FILIPINO TEACHERS IN TAIWAN - AN INTRODUCTION
I became a member of this Facebook group back in 2019. Well, for starters, I would like to introduce my background first. I have years of teaching experiences and working abroad was not one of my plans. I was working at a corporate setting when I had this gut feeling that I should be continuing my education back in December 2018. Just after Christmas, I started having this idea to start working as an ESL teacher since I have taught English to Korean students before. So, by January 2019, I enrolled myself on a 120-hour TESOL online course through International Open Academy. It was then that my inner voice told me to continue my teaching career and I followed it. I enrolled myself again for a 120-hour TEFL online course with Let’s TEFL in 2020 just to supplement what I learned from my TESOL online course.
My search for an employer led me to opportunities abroad. I was thinking of applying as an ESL teacher in Czech Republic, South Korea and Spain. During that time, I only had a vague idea about the requirements that each country was imposing. I was really determined to email my credentials to all the employers I found on the job sites. However, reality struck me hard when I received one rejection letter after another with reasons like I wasn’t able to pass the initial screening or I am not from an English speaking country. The last one hit me hard! Not from an English speaking country? Yes, we have our own language but our second OFFICIAL language is English. I really got downhearted and almost lost my hope in becoming a teacher abroad.
When I realized that I lost my initial momentum, I picked myself up again and started searching for Filipinos who teach English abroad. There was one website that I chanced upon telling Filipinos that they can teach English in countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan. The site also boosted my confidence again when it stated that we, as Filipinos, should not get down by repeated rejections because we are not “from an English speaking country”. It encouraged its Filipino readers to assert that English is one of the primary languages in our country. From that time on, I continued my journey in searching for an employer who will hire (and adopt) me as their English teacher. And I chose Taiwan as the country where I will teach.
I left my corporate job for 5 years in July 2019 and started to travel solo in Taiwan just to get familiarized with the country. I fell in love with Taipei right after I started to go around the city (get lost) and enjoy the different tourists’ spots. It confirmed my decision that I was right in choosing Taiwan as my teaching destination. From then on, I have been in and out of Taiwan until December 2019 before the lockdowns started.
Though my journey is still far from over, however, I met wonderful friends online. Two of them had invited me over to Pingtung during the last quarter of 2019, showed me their English school and wanted me to become one of their teachers. Unfortunately, problems occurred while we tried to bring all my documents from the Philippines to Taiwan. MECO (Manila Economic and Cultural Office) has some requirements that my friends’ school could not afford to give me at that time. So, I went to Facebook and looked for a group of Filipino teachers who are already in Taiwan and asked them for help. It was through this social media that I joined the page “Filipino Teachers in Taiwan” and the members are all friendly and helpful. I have been a member for almost three years now. That’s why I decided to make a blog introducing the group so (hoping and crossing fingers) that many aspiring teachers who want to venture out to Taiwan will be able to read and know that there are already Filipino teachers teaching there for years. The Facebook (FB) page personally helped me a lot in conquering my doubts and fears in applying to become a teacher and I would just like to pay it forward.
I first approached Jenny, one of the moderators in the group, through Facebook Messenger and told her my plan. She advised me to post it in the group and so I did. And the rest is history. So, I decided to limit my “Q & A” portion to the three people who are managing the group page: Charlie, Katrina and Jenny. And they all agreed to this ridiculous idea of mine. LOL!
Q: Alright! Can you please introduce yourselves and what are your positions in this Facebook group?
CHARLIE: I am Charlie, the administrator and the one who started this group.
KATRINA: My name is Katrina. I have been an English Teacher for 13 years. This is my second year teaching in Taiwan. I serve as one of the moderators of the Filipino Teachers in Taiwan Facebook group.
JENNY: Moderator. I was born and raised in Baguio and came to Taiwan in 1996. I studied in local schools through junior high, junior college, university, and master’s. I’ve done dozens of part time jobs and eventually stumbled into teaching.
Q: When did you start this group on Facebook? What made you start it?
CHARLIE: I created this Facebook group right when I arrived here in Taiwan. That was in July 2019. Back then, I thought of two main reasons to start this group: to connect with other Filipino teachers who are already here in Taiwan, which, in turn, would allow us, members, to learn which schools are open to hiring Filipinos as teachers, and to pay it forward to fellow Filipinos who might be interested in working here as well. When I got a job offer while I was still in the Philippines, I had no friends or contacts here in Taiwan to ask for relevant information, particularly about the paperwork. I just did my own ‘research’, read some relevant laws, messaged a few friends working in other countries, and put together all the information I gathered. It was a lot of work.
Q: When did you start joining “Filipino Teachers in Taiwan”? What made you join this group?
KATRINA: I’d say around two years ago. I chanced upon the group while I was in the process of doing the paperwork for my job application. I wanted to get more information about the application process.
JENNY: I think 2 years ago. I’ve been teaching in Taiwan for a long time and I’ve been looking for something like this for a while..
Q: What made you decide to let a couple or some of the members become moderators?
CHARLIE: As more and more join requests pop up and more members join in, it gets time-consuming to read profiles, do a background check, filter posts, monitor comments, reply to answers that sometimes I have no answers to, etc. So I asked for volunteers and I’m glad we have generous and brilliant ones.
Q: Have you three known each other way before this group started?
CHARLIE: We’ve only met virtually in the group. We are yet to meet in person. I am really grateful to have met them, although virtually for the time being.
KATRINA: Not at all.
JENNY: Nope. I’ve only met a handful of teachers in the group when we had a meet up before COVID.
Q: What made you decide to become one of the moderators of this group?
