A Look at How Many Hours English Teachers Work in Taiwan
Author: Creztor Tessel
Author: Creztor Tessel
The number of hours teachers work in Taiwan is in part due to the kind of schools that hire teachers. Most teachers work at what are known as cram schools. These schools are schools that hold English classes for children in the afternoons and evenings. Children attend these schools not because they want to but because their parents believe that sending them to English class will give them an advantage and provide them with a better future. These classes are always in the afternoons and evenings and this is why most English teachers in Taiwan work around the same number of hours per week. You might be able to get more or less, but the bulk of teachers work approximately the same number of hours.
Classes for students at these cram schools are held from about 5pm to 9pm Monday to Friday with some Saturday classes being held in the mornings for usually two to four hours. When you add all this up it is easy to see why your workload at a cram school will be about 20 to 24 hours, as this is the number of hours you can physically work. More hours might be possible, but only if you work longer on Saturdays or your school is a kindergarten and holds morning classes. Be aware that working in a kindergarten is illegal and you do run the risk of being deported from Taiwan if they catch you. There are much safer and legal ways to get more hours if you want to work more than 20 to 24 hours a week.
To increase the number of classes you have you can always try finding a second job. This might be easy or hard depending on a few things. The first is the city you are working in and the second is just how many extra hours do you want or need? The minimum number of hours your first job can give you is 14 hours a week, but your second job only needs to give you six hours a week. If you are in a large city you will probably find it easy to get work at a second school to increase your number of hours, but if are outside of a major city then it can be very difficult to find extra work. It might be a good idea to look for work in major cities if you are trying to get as many hours as possible.
Expect to be teaching 20 hours or so a week if this is your first time to Taiwan Teaching English. More hours are definitely possible and after sometime you'll probably find out which schools are looking for teachers and build a network of friends who might even be able to let you know if their school has some positions available. To be safe, consider applying for jobs in big cities as you'll stand the best chance of finding more hours to teach thanks to the bulk of English cram schools being found in large cities.About the Author: