STEVEN’S BOOKS AND APPS
Taiwan for Culture Vultures (app)

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Steven Crook, who’s lived in Taiwan for 20 years, grew up in England. He’s been writing travel and other kinds of feature articles for newspapers and magazines since 1996, and has had three books published. His most recently works include Taiwan: The Bradt Travel Guide and Taiwan For Culture Vultures, a smartphone travel app released by GuideGecko.

You’ve recently moved from freelance journalism into both guidebook and guide app writing. How did your experiences on these projects differ from your normal routine?

My routine didn’t change that much. I do most of my writing in the morning, a bit in the afternoon, and very little or none in the evening. Usually I’m working on half-a-dozen different things. Usually, that means about four articles and maybe two or three themes which, hopefully, will become ideas that win over an editor. With the guidebook and the app, I was still working on half-a-dozen things – just one was significantly more time-consuming that the other five. I’m used to putting aside and then returning to projects; for a feature article, six months from initial idea to publication isn’t unusual. Something I now make sure happens (and this is very important for anyone trying to make a living from freelance writing, I think), is that my projects cannibalize each other. Sizable chunks of both the guidebook and the app were based on old articles (the information had to be updated, of course, and rewritten to suit the format). Before the guidebook hit the shelves, I was selling feature articles based on the research I’d done for the book. Doing the app wasn’t so different. When I’m on a multi-day research trips, the schedule is more like this: Write from 5am to breakfast, then outside until 9pm or so, then write for an hour or more before sleeping.

App writing is a very new genre of writing. How does it differ from other forms of writing?

When I began talking to GuideGecko and examining the structure of their apps, two things appealed to me right away. The first is that each entry can be as long or short as you want – as long or as short as the destination deserves. With a print guidebook you’re always struggling to stay within the overall word limit, and to maintain some kind of balance between the various places and regions covered by the book. With an app you needn’t worry about this, because there’s really no size restriction. Secondly, you can add links from one attraction to another, or to background articles (my app has one about popular deities, for instance, and another about personalities in Taiwan’s history). This saves both writer and reader from repetition. The entries on individual destinations are leaner and meaner as a result.

I write a blog, but rarely read them. After writing a guide app, would you consider using one?
Absolutely yes! An app is almost certainly going to be more up-to-date than a printed guidebook. It’s also a lot lighter to carry around, and cheaper.

What are some of the better sights from the Guide Gecko app that you’d recommend?

I enjoyed writing about some new attractions which opened after I’d finished researching my guidebook. Houtong Coal Ecological Park offers a bit of history and a good outdoors experience. The Magic School of Green Technology showcases sustainable architecture, a field in which Taiwan leads Asia. If you’re interested in Taiwan’s religious culture and traditional arts, then Tainan and Lugang are must-sees.
You write for some print-only publications like inflight magazines, and some web-only publications. How do you feel that these two markets differ?

Web-only publications seem to pay less than print newspapers and magazines. I assume that’s because almost anyone can set up a website, whereas a print magazine requires more investment and certain skills, such as building a distribution network.

Last year you finished your first guidebook and this year your first app. Do you have any big plans for next year?

I’d love to write another book, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. (That’s a hint to publishers: I’m available!) Certainly I’ll be updating and expanding the app, and continuing to write feature articles.

I shot this video using my favorite new toy, GoPro® HD Helmet HERO™ Camera(affiliate link). It’s small, tough, cheap, fisheyed, waterproof, and can be mounted to anything. Great for outdoors adventure stuff!

About the Jhuliu Trail

The Jhuliu Trail in Taiwan’s Taroko Gorge is nicknamed the Vertigo Trail because of an insane stretch where the trail is just a few feet wide beside a 500 meter sheer drop to the bottom of the gorge.

If you go there I recommend staying with Rihang near the bottom of the gorge.

If you’d like a guide to take care of the details for you then definitely check out Barking Deer Adventures (they first showed me this place)

Special thanks to Freestyle Percussion Magik for the great CC licensed music.

I shot this video using my favorite new toy, GoPro® HD Helmet HERO™ Camera(affiliate link). It’s small, inexpensive, fisheyed, waterproof, and can be mounted to anything. I love it!

I shot this video using my favorite new toy, GoPro® HD Helmet HERO™ Camera(affiliate link). It’s small, inexpensive, fisheyed, waterproof, and can be mounted to anything. I love it!

About the Guide

Thanks to Barking Deer Adventures for the epic day!

Dear Matt,

I’ve heard that some people are getting free post secondary educations in Taiwan. Is this true?  If so, are the classes taught in English or Mandarin? And how can I apply?

Thanks,
Jay

Hi Jay,

It is true that many foreigners are studying at Universities for free in Taiwan right now. Free education for foreign students is widely available in Taiwan right now because Taiwanese universities are trying to improve their international images, and thus want more international students. So, to attract more international students both the federal government, and individual universities, are offering scholarships, and they are not very hard to get.

