transportation. Pricing for travel is extremely reasonable such as taxis, trains, and Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).
As living in any country, crime occurs in Taiwan. But it’s much lower than the global average. Specifically, crime against foreigners is rare. Try to avoid locations of protest.