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| Introduction |
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| Hi!! Welcome to Taiwan, you know that
place that we used to get all of our cheap toys from? Well, not
anymore! It's now one of the leading places in the world for
technology research and computer manufacturing. Taiwan is a
mixed place of incredible beauty and culture. If this is your first time in Asia you're in for a
"BIG" surprise. Taiwan is totally, completely different from
Australia, New Zealand, America, England, Canada, or any other
western country you might be from. IF you are interested in
living and teaching here, experiencing a new culture, eating
interesting food, and
living a completely different lifestyle.....Then WELCOME! |
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| What will I need?? |
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Before you come over here to work, there are a
couple of requirements that you need to
fulfill. In order to qualify for a legal working visa, you have
to:
- Have at least a
Bachelors Degree from an accredited University. Make
sure you bring an official copy of your diploma with you.
You can't work without it.
- Be able to pass a physical
examination including an STD/AIDS blood test, and a drug
urine test.
- Have a valid passport, valid for
at least another year. Your passport must be from a
native English speaking country in order for you to qualify
as a legal English Teacher. (It's also advisable that you
bring a copy of your birth certificate and keep it in a safe
place in case something happens to your passport.)
- Color passport sized photos (Lots of
them. It seems like every form you have to fill out needs
about six photos. So get the correctly sized photo taken
before you come over here and bring the negative with you.
You can get reprints done in Taiwan very inexpensively.
- Visitors Visa (no, it's not a credit
card!) You will need to apply at a "Taipei Economic and
Cultural Office" in the country that you are coming from,
for a visitors visa. DO NOT put on your application that you
are coming here to work! That sounds strange, but it's so
much easier for us to get you a working visa here in Taiwan,
than it would be for you to apply for one there! When
applying for your visitor visa you will most likely receive
a 2-month visa, although on rare occasions you will only get
30 days. We will get your visitor visa changed to a legal
working visa when you get here. For more visa information
you can visit our VISA page.
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| Money |
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| You should come here with a little bit
of spare change in your pocket as your first pay day is about
1-month away. Most schools have payday on the 10th of
each month. Plan on bringing around $1000-2000 (US) to be
really comfortable your first month. |
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| Customs & Airport Pick-Up |
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| When you fly into Taiwan, it helps you
get through customs a lot faster and more smoothly, if you
dress fairly nice and have a neat, clean appearance. This will
also impress your boss when he/she picks you up at the
airport. When you come out of the customs area, you will be
met by representatives of the school holding a sign with your
name on it. This is a great help as everything is in Chinese
and other than airline counter people, there won’t be many
other English speakers there. |
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| Living in Taiwan |
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| Living in Taiwan can be as expensive or
as cheap as you want it to be. You can save a lot of money
here if you really want to. You can also spend a lot…..but
it's really fun!
There are a great variety of restaurants, clubs, movie houses,
and other great local entertainment. My personal favorite (if
you can believe it) is singing in karaoke clubs. (Hey, what
can I say, I have lived here for almost 6 years!) However, if
you have had a really fun weekend or holiday, make sure you
still make it to school on time Monday morning. (Showered, and
cleaned up without a hangover!!) Most schools do not accept
"sick days" on Monday unless you have a Doctor's excuse. |
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| Food |
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| Eating out can be quite cheap here, and you will
learn to love a lot of different Chinese/Taiwanese foods. Eating Western food tends to be a little
bit on the expensive side, but you can still generally find
what you want and you can even try to make Mom's pot roast in
a rice cooker. If you really get desperate for a burger, there is always
McDonalds. You will also find 7-11 or other convenience stores
open on every corner. |
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| Transportation |
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| Public Transportation is very good in
Taiwan, and you can get anywhere by bus, train, or taxi. If
you live in Taipei, you can also use the MRT (subway or
underground rail) In most places, a bicycle can get you around
as well . For the daring, a scooter is a good choice. You can
buy second-hand scooters at a fairly low price just about
anywhere. If you do buy a scooter, make sure you take a
Chinese speaking friend with you. He or She can help make sure
that you are not cheated. ***It's best if you get an
International Drivers License BEFORE you come here. |
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| Living Accommodations |
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| Apartments in Taiwan range from "Wow,
that's a great deal!" all the way up to "That costs more than I
make in a year!!"Luckily, many of our schools offer free housing
or assistance in finding nice, affordable housing. |
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| Climate |
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| The weather in Taiwan is moderate and
usually warm.The southern
half of the island is much warmer than the north and can get
downright hot! Taiwan is very humid, and it rains a lot during
the typhoon season...This brings us to our next subject.
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| Clothing |
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| I know, the next question on Everyone's
mind is "I'm going to teach in Taiwan, what on earth will I
wear?" Well, as the weather can vary from sticky hot to a humid
cold, it's wise to bring clothing for just about any weather.
(You won't, however, be needing that ski jacket or snow pants!)
A raincoat is a must, but you can buy that here fairly cheaply.
School attire is nice-casual. Shorts and t-shirts are usually
acceptable in hot weather, as long as they are clean and
well-kept. Revealing attire is not allowed. |
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| Books and Teaching Materials |
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| While most of our schools have a set
curriculum and use their own textbooks and materials. The internet is also a great tool for finding children's
games, lesson plans, and songs. One of my favorite sites for
children's games, and songs is: http://www.yahooligans.com/
Or you can visit
http://www.esl4asia.com/onlinecatalog/onlinecatalogindex.html |
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| Who will I teach? |
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| You will be teaching children from age 3
up. Be prepared to play lots of games, make up and sing silly
songs, read and act-out stories in funny voices, dance, do art
projects, do the hokey pokey, and anything else you can think
of that you did when you were a kid. Children learn the best
when you can make it fun for them. (However, you still need to
make sure they get academic value out of what you teach!) You
will get frustrated sometimes, you will have days when you
want to pull your hair out, but….in the end….you will love
your kids…and the best part……They will love you too! |
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| School Salaries |
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| As I mentioned above, payday is
usually on the 10th of each month. Salaries usually start at
around NT$50,000 /month (or $500/hour) with a guaranteed
minimum of 100 working hours per month.
Taxes and Insurance premiums will be deducted from
your paycheck. (According to Taiwanese tax law, you will pay
20% income tax for the first 183 days that you are working.
After that, it will revert to the normal rate of 6%) The
school you work in should help you file your taxes. If taxes
have been filed correctly and the proper amount has been
deducted from your check, you should get some of it back in
the form of a refund.
Insurance- For detailed information on
Taiwan National Insurance plan, you can visit their
website at: http://www.nhi.gov.tw/english/english-index.htm
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