Who Can Teach in Taiwan?
You are only allowed to legally work as an English teacher in Taiwan if you meet the following basic requirements:
- You have a bachelor’s degree (or 2 year associate diploma with TEFL certification)
- You are a native English speaker
- You have a passport from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the USA
If you plan on working at a public school (as in a normal 8 – 5 school with a wide range of classes beyond just English) or a University, you will require other credentials such as a teacher’s license. The majority of English teachers in Taiwan, however, work in cram schools and these are the basic requirements.
Do I Need an Education/TEFL Degree?
No, you don’t. The majority of work in Taiwan for foreign teachers is at cram schools. Cram schools consist primarily of children classes and very rarely will you find a cram school asking for anything beyond just a standard three or four year bachelor’s degree which is required by law.
Is Age Important?
Something that people sometimes overlook is that of age. The majority of cram schools prefer young teachers and as a result you may find that if you are 40+ years of age, finding a job can become increasingly difficult. This doesn’t mean you won’t find a job, but school owners prefer young teachers because they believe they are more energetic and give parents a better impression of the school.
Is Skin Colour Important?
Yes. If you are not white, you will find it harder to find a teaching job in Taiwan. Many might disagree with me, but I know this to be true from having met and spoke to people who faced problems finding employment because they weren’t white. This doesn’t mean you won’t find a job, but you will be turned away by many schools as soon as they discover that you aren’t white.
I’m an ABC/BBC. Can I Still Find Work?
Like skin colour, school owners prefer teachers to be foreign and white. If you are an overseas Chinese, even with a foreign passport, you will still find it more difficult to find a job than the majority of other teachers. Parents want white foreigners teaching their children. Be prepared to spend a little extra time looking for suitable places if you are ABC/BBC.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m looking for a summer position during my break from teaching at universities here in Chicago and have a lot of credentials. What websites would you recommend to look at? One of the problems with daveseslcafe.com is that I have to sort through a lot of ads to find nothing. Do you know of any better sites? Thanks!
Good point, Christensen. I will send you a list and add some to the site shortly.
Hi there,
Need some advice on getting a job in Taiwan around May time. I would like to bring my cambodia wife. Would this be a problem. Currently I’m in Korea working for a public school.
Would love some email links. Thank you so much.
Hi there,
You have mentioned that the best way to find a job in Taiwan is to have friends and/or contacts, do you have any recommendation or any contacts of school that you could offer? Also I a Cambodian American, not white, but i am pretty well received here in Korea where I am teaching now. Do you think i will have problems finding jobs in Taiwan? Thank you
Provided you have a working visa your wife should be able to stay as an independent for as long as your visa is valid. She won’t be able to work but will be able to stay legally in the country. Hope that helps.
The best paying jobs are never advertised or shared. Regarding your background etc, the best place for people who aren’t white would be in Taipei. This is just a generalization and I am sure you could find work in other cities in Taiwan, but the majority of schools are in Taipei and they will be a little more open to having teachers who aren’t white.
Hello,
I have long been enthralled with the Taiwanese culture, people, and language(s). I will be taking a considerable amount of Chinese during my time in college to fulfill the language requirement for my University’s Honors College. I realize, however, that this is unnecessary to the fulfillment of my goal—to spend the spring and summer (May-August) of 2011 teaching English in Taiwan. I have several friends who have spend semesters/terms teaching English in other counties. Unfortunately, I will be a mere 19-year-old Junior in college at that point in time. Will my age be a concern? Or the (short) length of time, perhaps? What sorts of sites would you recommend I look at for such an aspiration?
i am from Philippines,30 yrs. old,not white,only have an associate diploma,no teaching experience,do i have a chance to work as an english teacher in taiwan if i have TESOL certificate
Hello! Thanks for your great site. Regarding teaching in public schools, when you mention that you must have a teachers license, are you talking about the license you receive from your home country? Or is it something you can apply to in Taiwan? I am assuming that the teacher’s license is an internationally recognized standard and accreditation that you receive once you finish and Education degree in your home country? Thanks so much for your time and effort.
Hello… I find it disheartening that age is a factor. I turned 40 this year, but do look younger, and have more energy (now that I lost 60 pounds). How difficult will it be for me to find a job in Taiwan?
@Jeremy: age is only a problem for the younger classes. The biggest problem is that the majority of work in Taiwan is teaching children. Finding work for anyone over 40 is not impossible, but you need to remember that if a boss had to pick between a 20 year old applicant and a 40 year old applicant, it is almost a given they would opt for the younger teacher. Again, this is only applicable to schools that teach/entertain children.
@Jason: you are correct, public school teachers need a valid teaching license from their home country. If it is not valid you will not be able to apply for work at public schools.
@rutchel: I would strongly recommend looking for work in other countries. You need at least one of the above qualifications in order to legally work in Taiwan.
Contracts are usually 1 year and you will require one of the above qualifications. Shorter contracts are very unlikely. Expect to have to sign for at least 1 year.
My boyfriend and I are considering teaching in Taipei early next year. As a Brit, will it be more difficult for him (I’m American) to find a teaching position? I have heard that most schools prefer English teachers with an American accent. Any suggestions on how we can overcome this if English accents are a deterrent?
@Mary: most schools will simply ask you will to speak with your best American accent possible. I wouldn’t worry unless you have a VERY heavy British accent. If you do, just start practicing now so you’ve taken the edge off it a bit.