There are three main kinds of scholarships:

Federal
The federal government offers three types of scholarships for normal post-secondary studies.  They pay a monthly stipend sufficient to allow a student to live comfortably in Taiwan. They include:

MOFA Scholarship: For undergraduate or postgraduate degrees. Only open to students from countries that have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan (I think this means that they recognize Taiwan as a country). Includes one initial year of Mandarin study if the degree being pursued is taught in Mandarin.

MOE Scholarship: This is the same as the MOFA scholarship, except for students from countries that do not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

NSC Scholarship: This is the same as the MOE scholarship, except that it’s limited only to postgraduate studies.

University

Most universities in Taiwan offer scholarships to international students. These scholarships usually basically amount to free tuition. This varies from university to university.

Chinese

The federal government offers a scholarship called the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship. It offers a monthly stipend sufficient to allow a student to live comfortably in Taiwan while they study Mandarin at a University.

Which Scholarship is for Me?

Of the above scholarships, the university scholarships are the easiest to get. I’ve never actually heard of anyone being turned down for one. The federal scholarships are more competitive because they are worth more money.  The Huayu Enrichment Scholarship is probably the most competitive because it’s the only one that allows a student to focus only on studying Mandarin for an extended period.

What Classes Can I Take?

Some classes are offered in English and some in Mandarin. Often there is a mixture of the two because, although the teachers and students are mostly Mandarin speakers, the best textbooks and journal articles are all written in English.  English assignments are almost always accepted, even in classis taught in Mandarin.  Because of these two factors, it is often possible for English speakers to take courses that are taught all in Mandarin.

Many schools offer an International MBA program that is taught only in English. These programs are popular among foreign students. English literature courses are also usually taught in English.  Beyond this, though, you will have to check with individual departments for language requirements.

How Do I Apply?

For more information about how to apply for these scholarships, check out these articles that I wrote for TransitionsAbroad.com about getting a free education in Taiwan. Although they’re a couple of years old, the information still appears to be fairly accurate:

Get Your B.A., M.A. or Ph.D. for (almost) Free in Taiwan

Study Mandarin for (almost) Free in Taiwan

I hope this helps.

Best,
Matt

Hi Matt,

How can I find a writing  job in Taiwan? I’ve been in Taiwan for about a year and a half. I don’t feel like I’m cut out for teaching, and writing professionally has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Having just turned 30 in October, I feel like I’m going through a career crisis. How can I break into a writing career here?

Thanks!

Rodney

Hi Rodney,

Although there are a few educational publishers in other cities (most notably Kaohsiung), the vast majority of English-language publishers in Taiwan are based in Taipei, so, I would consider moving there. The most commonly available English jobs in Taiwan are:

Newspaper Copy Editor

This is not a high-paid writing job, nor is it a fun one. However, the English newspapers often advertise for copy editors, so these jobs appear to be fairly easy to get compared to others, and are very good experience for a new writer. These jobs are most commonly advertised in the classifieds of the hiring newspaper.  Newspaper reporter jobs, by comparison, are harder to get because they often require a high level of Chinese proficiency.

The most prominent English newspapers in Taiwan include: The Taipei Times, The Taiwan News, and The China Post. The government information office also publishes several other news-based periodicals in English and other languages.

Education Writer/Editor

These jobs include writing or editing articles for the various educational ESL magazines in Taiwan (such as the LiveABC group, Studio Classroom, and others) or working for other companies that specialize in test writing and educational materials. The only place that I’ve seen these companies advertise is the classified ads on Tealit.com.

Technical Writer

Taiwan’s economy is driven largely by hi-tech research, development, and manufacturing. These companies need to do business and offer documentation in English to their international customers. So, many of them require English technical writers and editors. These jobs can be seen advertised regularly on Tealit.com.

Academic Editor

In Taiwan, like every country, professors are required to publish their research in order to keep their jobs. This can be difficult for them because most journals, and many of the the most prestigious journals, are published in English. So, many professors in Taiwan require English editors to polish their work before they submit it to journals. I do this kind of editing on a freelance basis for a local University. I have never seen these jobs advertised in Taiwan. I think that most professors find editors independently, but some Universities also offer an editing service for students and employees. To find this kind of work, you would probably have to contact professors and universities directly. Over time you could build up a clientele that would keep you busy full-time.  I know of a couple of editors that have gone this route and are doing quite well.

Freelance Writer

This job is the same in Taiwan as it is anywhere in the world. Get online, look for new prospects, pitch articles, and write, write, write!  Although this is probably the poorest paying and most frustrating option, it is the one that I have chosen, and I wouldn’t trade it for all the tea in Yilan.

Finding a job writing in Taiwan is easier than back home, but still not easy.  It will probably take a lot of applications, interviews, and effort.  But, don’t despair.  You’re not the first struggling writer to break into the market in Taiwan! With time and effort you should be able to find a decent writing job in Taiwan.

I hope this helps!

Best,
Matt

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

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Thanks very much to Fili and David for running the contest and supporting all of Taiwan’s bloggers.

Here’s to an equally happy New Years!  Best wishes everyone.