Taiwan Teaching Jobs

Want to know the best way to find English teaching jobs in Taiwan?  ”Like” this page and gain access to my video that shows you how to easily find teaching jobs in Taiwan from the comfort of your own home.
Update 2012/3/12
I have recently updated this video and now show you three places to find jobs to teach English in Taiwan. The video runs for about 15 minutes and I also walk you through and talk about some of the pitfalls you may encounter when looking for a job.

{ 115 comments… read them below or add one }

Karen October 19, 2010 at 12:23 pm

HI,there. I’m just asking for my friend who want to teach English in Taiwan. I’m wondering if he has no bechelor degree neither graduate from college, would it be difficult to find a job? maybe tutoring is easier since they don’t check your certification?

Thank you

Karen

admin October 19, 2010 at 2:52 pm

@Karen, not he can not legally work in Taiwan and I would not recommend that he try to do so illegally.

queenbee October 27, 2010 at 7:30 pm

What is the likelihood a company will hire a single parent with a child?

admin October 28, 2010 at 4:14 am

@queenbe, you raise a good question. Technically there should be no problem as your child would be able to get their visa based on their relationship with you, but I honestly think schools would prefer to hire someone who has no children. The reason for this is because if you have a child, then there is a chance that you may have to take time off work or handle other issues related to your child. Cram schools prefer fresh university grads because they are young, have no strings attached and you don’t have to worry any family/child related problems popping up. Hopefully you can get what I am trying to say. Don’t let this discourage you from looking for work, just be prepared for some schools turning you away simply because you have a child.

Ming November 23, 2010 at 11:47 pm

I’m a recent US college graduate, native English speaker, fluent in Mandarin (speaking and listening.) I’m a US citizen with a US passport. Would it be possible to find an English-teaching position in Taiwan?

admin November 24, 2010 at 3:27 am

@Ming,
Going by your name I believe you are either Chinese/Taiwanese? I understand you have a US passport, but you need to remember that most cram schools in Taiwan want “foreign” looking teachers. Parents pay for this, and being ABC/BBC just means you will have to look a little harder to find work. It definitely isn’t impossible, but you will find it more difficult than others. Generally speaking, being fluent in Chinese doesn’t help with finding work related to teaching English. There are obviously cases where this is not true, but on the whole schools just require someone who can speak English. Good luck!

Vivian December 8, 2010 at 4:05 am

This is an odd question, but I am currently still in University meaning I have yet to graduate, If I meet all the other requirements does that mean I am still not qualified to teach here if I hold both the Taiwanese ID and foreign ID

admin December 8, 2010 at 4:23 am

@Vivian,
Sounds like you are Taiwanese. If this is the case then you will be employed as a local, and none of what is on this site will apply to you. It also means you’ll be paid “local” rates, which are obviously much lower.

Elizabeth January 17, 2011 at 8:25 pm

Hi- Myself and my boyfriend are thinking about coming to Taiwan to teach English- we both have undergraduate and masters degrees (I’m finishing my masters in August) and would be looking to start in September (we would need to get back to the UK for the following school year in October). He has teaching experience and I speak some Mandarin have lived in Beijing. Do you think we would be able to find jobs together starting at this time? Organisations like Hess seem to only offer an early August or December start which don’t really work for us.

admin January 18, 2011 at 1:49 am

@Elizabeth,
Sounds like you just want to come for 1 year, right? Schools don’t ask if you can speak Chinese, but you should be able to find work on Taipei without too much trouble. Plenty of other cram schools out there besides the big name ones.

Daniel January 19, 2011 at 11:11 pm

Me and my friend were both looking to find a job teaching in Taiwan. We both graduated from the University of Alabama, but neither of us got our degrees in English. So my questions are 1) Will we have any trouble finding jobs over there? and 2) do you have any suggestions for the best places and people to work for while over there?

admin January 20, 2011 at 1:36 am

@Daniel,
You won’t, but be sure to go to a large city like Taipei because that’s where most jobs are. I honestly can’t recommend anyone to work for, because once you’ve taught in Taiwan you will realize that working conditions can vary depending on a lot of issues. Best of luck to you both.

Anon January 28, 2011 at 2:28 am

I have a masters degree in education. Could that translate into a higher payscale?

admin January 28, 2011 at 3:37 am

@Anon,
I covered what you would get paid on the page HERE. However, you won’t get paid any more than what you would teaching children. Good luck!

