A Postcard from... Kaohsiung, Taiwan

In November 2008 I tucked my CELTA certificate away in my luggage, declaring the world my oyster. In April 2009, I took my first teaching job in Taoyuan, Taiwan at Gloria English School. After reading the school’s promising advertisement on Dave’s ESL Café website, I applied for and secured the job after many e-mails and a not-so-rigorous Skype interview. Sharing my great news with friends and family brought only blank stares and questions that could easily be answered with an atlas. “Taiwan is in China, right?” asked my mom. When my brother asked me what it was like living in ThaiLAND, I sighed.

Kristin in at Lotus Pond in Taiwan

Upon my arrival, a representative from Gloria greeted me at the airport and shuffled me off to the “dorm”-- a floor above one of the school’s branches that had been somewhat converted to a living space shared with up to 20 other teachers. Within a month, I had approximately 20 teaching hours, but spread among 6 different branches. Despite the delightful-sounding lures of the advertisements and the Director, I quickly realized that working at Gloria meant working in Taoyuan, the county, not Taoyuan, the city. This was difficult, at times, impossible, to do without the use of a scooter, a mainstay in Taiwanese transportation. Also, Gloria, which caters almost exclusively to young learners, provided a strict “homemade” curriculum with few resources. Chinese co-teachers conducted much of the class in Chinese and lessons that focused more on active games than learning English. My experience at Gloria piqued my interest in ESL with children. However, I had a CELTA. I had a 10-year background in linguistics. I wanted more.

In my search for other opportunities, I took a couple trips on the quick, convenient, and brand-new High Speed Rail to Kaohsiung, the country’s second largest city after Taipei. A Taiwanese friend living in Kaohsiung introduced me to an adult school, Ching Shan Language Institute. It should be noted that my friend was also one of my CELTA classmates! After an interview and teaching demonstration, I was hired. I moved south in July 2009. The market for adult English learning in Taiwan is simply not as great as the market for teaching in children’s cramped schools, known in Chinese as buxiban. As a result, once settled, I sought a second employer and I now also work for Schoolhouse Language Center, a buxiban like Gloria, but only by definition. Schoolhouse provides a curriculum, but allows teachers greater freedom, steady hours at only one branch, and access to numerous resources. In all honesty, my job prospects in Taiwan never hinged on my CELTA credentials; nonetheless, CELTA has been absolutely critical in my confidence as a new teacher and my desire to keep improving. The combination of work with adults and children has given me greater perspective on this career field, while the stints of living in both the North and the South of the country have given me greater perspective on Taiwan.

Subway station in Taiwan

Taiwan’s appeal to foreign ESL teachers lies in the lifestyle options. In the larger cities there is certainly a feeling that the country embraces, advocates even, Western ideas and consumerism however traditional Taiwan is never more than an alleyway, a night market, or a trip to the mountains away. One can have a fast-paced life with steady work and an international atmosphere in Taipei or a more laidback, flip-flop wearing, yet politically-charged atmosphere in Kaohsiung. As I chose the latter, a typical day means plenty of time to plan classes and pursue other endeavors in the mornings, since I teach only 2 to 6 hours in the evenings until 10 p.m. Although teaching 18-25 hours per week leaves me with modest earnings, about $1000 USD/month, this is not a problem in Taiwan even while paying rent and utilities in a furnished apartment ($250 USD/month). A foreigner can easily soothe homesickness with an abundance of Western foods (Starbucks, McDonald’s, 7 Eleven, and many other Western restaurants abound here), but paychecks dwindle quickly that way. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables from the markets, fried pancakes or Taiwanese noodles from vendors leaves wallets much fuller. Unlike many foreigners here, I do not formally study Mandarin, but I find that by paying attention and shamelessly attempting the language, my daily life has become slightly easier. At least I can order a “cold green tea without sugar.” Not to mention, there’s much rapport built with the locals when a foreigner gives Chinese an honest go. I never did buy a scooter because, fortunately, the extremely clean and efficient MRT (subway) system has suited my needs.

In the 1500s, Portuguese sailors named Taiwan, Ihla Formosa, or Beautiful Island. The name remains true! I’ve found that this small island country bursts with personality from its various landscapes and friendly people. A wonderful post-CELTA start!

Kristin Mackey
Teaching House CELTA Graduate, October 2009

Kristin with her students