Where is Matt right now?
DECEMBER 23, 2011 - Today I'm learning to dive at Fun and Sun Dive and Travel on Malapascua, Philippines (http://bit.ly/vAoQjP). In three days, we be swimming with thresher sharks. Merry Christmas to me :)
Trouble motivating students to write? Here are some strategies that will make students feel more comfortable and enthusiastic about filling their notebooks.
For new teachers, creating an atmosphere of discipline in the classroom is very difficult. Here I discuss four guidelines that will help to get a new class fall into line, and keep them there.
Have you heard about the incredible scholarships available to foreign students at Taiwanese universities? If not, here is everything you need to know.
Would you like to find work as an English writer or editor in Taiwan? Here I outline the most common forms of English writing and editing employment in Taiwan, and how to find it.
Dear Matt,
How can I best prepare to teach English in Taiwan? I am 23 years old and recently returned from a three week trip to Taiwan to visit my sister who teaches there. Since coming back to America, I have been considering pursuing a degree in order to teach in Taiwan. What kind of degree would best prepare me for teaching English in Taiwan, and what would be the best way for me to start learning Chinese?
Thank you for taking the time to read this!
Sincerely,
Jacob
Hi Jacob,
Here are the three most effective things that you can do to make your life easier in Taiwan.
1) Get a degree in education. Getting a degree in education (i.e. teaching) will greatly improve your chances of finding a good job in Taiwan. Employers here almost always prefer certified teachers to people who simply have a degree. Real teachers also often get paid more.
2) Get experience. Either work, or volunteer, teaching ESL to international students at your local college or university. The experience will look great on your resume, and help you learn what its like to live in a country where you don’t speak the language.
3) Study Chinese. When I say study Chinese, I mean study Chinese A LOT. Chinese is extremely difficult to learn, especially when you are not immersed in it. Studying with books and online is a good start, but half the difficulty of Chinese is learning the sounds. You will need to hear Chinese (Pimsluer Language CD’s help with this) and speak Chinese (a language exchange with an international student will be necessary) on a regular basis.
If you do these three things, then you will be way ahead of the game when you arrive in Taiwan to look for work. In addition to giving you the necessary skills to get by here, the fact that you prepared yourself so thoroughly before coming to Taiwan will show employers that you are serious about working and living in there.
I hope this helps.
Best,
Matt
Dear Matt,
I would like to know: am I qualified to teach English in Taiwan? I am a British woman with a TESOL certificate (accredited by ACTDEC). I have been teaching English in Sweden for the last 5 years (mainly upper high school students 15-19 but also younger children and employees of companies). Unfortunately I do not have a degree, just various qualifications from colleges since leaving school (none of them in the field of education).
I have read that a degree is not always necessary to teach English in Taiwan.
Is it schools that demand a degree? Or is it a requirement for a working visa? Am I able to legally teach English in Taiwan with these qualifications?
Susan
Hi Susan,
Your experience and qualifications will certainly help you to find a job teaching English in Taiwan. Unfortunately, it is unclear, in my experience, whether you will be able to teach legally in Taiwan.
Most teachers on working visas have at least a four-year degree from an accredited institution. That is the standard.
However, I have met teachers in Taiwan who were given working visas even though they held a two-year college diploma. Unfortunately, I also know of many teachers with two-year college diplomas who were rejected. This may depend on the type of diploma, or it may depend on the person processing the application. I don’t know why some people were granted visas while others were not. I’m sorry that I can’t provide a more concrete answer than that.
But, if you really want to teach in Taiwan, and are unable to obtain a visa, you still have some options:
1) Teaching private lessons, or for a school, under the table and doing VISA runs. This is not as uncommon a practice as you may think. These teachers fill an important need in the market. There is always a demand for private teachers.
2) Getting a student VISA by studying Chinese, which is, in my opinion, a worthwhile pursuit in any case.
3) Purchasing a fake degree. Although this is an option, it is not recommended as the immigration department is checking degrees more and more thoroughly every year.
4) And, of course, you always have the option of finding yourself a Taiwanese husband J
If you need more information about qualifications for teaching English in Taiwan, you may want to read this, and other articles that I have written, on Transitions Abroad about teaching English in Taiwan.
Best of luck!
Matt
Hi Matt,
I’m in the process of permanently moving to Southern Italy to write professionally while teaching English. I’m writing you this email in hopes that you might give me a tip on how to get started with writing professionally. You appear to have found success and I’m taking a shot in the dark asking for a tip or a recommendation. Do you know of a particularly informative book? Is it necessary to begin blogging in order to entice publishing opportunities?
Thanks,
Faith
Hi Faith,
If you’re starting from scratch, then you are going to have to invest some time and money into getting things started properly. I did my minor in professional writing and spent about 8 years freelancing to get where I am (which is nowhere nearly as successful as it may look on my website), so be ready to put in a lot of time and effort to start making money. That being said, if you follow the instructions and advice from the following resources carefully and remain diligent you can probably make a go of it.
First, to get an idea of what you’re getting into, start by reading these articles I wrote for Transitions Abroad. They focus on blogging, but give you an idea of one potential income stream and what it takes to get started.
Then, buy and read these three books, written by two of the most successful contemporary travel writer/bloggers, which contain a wealth of information about travel blogging and writing travel articles for publication:
http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-tips/build-your-own-travel-blog/
http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-tips/make-money-with-your-travel-blog/
Next, consider taking this relatively inexpensive online travel course. They have turned out some very good travel writers in the past (including Nomadic Matt) and also offer some support to help you get started:
Finally, work your ass off, persevere, and keep chipping away until you’ve found a niche that works for you and makes you money. Good luck!
DECEMBER 23, 2011 - Today I'm learning to dive at Fun and Sun Dive and Travel on Malapascua, Philippines (http://bit.ly/vAoQjP). In three days, we be swimming with thresher sharks. Merry Christmas to me :)
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