Taiwan - A Dream Job for some. An Insult for others
As ESL is one of the main employers of foreigners, I'm going to focus my comments on this area.
If you go to any of the big forums, you'll see all kinds of posts for and against coming to this tiny sub-tropical island nation, as well as an array of recruiters stealth advertising [telling you about the great pay, benefits and lifestyle. 'Come one-come all, seems to be the message'].
But if it really is an island paradise - why isn't everyone flocking to get there, and why the need for so much advertising?
Alright. To be fair - every country trots out its Sunday Best to attract whatever talent they are in need of. Some better than others. [Just 5 short years ago, China was pathetic, but they've learned quickly. That's a subject for another posting.]
So the question really becomes - Who IS Taiwan right for? In other words - since it's not all bad. And it isn't paradise - what kind of person will profit most from a stint or even a career there?
Whenever you contact a school directly or a recruiter, one of the first questions you'll hear is : "Are you a
certified teacher?"
What about experience?
Very few schools seem concerned - being more than happy to take someone fresh out of university.
With this in mind - let's consider the situation back home (In America since many of the schools specifically advertise for Americans).
If you've just graduated with a degree in Education or only have a year or two experience, you may not even have a full-time time job. Many people have to make due with substitute teaching for quite some time. And the pay and conditions even if you land that first job - well - will not likely be peachy. Add to that the high tax-rate in the US [Federal, state, local, welfare and sales tax etc...], rent, the need for a car, paying back student loans...
For such a person - teaching for a year or two in Taiwan could be the perfect job for a variety of reasons.
A credentialed teacher is almost guaranteed a full-time job earning roughly US$2,000/month. Of course it helps if you're camera-friendly, as many of the positions openly solicit the stereotypical white North American.
Even on the surface -- that is not a bad deal. But when you begin to consider the low cost of living [an generous size one-room apartment can be had for US$200-300] and the low tax rate, [lowest tax rate starts at 6%], you won't need a car, because you can get around on a scooter or good public transit. You can begin to see - it becomes quite a winning proposition economically. Especially some who might have student loans to pay back, want to buy a home or just want to save.
Not to sound like a shameless advertisement, because the bad news is coming.
But on top of that, Taiwan has a world-class medical system that many say is better than back home, and universal, cheap insurance. Lastly - don't forget you'll have a box seat to the most dynamic economy in the world just across the straits in China and the opportunity to learn Mandarin and you begin to get an idea of how a move to Taiwan could be just your ticket.
BUT -- and there's always a but -- isn't there?
Here's the downside :
Taiwan is actually quite a mature ESL market, with the vast majority of work focusing on teaching young learners.
If that's not what you're looking for - you may want to reconsider.
What Taiwan seems to have opted for is a sort of bilingual education. More and more schools seem to be competing by promising the parents an American style education right along side their Chinese traditional formation.
This means - that most schools are really NOT looking for an ESL professional. Ie. It really is not someone with years of experience or an MA in Applied Linguistics, but a kindergarten or primary school teacher from the home country who is willing to be transplanted into a Taiwanese school for a year or two.
And as with many (but not all) ESL markets, the majority of teachers in Taiwan tend to be young and inexperienced. Translation : Many are either incompetent, irresponsible or both.
Employers for their part ---remember the inscrutable Chinese?--- have responded by creating contracts and working conditions similar to that of the very primary schools they operate. Clock in clock out. You pay is docked for tardiness to class. A portion of you pay is held back as insurance against teachers suddenly fleeing the country.
Does that sound like the way a professional is treated?
Of course - no one can really say whether the chicken or the egg came first. Did the employers respond? Or did their policies attract only the bottom of the barrel?
Whichever - it really doesn't matter.
The bottom line : You won't find many people with high credentials and years experience working at these schools.
A couple more things - someone considering Taiwan should consider.
Good : Schools will usually help you find an apartment near your school, so commute times are quite low.
Social life : There is a large expat community in almost any city of any size. There is Western food everywhere and Chinese food is very easy for westerners to develop a liking for as a general rule.
As mentioned above, because the cost of living is low, many people are able to live on half their pay and bank the other half.
On the downside :
Many schools have a formal age discrimination policy of not hiring any one over 32 or 35. Many people complain about the pollution in Taiwan. [To be fair - it is many times better than China, but worse than Japan or many places in North America.]
You have to pay for your flights, transportation in country, visa processing and all expenses related to apartment.
[The reason I mention these as bad points is because there are other countries that WILL pay for all or part of these thing in order to attract teachers. Namely the Middle East. But that is another whole ball of wax.]
Now - I also must make special mention of another thing which most people don't talk about, but which I found to be a real minus. Most Westerners can just show up in Taiwan and tour around for 30 days or less - visa-free. But - if you want to stay longer than that - OR [and here's the kicker] get a working visa, you have to enter Taiwan with a special longer term Visit Visa. And to get this - you have to make special arrangements with the Taiwan consulate nearest you. But remember - since Taiwan is not recognised by most countries in the world, it may not be conveniently located.
Translation : Extra trouble, expense and time needed.
And that's not all of it. Once you get to Taiwan - IF your school is not forthright and quick about assembling the necessary paperwork before your Visit Visa runs out - you may have to leave the country on what's called a Visa-run to say, Hong Kong, get you passport stamped and return.
Guess who pays for that?
YOU.
And then there is always the little detail of paying two months rent as a deposit in addition to the current month.
Why is this important?
Because you need to have a certain amount of cash in order to get established.
This is another criteria I will be considering in these posts. What are the Start-Up costs? How much is the initial outlay before you can start earning money. And after you get established, how much can you expect to bank each month after expenses?
And lastly - we need to return to tax talk.
If you work less than six months in Taiwan, or arrive after June, you get to pay 20% tax until Dec 31.
So - let's add this all up.
Plane ticket : 1000US + 3 months rent 750US + money for visa run 750US, money to survive your first 2 months ,2000US since your school may withhold most of your first months pay AND if you arrive in September as is common, you pay 20% tax.
You do the math.
That's the situation in Taiwan as I see it.
In coming posts, we'll be considering China, Japan, Korea and the Middle East. IS one better, worse? For who and why?
