Interview Process

Most cram schools, where the majority of foreign English teachers work, will run you through an interview that is very similar no matter where you apply to work.  If you are overseas then you’ll do this via the phone at a prearranged time.  There is nothing to worry about as these interviews are usually very basic and the biggest concern of the school is that they want to make sure that you can speak English clearly.

Expect the average interview to go for about 15 – 30 minutes.  Again, the biggest concern is that you can speak English clearly enough that people don’t have difficulty understanding you.  Most people shouldn’t have a problem here.  Beyond making sure you speak clearly, the school will also be interested in seeing if you believe there will be any problems or difficulty living in Taiwan.  The way of life in Taiwan is usually very different to what many people are used to and they want to make sure that you can adapt and will be flexible in your new working environment.

You will also be asked some teaching related questions.  There is nothing to worry about as the majority of cram school teachers in Taiwan don’t even hold teaching or education degrees.  What they will most likely ask is how would you explain or teach a new concept to a class.  From my own experience, this is best answered by saying that you will first demo or describe what is being taught.  You can do this on the board.  If the students don’t understand, then you would suggest the use of visual aids, such as your own body or other students in the class who can act out what is being taught.  Schools like to see and hear that you are able to use both visual aids to demo and describe what is being taught as many classes have children who don’t speak English and a simple explanation in English of what is being taught is usually beyond them.

You will also probably be asked about how you feel about teaching children, or can you see any difficulty with working with children.  The majority of cram schools are for children, so unless you are applying to work at a university you obviously will want to say no and that you look forward to the idea of working with children.  You might also be asked on how long you plan to stay in Taiwan.  Most schools require a minimum of one year, but obviously if you express an interest in staying longer, perhaps to study Chinese or some other personal interest, it may make you a slightly more preferable candidate for the position.

In general, the interview process is very basic and simple.  Schools are just looking to make sure that you can speak clearly, can’t see any big problems with working in Taiwan, don’t hate children and at the very least are prepared to use both the English language and visual aids (such as the white board, your own body or other students) to teach classes.