Cormac January 30, 2011 at 11:19 pm

Hi I,m wondering if it,s a good idea for my wife and I( and 4 of our children) to work in Taiwan.We are both excellent EFL teachers with lots of experience.We could only work for the months of July Aug And Sept due to our children still being in school.We both have BAs and EFL qualifications and we are looking for a different experience for our family.Cormac and Danielle

Bryan February 5, 2011 at 7:55 am

I keep reading about the abysmal job market right now, and it has me a little anxious about the move. I’m just curious, what do you think I’ll experience when I get there? Also, I realize this might be really pushing my luck, but do you think I have any chance of working at a university? (Even if I’m not hired as a faculty member)

I’m planning to go in May, and I’m thinking Taichung. I’m a Canadian, I have a masters in Biology, a few publications, and my only teaching experience is a TA for university labs/seminars.

admin February 5, 2011 at 11:54 am

@Bryan,
The job market is terrible. Having an MA in Biology means 99% of universities will turn you away. They want Linguistic or English majors. However, this doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get work in one, but I definitely would expect any miracles. My advice? If you want to teach in university, go to China.

Bryan February 6, 2011 at 1:30 am

Thanks, so definitely a no on Universities. I’ve really sold myself on Taiwan, so do you think I have a reasonable chance of getting ANY job? Or is it really that risky?

admin February 6, 2011 at 2:29 am

@Bryan,
There are still jobs here. However, the days of too many jobs and not enough teachers are long gone. It just means that you’ll probably find something that offers around 14 – 20 hours a week at the very most. This is why I suggest newcomers stick to Taipei. There are definitely more foreigners there, but at the same time that is where 90% of the jobs are.

Courtney February 10, 2011 at 6:40 pm

Hello~
I was wondering, even though I have no bachelor degree, I’ve got a TESL certification. Is it possible to teach English in Taiwan having only completed Gen. Ed.s within the US, as long as I have a TESL certification and I acquire the proper visa/work permit?

admin February 11, 2011 at 2:06 am

@Courtney,
Without a BA or AA + TEFL you cannot work legally here.

Arlen Tsao February 14, 2011 at 4:35 pm

Hello,

I am an A.B.C. (ha-ha I find that term strange) and interested in living in Taiwan because of my culture. I studied Information Technology and have a BBA degree. If I get my TEFL will I be qualified to work as a teacher in Taiwan? Would it be legal to teach there? I know BBA is a business degree & I know IT has nothing to do with teaching. Any advice would be great!

admin February 15, 2011 at 2:41 am

@Arlen,
Check the page on Who Can Teach in Taiwan and you’ll find out more. Basically, if you have a BA degree and come from any of the listed English speaking countries, then you can teach English in cram schools legally. It is another issue about you being an ABC. Good luck.

William February 23, 2011 at 7:53 am

Hi,

I am a Taiwanese who also holds a Canadian citizenship. Unfortunately, I am not a “foreign” looking teacher. However, I obtain a BA from a Canadian Public University, a TESOL credential from the TESL Canada Federation, and an Instructor Diploma from the Ministry of Education. Therefore, I am an accredited ESL teacher who can teach legally anywhere in Canada. Do I still get paid the low rates because I look like Asian?

admin February 23, 2011 at 8:21 am

@William,
Not necessarily, no. However, it just means that you will have an uphill battle and a lot of people will not bother to interview once they know you are of Asian heritage. Having said that, it can be a bonus if you are fluent in Chinese and can somehow combine teaching English with your Chinese ability. Just remember that there are also many native Taiwanese here who would compete with you in this kind of scenario. Good luck!

admin February 25, 2011 at 1:26 am

@Cormac,
You wouldn’t be able to get a work permit for just two or three months. If I read what you posted correctly, then it seems that you are just looking for temporary work, which isn’t possible.

landry March 15, 2011 at 1:28 am

hello, i have my BA in english from the US. i want to teach in taiwan but i dont know how to start looking for jobs there and interviews. i have NO actual experience teaching and i know NO chinese. how badly do you think this will affect me?

thank you

admin March 15, 2011 at 1:42 am

@Landry,

You don’t need to know any Chinese to teach English in Taiwan. I also wouldn’t worry about a lack of experience. Schools are constantly looking for new teachers for a number of reasons, one of which is that they are easier to control. You will be fine. Good luck!

