subject: Teaching English In Taiwan - Is Age Really That Important [print this page] Can anyone teach English in Taiwan? There is a huge English learning market in Taiwan and as a result there seems to be a never ending demand for English teachers. No matter where you go in Taiwan you will see many so called cram schools which cater to providing children and teenagers with English classes. Getting a job teaching English isn't difficult, but there is often one over looked factor. Is age important when it comes to teaching English? Do cram schools prefer teachers who are young, old or do they not care? You might be surprised to know that age is very important when it comes to applying for any teaching position in Taiwan.
Age is extremely important if you are considering making the move to teaching English. Why is it so important? The majority of schools where foreign English teachers work are so called cram schools. These schools provided English classes for usually a very young to teenage market. Cram school owners like to give parents a young and energetic image of their school and they wrongfully assume that only young teachers are able to provide this. Most schools prefer teachers who are aged in their 20s to early 30s. Since there is always a never ending supply of fresh out of university graduates from the USA, Canada and Australia, cram school owners usually don't have any difficulty finding teachers in this age bracket and you may find that if you are 40+ you will be turned away from teaching positions.
If you are 50+, expect most cram schools to turn you away or at the very least tell you they'll be in touch. If this is the case is there anything you can do? Depending on what qualifications you hold, you may want to consider teaching at public schools or universities where more emphasis is placed on a teacher's qualifications and not on merely their age. Working at public schools and universities usually pays about the same as cram schools but you won't find such the usual kinds of discrimination that you will at other privately own cram schools. The downside here is that working at public schools and universities means you will need to be a licensed teacher and or hold a Master's and higher degree to teach. There is also a limited number of schools and Universities that are looking for qualified teachers and you will expect to face a lot of competition.
When it comes to teaching English at one of the many and common cram schools in Taiwan, you will find that age is extremely important. School owners make their money from providing classes to parents with young children and they believe that young teachers are able to provide parents with a good impression of their school. If you are in your 40s and 50s, you will find getting work at these schools to be difficult at best. You may want to consider work at public schools or universities where more importance is placed on finding qualified teachers and not just young teachers.
