Teaching in Taiwan

Royal English Language School

Chia Yang High School

June 16, 2000

What follows is a brief description of teaching in Taiwan at Royal English Language School located in Taichung, Taiwan and Chia Yang High School located in Ching Shui, a suburb of Taichung. St. John’s International School, located in Vancouver Canada, is related through common educational interests and board members. Imperial International Educational Enterprises Limited (IIEE) is based at St. John’s International School and acts as the agent for these Taiwanese Schools. To teach in Taiwan one must have a university degree. Royal and Chia Yang require, in most instances, teachers to have an education degree with EFL/ESL background and teaching experience.

Royal English Language School is a private school geared primarily to teaching English to elementary and junior high students in an after school setting. Students generally attend classes after their regular school day two to four times a week for a total of four to eight hours per week. Classes run Monday to Friday from approximately 2:30 pm to 9 pm. Teachers teach 22 hours per week on average. A reasonable amount of preparation is required. All components of language arts are taught with an emphasis on speaking, listening, reading and writing. A teaching background in phonics can be very useful. An interactive total physical response approach in teaching is encouraged in the classes limited to enrollments of 20 students. Report cards, contact books, testing, parent teacher interviews and weekend field trips are all part of the program. A commercially developed curriculum is provided with opportunity for enrichment. English speaking Chinese contact people act as parent/school/teacher liaison and also do tutoring and follow up of the teachers’ lessons.

Royal has a school population of over 1000 students housed in one newly renovated main school building and two newly opened branch schools. A

further two branch schools are being planned for the next school year. Presently there is a staff of 18 Canadian teachers, under a Canadian Principal and a liaison teacher at each school. The Chinese director is in overall charge of the school and its program.

Chia Yang High School is an independent school run by a private society. Although private, it is regulated by the Ministry of Education. The school has an enrollment of over 2500 students in day and night programs. There are 15 Canadian teachers, teaching over 500 students in the English Language program in junior and senior high school. Senior high school students receive 8 hours of instruction per week while junior high students receive 5 hours per week from foreign teachers. In addition, high school students also receive English instruction (mainly grammar based) from Chinese teachers. The students also take mathematics, physics and chemistry classes in English from Chinese teachers educated in North America and the British Isles.

The English program at Chia Yang involves teaching a well-rounded language arts curriculum. The students are expected to develop in their reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar and vocabulary skills. A particular emphasis is placed on building vocabulary through reading short novels, and applying the rote skills students have already learned to natural speaking and writing contexts. To facilitate the hands on application of language skills, students are restricted to class sizes of no more than sixteen. Students are also exposed to a highly interactive, North American teaching style which differs from the more common lecturing style in Asian countries.

There is also an English night school program, taught for extra pay, for those students living in residence at the school. A French program, Canadian teacher taught, has been introduced in junior high school year one and senior high school this year. It will be expanded to include year two.

Teaching hours are generally 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday to Friday with some classes held later in the day because of scheduling considerations. Teachers take an active role in all aspects of the junior and senior high school programs — planning and instructing, testing and marking, preparing report cards, as well as taking part in parent teacher interviews and field trips. In addition, teachers are expected to assist with some marketing and public relations activities. Certain activities do take place on weekends.

School year: The school year at both schools runs September 1 to June 30 with a 3 week paid Chinese New Year break in February and a short spring break in April. There are also summer school programs for students at both schools in Taiwan and also in Canada through St. John’s International School.

Salary: Starting salary ranges from about $2700 Cdn to $2800 per month depending on experience and qualifications. Teachers’ salaries are pegged to the Canadian dollar. A year of teaching at Chia Yang counts for a year of teaching in Canada for Canadian school salary purposes in many jurisdictions.

Benefits: Housing or a housing allowance is provided for teachers at both Royal and Chia Yang, as is government health care and return airfare. The school also pays Taiwan income taxes for the teachers. As part of the contract, teaching private students is not allowed except under special school arrangements.

Expectations of Teachers: To teach in Taiwan one should have good health, be flexible, adaptable, organized and creative with a high energy and frustration level. Previous living and working experiences in other cultures and countries can prove to be most helpful. An outgoing personality and sense of humor can also go a long way towards success in the classroom as well as with dealing with the problems of daily living in Taiwan. Some supplies and resources can also be limited by North American standards.

Working and Living in Taiwan

We are glad that you are considering a teaching position at one of our Taiwanese educational institutions. Teaching and working in Taiwan presents a unique and challenging time for those who wish to venture abroad. It can be an exciting, rewarding and unforgettable experience.

