Man Man Zou

Does anyone have any tips on avoiding hell schools that seem so abundant in Taiwan?

Hmm. I’ve taught English in Taiwan for two years, and for those two years, I stayed with the same two schools the whole time. Even though I bitch about one of my schools a lot, I should say that 1) I stayed there for two years because outside of dealing with bosses, I thoroughly enjoyed teaching English to the kids, and 2) There are other teachers at my school who have no problem with being taken advantage of, and they don’t complain nearly as much as me.

So if you’re a person like me, who won’t work unpaid hours for ungrateful bosses, or let themselves get taken advantage of in other ways, there are ways to approach a school and feel it out for yourself to see if it’s a good or bad place to sign off a year of your life to.

First of all, my favorite introduction to Taiwan is Michael’s Teaching English in Taiwan site. His site was like a gem to me when I first came across it. Some of the things he talks about include how to make sure you’re not getting ripped off, and how to protect yourself. It all sounds like teaching in Taiwan is pretty harsh, but unfortunately it’s the truth. There are so many long and complicated stories out there that it’s just something I’m looking forward to forgetting when I leave Taiwan.

There is a lot of useful information on that site, but I also have a few pieces of advice of my own.

1) Don’t act like too much of a worker’s rights know-it-all. Keep your knowledge about the twisted work conditions in Taiwan hidden. Play dumb, but make sure (in a friendly way) that you’re not signing a contract that isn’t nicely and patiently explained to you by the boss. If you keep getting quick promises for everything you ask for, and none of it’s put down on the contract, then don’t believe them at all. They’ll promise you anything until you sign. The reason why you can’t act too strong willed, is because most bosses have already dealt with their fair share of foreigners. If they detect that you’re going to put up as much fuss as I have at my school, then they’re not going to hire you. They’d much rather have a naive, fresh-off-the-plane worker.

2) You know you’re at the right place if the boss introduces you to the other foreign teachers, and lets you contact them with any questions. Some bosses will do all they can to make sure you have no contact with the other workers- obviously this is a bad sign.

3) If the school has no other foreign teachers, then you’re going to have to get a feel for it yourself based on what Michael explains on his site. I think it’s kind of nice working at a school where you’re the only foreign teacher (At one of my two schools, I’m the only foreign teacher). You don’t have to be bothered thinking about how the other teachers unfairly make more or less money than you. You get treated like a member of the family by the boss. The kids think you’re god because there is no other foreign face around.

4) If you’re a friendly person, make all the friends in town that you possibly can, and find jobs through them. Looking on tealit and forumosa is ok, but keep in mind that the schools that post on there might be posting because they don’t have friendly ties with other foreigners in town. There is a chance that this could be because everyone in town knows that the school sucks. Good schools rarely have to advertise on sites like that because they usually find new teachers through other foreigners in town.

Lastly, I’d like to add that if you’re an easy going person, who doesn’t get all hot and bothered by things easily, then teaching English in Taiwan is perfect for you. You won’t have a problem with bosses. I tend to get worked up about things quite easily, that’s just the way I am thanks to my genes.