Teaching English in Taiwan

Taiwan, is 160km (96 miles) off the coast of Mainland China. It is officially considered a province of the Mainland, but for all intents and purposes, Taiwan is an independent democratic country. It has its own elections, currency, flag, army and government. The official language in Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, but Taiwanese is widely spoken, particularly by the older generation. The population is 22 million. The Taiwanese tend to be extremely warm, generous and welcoming to foreigners.

Option A: These positions start throughout the year
- Teaching elementary aged students (7 - 12 years)
- These jobs are typically a 6 day week (Monday – Saturday)
- Typically afternoon & evening work (great if you want your mornings free to study Chinese, go to the gym, etc)

Option B: These positions typically start in Jan/Feb and again in July/Aug
- Teaching kindergarten aged students (3 - 6 years)
- These jobs are typically a 5 day week (Monday – Friday)
- Typically daytime work (and teaching a few evenings each week)

Everyone in Taiwan is paid in local currency. That’s the New Taiwan Dollar (NT$). Schools will pay your salary directly into your local Taiwan bank account.

Most kindergarten schools pay their teachers a fixed monthly salary. This is because these schools have fixed teaching schedules that fill most of the day. Meanwhile, other schools (the majority of all language schools) pay their teachers an hourly rate instead. This is simply because some weeks are busier than others. Hourly pay is the most common type of pay system in Taiwan and it’s quite popular because you get paid for exactly what you teach! Overall, both pay systems work well.

Most schools pay similar rates of pay and monthly incomes will typically range around NT$50,000 - 60,000 (approx $1,600-1,900 USD). If you have qualifications such as a TEFL/TESOL you may receive a higher salary than someone without.

We have positions available throughout the island. We will work with you to place you at a school that best fits with your skills and preferences. Like anything else, the more flexible you are the more options you will have.

We recruit for positions year round, so you are welcome to submit your application at any time. If we feel your application is too early we may wait a few weeks or months before offering you an interview. This will be because the schools aren’t yet sure of their vacancies at the time you are looking to arrive. Don’t worry though ~ we will always keep you updated of your application status and we will make sure there is more than enough time to guide you through the interview, placement, visa and arrival process!

You can apply at any time. There is no deadline for applications. However, it is best to plan as early as possible. Generally, 3 months prior to your anticipated arrival is ideal, but you can also apply at the last minute if necessary.

Yes! But you will need to receive your diploma just before you arrive in Taiwan. If you have not received your diploma, please request from your University a letter stating the latest possible date you might receive your diploma.

You can arrive as soon as we have secured your teaching placement for you and guided you through the Taiwan visa process. Done quickly, we've helped people arrive one week after they first applied to us!

This really depends on how much they are! Most of our teachers have no problem continuing their student loan payments while teaching abroad. Your salary doesn’t appear high but cost of living is much lower than in your home country. Your rent will almost certainly be less than NT$8,000 per month ($250 USD). Meals and almost everything else is much cheaper than in your home country. Also, if maximizing your earning potential is very important to you, many people pick up private tutoring jobs on the side (NOTE: Although this is widely practiced and quite lucrative, it is also technically illegal). Your salary will be more than adequate to support yourself as well as save money for whatever purpose you would like (loans, for example!).

The cost of living in Taiwan is much cheaper than that of the United States or Canada, for example. Costs will vary somewhat depending on whether you live in the city or country. However, your salary in the country will also be moderately lower. In either situation, your salary will be more than adequate to support yourself and live a comfortable lifestyle. There will be more specific details on cost of living in your acceptance packet.

Taiwan has socialized medicine, so everyone receives a health insurance card. The card will allow you to visit any of the numerous health centers and hospitals. Almost all teachers feel the health care they have received while in Taiwan to be excellent. In fact, many of them return home feeling the health care system in Taiwan to be better than their home country.

It depends. Outside of Taipei, housing is sometimes provided free. When you first arrive in Taiwan, you will always be provided with temporary housing. Your school will help you find a permanent apartment which you find to be comfortable and agreeable. Most teachers are able to find an apartment within walking distance of their school! Most of our teachers find an apartment within two weeks of their arrival.

Yes, but we would advise against it! You need to book a flight to get your visa - and seeing as you don't yet know when your job starts, the flight might not correspond with the start of the position. This means you might be in Taiwan much too early for when the school would like you to arrive.