Being in Asia and at our schools is not without its frustrations and problems. Tensions and personal difficulties will crop up from time to time as you start to live and work in Taiwan. From the experiences of those who have taught here awhile, we would like to let you know these potential concerns ahead of time so you do not come up against them without a little foreknowledge and preparation. This is not meant to discourage you in any way, but to help you evaluate the situation and yourself honestly and to enable you to make informed decisions that allow your adjustments to be less difficult.

Living conditions: There are some who come here each year with an unrealistic idea of what it will mean to live in Asia. Teachers find themselves running the whole gamut of emotional experiences as they try to adjust to sights, sounds and smells. Contrary to some Western thinking, the Taiwan cities are not undeveloped in terms of Asian or world standards. With such things as Western dress, North American fast food outlets and the driving of exclusive modern automobiles, it is easy for expatriates to assume that the Taiwanese people will act much like we do in our home country. But this is not so!

Driving conditions are chaotic at best.( Most teachers, depending upon where they live adapt either to riding motor scooters or bicycles.) Other Taiwanese ways and procedures may seem puzzling and confusing. Some just don’t seem to "make sense." Bewilderment may be your constant companion for a good many weeks. After the "newness" of discovery wears off, the problems of transition seems to intensify as you realize that, yes, you must live and work in this environment! The mental struggle of coming to terms with this maze of seeming disorder is called "culture shock." We have all gone through it and it will be no stranger to you. As you begin to understand the Confucian ethic, a different set of values, and develop an appreciation for our Chinese hosts, you will relax and not keep expecting everything to be the way it was at home.

Most teachers live in western type apartment buildings, single small bachelor pads, shared or teacher subsidized apartments or in shared Chinese style homes — usually not far from the school. A typical Chinese home is a narrow row house(15 to 25 feet wide) and may be three or four stories high. Depending on the location of the residence, you might have to get used to the noise of traffic, people and even construction.

The above and other factors can make it harder to live here. Many things take longer and require more patience — from cooking a meal to taking a shower. Most people rely on bottled drinking water for their cooking and drinking needs. A good sense of humor will go a long way in overcoming much of your frustration. Expect cockroaches, spiders, ants and geckos (little indoor lizards). Bug spray is available at all corner grocery stores. The cost of living is as high as that of Canada especially if you wish to eat and live western.

Newcomers have a tendency to make their personal lives revolve around the school, since it is the only place to talk to other westerners whose perspective is close to yours. This is natural at first, because the inability to communicate with the people in the shops and on the street is a constant struggle. It is a good idea to set aside time in your schedule to learn a little of the language. This will help you to become more independent and adventurous and you won’t feel so bound to stay with your co-workers. Another way to feel at home is to join local organizations like the Canadian Society or an amateur sports league. Remember, everyone needs a little breathing room away from their work environment.

The best way to keep things in perspective is to tell yourself, whenever you encounter something that goes against your grain, "The Chinese way is not wrong, just different." Once this becomes a part of your thinking, little by little these differences will no longer seem strange and you may even find yourself doing things like the Taiwanese!

Self Evaluation

At times individuals choose a foreign assignment with the hope they will resolve a personal frustration or avoid certain problems. However, the contrary is true. Personal issues and concerns will likely be magnified in a foreign setting. In the process of adjusting to cross-cultural life and work, even little problems seem overwhelming. Please do yourself and your future co-workers a favor by making sure you are emotionally healthy before you come. If you can laugh at yourself and your errors, have a pioneering spirit, are not afraid of strange sights, sounds and smells, and are flexible and adaptable then you’ll make it in Taiwan.

Contacts:

St. John's International School

938 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 1E5 (July 1, 2000)

Jindra Repa, Principal, Email: general@stjohnsis.com

Kenneth Chang, Managing Director,

Ph: 604 683 4572 Fax: 604 683 4679 Web site: www.stjohnsis.com

**Ron Semkow, Edmonton, Phone: 780 434 5820 Fax: 780 469 3542

Inquiries and resumes: stjohnsintl@hotmail..com

Royal English Language School

74 Da Chuan St. Taichung, Taiwan, ROC

Phone: 011 886 4 372 0203 Email: semron@hotmail.com

Fax: 011 886 4 372 2925 royalweb@ms33.hinet.net

Chia Yang High School Phone: 011 886 4 615 1777

#1 Chung Ching Road Fax: 011 886 4 615 1688

Ching Shui, Taichung , Taiwan, ROC

Web sites: www.cysh.tcc.edu.tw - royal.tacomall.com.tw.

See also: "Taiwan Teacher"