If you’ve been thinking of teaching English in Taiwan or China, you’ve no doubt come across the term Buxiban. These schools are a huge part of English learning culture in Taiwan and China, and they also employ a huge number of English teachers. So, what is a Buxiban?
So what makes Taiwan’s tea plantations so special? For one thing, the climate is perfect for growing tea. High mountains provide the cool temperatures needed. Combine that with high humidity and fertile soil, and the tea leaves have the exact conditions they need to grow slowly and develop their flavor.
Today’s interview is with Sara Keyes, an American teacher in Taipei, Taiwan. Sara shares her story about teaching in Taiwan and traveling to nearby destinations.
It has been three and a half years of a journey since you sat there that day on your bed looking over everything you were packing to head off on your way to Bali. As you sit there looking over your whole life in a bag for the next year, the buzz of excitement mixed with anticipation and a healthy dash of fear swimming around in your stomach, you never could have foreseen the ups, downs, twists and turns, and general direction your year abroad would take.
Meeting the teachers before they head off to orientation for the February 2015 EPIK session is the final step before the adventure begins!
Teaching abroad can be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. But it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and forget to step back, take a look at the bigger picture, and make sure that you are getting the most out of your time abroad.
Our latest teacher to agree to interview with us is Amy Harper. She left her life behind in the UK to pursue a teaching position in South Korea. Not satisfied with just one location in Asia she set her goals to make the move to teaching in Taiwan where she currently teaches young learners.
Some teachers hate them and rant about nightmare experiences. Some teachers love teaching at a chain school and have nothing but good things to say about them. Still others are more or less indifferent. There’s no doubt that teaching at this type of school has its benefits and drawbacks. Let’s take a more objective look at the pros and cons of teaching at a chain school.