Teaching English in Taiwan is in great demand in more than thousand schools alone in Taiwan.
There are 3 local newspapers published in
English China Post, The Taipei Times and Taiwan News. Most of the English teaching schools are private and called the
'cram' schools. In
Mandarin it is called
buxibans. Courses at every level are available from elementary school to university level. Many private companies hire
English teachers as home tutors. Smaller schools have more personal approach but may not be much stable in nature. In larger schools usually the teachers do not get a private work permit.
In case of employment the preference varies. Some prefer North Americans while others employ any foreigner with valid VISA. The teaching hours can go up to 25 hours a week and the payment is done on hourly basis, with the rate of NT$500 to NT$700 an hour. The class size is limited to 15 students and the students can be as young as two years old. The work is physically demanding especially when small kids are concerned. In the Kindergarten these children are taught English through songs and jingles. Some schools are forced to keep Taiwanese teachers to aid in maintaining discipline. In university level night classes are also practiced.
Some of the
English teaching universities are:
- National Central University
- National Chaghua University of Education
- National Cheng Kung University
- National Chi Nan University
These schools not only give the
Taiwanese an open opportunity to reach out the world in the global language but also provides the
English teaching employment a fair ground in Taiwan.