KATRINA: As I have mentioned earlier, I was going through the very arduous application process when I stumbled upon the group by chance. I did my own research to learn about the requirements and the process. It took a lot of time and effort to get to where I am now, so I hope that by sharing our personal experiences, the process will be easier to navigate for those who are aspiring to land a teaching position here in Taiwan.
JENNY: I kinda stumbled into the position because I was very active when I first joined the group.
Q: How long have you been teaching in Taiwan? What kind of school are you employed/working at?
CHARLIE: I’m a teacher at an international senior high school. I’ve been here for almost three years now.
KATRINA: I have been teaching in Taiwan for 2 years. I teach at a private school.
JENNY: I started around 2000. I’ve taught learners of all ages (6 months to 60 years old) at almost all kinds of schools (despite not having a license lol): kindergarten/preschool, university (including regular classes and language center), cram school, public school (English village), private high school, business English (either at company or at cram school), online/offline tutoring, bilingual school, international school, etc.
Right now I’m freelancing (combo of group classes and one on ones): online student in US university, ACT, college writing; online student (for) IELTS (an adult planning to immigrate to Australia); university affiliated language center: diplomat training, bilingual 2030 course for public school teachers and university professors; (and) grade 6 and grade 9 math (international school; tutoring).
It’s ironic that I cannot teach in public schools because I don’t have a teaching license, but at my job I teach public school teachers, diplomat trainees, government workers, and bank workers. If I get a teaching license in Taiwan, I will be paid (with) Taiwanese teacher rates because I obtained (my) Taiwanese citizenship about 6 years ago. That means half (of) the pay and double (of) the work.
Q: What levels and subjects are you teaching?
CHARLIE: I teach English and Theory of Knowledge to senior high school students.
KATRINA: I teach at the Junior and Senior High School levels. I teach English using the Cambridge Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary Curriculum Framework.
JENNY: I’ve taught all levels but prefer higher levels (> GEPT higher intermediate, TOEIC 600, IELTS 6, TOEFL 70) and older students (14 years old or older). Right now I’m mainly teaching only subjects I enjoy: test prep: SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, FCE, CAE; middle school to SAT-level math; writing: for tests or for college; (and) ESP: teacher training, business English.
(I am) Planning to branch out to teaching the following as well: Chinese, Japanese (and) translation.
Q: Where else did you apply as a teacher besides Taiwan?
CHARLIE: I tried sending out my applications back in the last quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019 to Vietnam, China, and Thailand.
KATRINA: None. Teaching overseas was not in my plan.
JENNY: I worked as a tutor in Japan while I was there as an exchange student for a year. I had about 7 one-on-one students, ranging from(a) federal judge to (a) single mom.
Q: What made you apply as a teacher in Taiwan?
CHARLIE: I wanted to experience what it is like teaching with the focus on teaching primarily and to become a more culturally-sensitive person while learning to grow academically in the process. And of course, I also wanted to find a greener pasture. I thought it would also be great to promote empathy and help my students become responsible, empathetic, and purpose-driven adults someday.
KATRINA: I didn’t plan to teach in Taiwan or any other country for that matter. I joined a spiritual retreat and did some volunteer work in the Philippines and in Taiwan. We did some volunteer teaching at a Summer Camp, and that’s how the Principal ‘discovered’ me. He offered me a teaching position, and the rest is history.
JENNY: My parents originally sent me here to study. I started working part time while studying starting from minimum wage jobs, worked my way up and eventually found teaching. Some of the jobs I’ve done (like working at a) breakfast shop, (becoming an) insurance seller on phone (cold calling), cram school package seller (cold calling), selling charity coins on the street, Kellogg’s mascot helper, Oreo stacking contest staff, cleaning houses, waitress at (a) wedding banquet, translator (for) magazines, government, newspapers, books, academic papers, (and) press conference, voice actor, curriculum writer, (working at) international trade shows (as a) concierge, translator, (and) language interviewer, manager/director, (and as a) Taiwan lotto live drawing witness.
Q: How many Filipinos are already teaching in Taiwan, if you have any idea?
CHARLIE: I think the number is increasing year on year. My rough estimate would be around 600-900 including those who have Taiwanese spouses? But I have no data, though. It’s just a very rough estimate. I hope we gather some verified information soon.
KATRINA: I have no idea. I honestly haven’t thought about this.
JENNY: Not sure but the last few schools I worked at had one or two Filipino teachers. I used to be the only one and had to pretend to be from Canada.
Q: We all know being a teacher from the Philippines is one of the issues in some of the schools in Taiwan even when the MOE already approved the list of the countries whose English is the official language. What advice will you give to those members who are planning to teach in Taiwan?
CHARLIE: I’d say it takes a lot of courage, solid content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and a bunch of skills (such as teaching, research, socio-cultural, communication, and self-management) to get hired as a teacher abroad, but I am just so thankful that Taiwan allows us, Filipinos, to be legally qualified as teachers. Because even if you have the knowledge and skills I mentioned, if you don’t meet the legal standards and criteria set by the laws of the country for a certain job, it will be a challenge. So it starts with the determination to work knowing that you’ll be away from your family, then your primary reason to teach, your qualifications, and a country that is open to ‘welcome’ you.
KATRINA: Know your worth and what you can bring to the table. Don’t let being a Filipino cause you to doubt your own abilities. It is true that competition is much fiercer because applicants come from different parts of the world, but there’s no need to feel inferior. Be resourceful and proactive. Don’t just wait for instructions when you can initiate and take the lead instead. We have what it takes to thrive in a global arena. Stand tall, fellow Teachers.
JENNY: Improve your craft. Be assertive and confident. Know your worth (don’t accept anything under 600/hour or 60,000 a month). Negotiate, don’t settle.
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