No. But you will need to plan ahead and follow the steps carefully. We will guide you through the entire process and ensure that your arrival is without issue. After a successful interview, we will send to you documents on how to apply for your visa.

You will have all national holidays off. Additionally, most schools close for a whole week during Chinese New Year (generally the end of January or early February). It is possible to have as much as 4 weeks of unpaid vacation time, depending on the school.

This is a subject everyone can agree on: The food in Taiwan is varied and fantastic. The shabu-shabus's, BBQ food, fresh seafood, different varieties of tofu, teppanyaki and even strange exotic food like snake's blood and bird's nest are just a sampling of the extremely large Taiwanese palette. Food is plentiful and extremely cheap. Wandering the night markets and sampling the varied specialties of each food vendor is a great experience. You can also find any Western food in Taiwan, though you will likely have to pay "home" prices for it. The Hard Rock Cafe, Hooters, McDonald's, Subway, Burger King, etc. can all be found in Taiwan. Higher end restaurants such as Morton's steakhouse are also to be found. Many foreigners return to their home country and find themselves bored with the food in comparison the many choices they had in Taiwan.

This depends on your contract. Most schools do NOT pay for your flight. However, most of our client schools offer a completion bonus at the end of your one year contract. This bonus is typically at least as much as the cost of a flight.

This really depends on when you are traveling and how far your journey is! Busy vacation times can increase the price. Please check with us before you book your flight as we often hear about airline promotions and cheap rates. We also recommend you check all the major discount web sites such as Travelocity, Orbitz and Expedia when booking your flight.

When you arrive in Taiwan, your school will submit your application for an ARC (working visa). All schools we work with are fully licensed schools and able to sponsor their teachers for an ARC for the length of their contract.

The laws concerning English foreign teachers in Taiwan may seem complex. For example, some teachers like to work additional hours at other schools, but technically you can only work at the school which is sponsoring your ARC (work permit). If you choose to work outside of your work permit limits, you do so at your own risk. It is very rare that foreigners are ever bothered for working in such a way, but you should be aware of the possibility. Additionally, it is technically illegal to teach kindergarten age students in Taiwan. However, thousands and thousands of foreigners do so without any problem. Whether or not to work at a kindergarten is a decision which every teacher needs to make for themselves. A great site for further information on the legalities of working in Taiwan is buxiban.com

If unavoidable circumstances are involved, yes, you may have no option but to break your contract. However, if the teacher breaks the contract for their own reasons, you will be forfeiting your completion of contract bonus and you may be asked to reimburse certain costs. Remember, you are making a commitment to teach these students for a full year.

Great question! This is a very common concern for teachers who are teaching English abroad in Taiwan. So common in fact, that we have dedicated an entire page to answer just this quesion. Please follow this link to find out more about paying your taxes as a US citizen abroad.

Your tax rate will be at an 18% rate until you have been in Taiwan for 183 days in a calendar year. 183 days is approximately 6 months (half a calendar year). After accumulating 183 days, the withholding tax rate drops to between 6%-15%, depending on your salary rate.

Visit our links page, you should find plenty of useful web sites there. Feel free to contact us friendly folk here at anytime. We are here to answer all your questions, concerns and worries. We have been through the same process ourselves, so we understand it can be confusing at times. Again feel free to contact Reach To Teach for questions about anything from your salary to the availability of your favorite shampoo!

Here is a great list to help you get started:

- Prepare your resume, cover letter and recent photo!

- Your cover letter does not need to be long but it should express your interest in Taiwan and the reasons you feel you are the right person for a teaching position. It should also highlight any strong preferences you may have (although we would encourage you to remain flexible if possible). For example, if you wish to only be located in a specific town/city, etc. Your photo should be a recent smiling picture – as we like to see you look friendly and approachable! A full length photo is preferable to a headshot.

- Check your passport is valid for the next year or longer.

- If you don’t yet have your University diploma/degree, find out when it will be awarded to you. That date will mark the earliest time you feasibly can arrive in Taiwan.

- Submit your application!

We will guide you from there!

In Taiwan, the school will organize pick up from the airport. Either a manager from the school will pick you up or the school will hire a taxi service to pick you up. Nevertheless, when you exit from the airport, please look for your name written on a placard and that person will bring you to your destination. That destination will either be your school or temporary accommodation.