duane March 15, 2011 at 2:26 pm

hi. i wanted to know if all schools to a criminal background check? i have a felony on my record from years ago. and im from the US, am i able to attend college in taiwan and then teach english?

admin March 15, 2011 at 3:59 pm

@duane,
The schools where most people teach at don’t need criminal checks.

duane March 17, 2011 at 3:01 am

i will be going to get my tesol/telf certification through a online class. will this effect me from getting higher to teach in taiwan because it was done online? and am i able to teach with only the tesol/tefl certification/
thank you

admin March 17, 2011 at 3:34 am

@duane,

Please check the post about Who Can Teach English in Taiwan regarding what you need to be eligible to teach. Regarding the online TESOL, I honestly don’t know. I would suggest you contact your local TECO to find out about that.

landry March 17, 2011 at 12:59 pm

i was wandering since im a 38 year old black guy with all the proper education needed to teach in taiwan. will most schools still not want to hire me if im not white?
thank in advance.

admin March 17, 2011 at 2:16 pm

@landry,

It will depend on the schools. Really hard to say and I can’t give you a definite answer either way. Your age and racial background definitely aren’t in your favor, but this does not mean that no school will want to hire you. It just means you may need to look a little longer before you land a teaching job. Good luck.

sam March 17, 2011 at 5:35 pm

i just wanted to know would i be hired in taiwan if i received my BA in english from an online univerity

landry March 17, 2011 at 6:45 pm

AA plus telf/tesol? is that enough to also teach?

admin March 18, 2011 at 2:35 am

@sam,

Online degrees are NOT recognized by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. You won’t be able to apply for any teaching jobs using a degree you obtained online.

admin March 18, 2011 at 2:36 am

@landry,

An AA plus a TEFL or TESOL certificate is enough to teach legally in cram schools in Taiwan.

landry March 18, 2011 at 3:03 pm

thank you so much for the information. is working in cram school in high demand? and do cram school pay enough to live on?
thank you

sam March 18, 2011 at 4:08 pm

hello and thank you. will a associates degree from my local community college be honored in taiwan, or should i go to a larger university? and am i able to attend any school or program that will award me a tesol/tefel certification?

admin March 20, 2011 at 10:28 am

@landry,

I’d recommend you check out the section about English teacher pay and other related sections. Most of what you need to know is covered there. Thanks.

admin March 20, 2011 at 10:30 am

@sam,

Only the Ministry of Education will be able to determine for sure if your AA is OK. I’d suggest you check with the MOE also about the TESOL/TEFL certification because I’ve never had to actually use one to get my visa. Good luck!

landry March 22, 2011 at 5:09 pm

is it ok to only tutor in taiwan. would someone have to go through some kind of tutoring agency or can this be done from my home in taipei or other location?

admin March 23, 2011 at 12:47 pm

@landry,
Tutoring will not get you a VISA, and it technically is illegal. I wouldn’t recommend anyone move to Taiwan if they thought they could support themselves by just tutoring English.

landry March 29, 2011 at 8:13 pm

when is the best time to start applying for teaching jobs in taiwan. thank you

Whitely April 6, 2011 at 9:53 am

i have 2 year college degree…will this be enough to teach in Taiwan??

admin April 6, 2011 at 10:20 am

@Whitely,
Please check the post about Who Can Teach English in Taiwan regarding what you need to be eligible to teach. That page should have all the info you need.

James April 20, 2011 at 11:01 am

I am 51 and have spent most of my working life in either financial markets or sales and have decided upon a career change. I graduated from a UK university with a degree in philosophy 30 years ago and am currently taking the Cambridge CELTA course in London.
Are most teaching jobs available to someone of my age? Do you think it likely that I might obtain a job teaching business English? Is it essential to obtain a job via the web before travelling to Taiwan?

admin April 20, 2011 at 12:36 pm

@James,
You are too old for most cram schools and those kinds of teaching jobs in Taiwan. Apologies if that sounds a bit harsh, but it is the simple truth about Taiwan. You could work in a university, especially if you had a PhD in an area that is in high demand. Honestly speaking, I think you would be much better off in China. The pay is lower there, but there are lots of positions, many of which do not include children so the school doesn’t care about your age.

Jayrome Nuñez May 1, 2011 at 12:25 pm

I am 22 years old, Filipino, and a graduate of Bachelor in Secondary Education-Major in English and currently taking my Master’s Degree at University of Northern Philippines. Is it possible for me to land a ESL job in Taiwan or China?

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