teaching english

[taiwaneseguy1146]

I am 16 years old and I believe that helping to teach English to foreign students would be a good experience for me that would improve my Chinese, be lots of fun, and look good for college. Because I was raised in a Chinese family, I am already able to speak relatively well (meaning I can carry out a decent conversation with someone in Taiwan. I still have trouble listening to movies and radio, where they talk more quickly). My writing is poor, but I still have a year to prepare as I am visiting Taiwan next summer.

My question is: do you think I would be able to help out in one of Taipei's many English academies? I've heard some English teachers over there (Taiwanese natives who learned English as a second language) speak and I can honestly say that their English is not very good. Because my Chinese is not perfect, I don't plan to become a teacher of my own class. I just plan on helping out and maybe having conversations with the students in English to help them practice listening and speaking. Do you think it would be possible for a 16 year old with mediocre Chinese skills to get this kind of job? Thanks.

[gato]

Do you think it would be possible for a 16 year old with mediocre Chinese skills to get this kind of job? Thanks.

Your Chinese skills shouldn't be an obstacle. They are looking for people who can speak good English, not Chinese. Many foreign teachers there probably speak much less Chinese than you do.

Check out some of these ads seeking English teachers in Taiwan:

http://www.tealit.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/classifieds.cgi?db=aaaschools&website=&language=&session_key=&search_and_display_db_button=on&results_format=headlines&category=Jobs+Available&query=category

Maybe you can email them and ask.

[roddy]

Nothing to do with learning Chinese. Moving.

[phbriggs]

OP, being 16 years old, you may have problems finding a teaching position in an education insitiution in China. The school would be relucant to put you on as you could be younger than the oldest students in the school or younger than university students.

It may be possible to pick up freelance tutoring.

Alternatively you could try to be put up by a local family for a few months and attend the local school. This would allow you to practice your Chinese as well as assist those students who would like some extra English help.

[yzhu]

I had a couple of English teachers when I was in college in China and they don't understand chinese at all. There are plenty of people in China laern English and opportunitied there to teach english and make friends who like to do some language exchange.

Below is a small website I created to help people find landgauge exchange partner.