Taiwan is a great country to teach English abroad. It offers a beautiful blend of Chinese, Japanese, American, Aboriginal, and uniquely Taiwanese culture. The country is more affordable than other modern East Asian countries, such as South Korea and Japan, and offers a great work-life balance with reasonable expectations for working hours.
Taiwan is a small island, but that doesn’t mean your choices of location are limited.
The Two Norths: Taipei and New Taipei City
Taipei is the capital and is completely surrounded by the greater metropolitan area of New Taipei City. Taipei and New Taipei City are practically the same city, and as a result, these two cities have been dubbed by the Taiwanese as “The Two Norths.”
About the author: Joseph Wang is an entrepreneur and language enthusiast who founded First Step Mandarin and First Step Language Academy. He completed OnTESOL’s 120-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate and 20-hour Teaching IELTS Certificate courses.
There are many reasons that the majority of foreign ESL teachers choose Taipei and New Taipei City. The main reasons are the comfort and convenience of living in a modern and thriving tech center. The two cities have advanced connected Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems and easy access to the airport. They have active expat communities, where you can make friends with other foreigners and continue your Western hobbies like ice hockey, clubbing, hot yoga, and soccer. Also, the English level here is the highest in the country. For these reasons, these cities are hands-down the most foreigner-friendly.
However, the flashing lights of a modern capital come with disadvantages that might make you want to reconsider living here. Here are 5 reasons to NOT teach English in Taipei.
1. Fierce Competition
Most foreign ESL teachers want to live in Taipei, leading to fierce competition for the best TEFL jobs. With so much choice, employers will choose the most qualified, experienced, and charismatic teachers. Before choosing Taipei, do an honest self-evaluation and ask yourself, “Do I have the experience and TESOL certification to beat out my competition?” If not, you may find yourself at a second-tier school in Taipei, with limited public transit access, poor pay, and the possibility of being asked to break visa rules with illegal extra work such as teaching kindergarten-aged students.
2. Relatively Expensive Lifestyle
For foreign ESL teachers, the cost of living in Taipei is likely cheaper than life in North America, but relative to other cities in Taiwan, Taipei is more expensive in almost every regard. While you can comfortably save money teaching English in Taipei, you can save much more teaching in second-tier cities like Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung, or Tainan, or third-tier cities like Zhubei, Kending, or Hualien.
3. Americanized Cultural Experience
Imagine moving across the world to experience a brand new culture, but finding that your expat friends are similar to those back home, you eat more hamburgers than rice, and the only Taiwanese people you know by name are the staff at Starbucks. Taiwan is one of the tea capitals of the world, so that fancy $6 USD cup of Starbucks tea you sip in a Taipei mall might not be the cultural experience you envisioned when you booked your airplane ticket.
Taipei offers a rich Asian and uniquely Taiwanese cultural experience, but many expats create little microcosms of their old lives in the West. Old habits die hard, and most of us naturally gravitate towards comfort and familiarity. It’s not uncommon for foreign ESL teachers to live in Taipei for years without making Taiwanese friends, learning Mandarin, or gaining a deeper cultural understanding of Taiwan.
If your goal in teaching abroad is to explore a new culture, make local friends, try new cuisines, pick up new hobbies, learn a new language, and become more independent, consider NOT teaching English in Taipei!
4. Poor Weather
Taipei has the worst weather in Taiwan. Period. As a northern city, Taipei is quite cold in the winter. Although winter daily average temperatures don’t get too cold, Taipei has a special thing most North Americans aren’t used to: cold, wet humidity. Yes, 10 degrees Celsius in Toronto is t-shirts and shorts weather for most Canadians, but 10 degrees in Taiwan will make you miss snow as the wet air chills you to the bone.
Cold winters must mean cooler summers, right? Wrong! Taipei is surrounded by mountains and has a lower elevation, making it effectively a bowl. This geography means the summer heat, mixed with the heat of running cars and air conditioners, gets trapped inside. Mix that with pollution blown over from China, and the ‘Taipei bowl’ will serve you a daily salad of heat, humidity, stale air, and smog.
Every other city in Taiwan offers nicer weather than Taipei. Look north of Taipei for the cool summers of Keelung. Go to the south of Taiwan for the warm winters of Kenting. Travel to the west of Taiwan to enjoy the clean, fresh sea breeze in Hualien. Wherever you go, the weather will be nicer than in Taipei.
5. Diverse Cities for Different Needs
Other cities in Taiwan all have different things to offer, so maybe what you want most might be best found outside of Taipei.
A) Taoyuan
Taoyuan is closest to Taiwan’s largest airport, making it best for those who plan to travel internationally on long weekends while teaching English in Taiwan.
B) Hsinchu
Hsinchu’s parks and quieter streets are more family-friendly for those moving to Taiwan with children.
C) Maoli
Maoli is great for nature lovers, offering a variety of hot springs, strawberry farms, woodcarving workshops, and a slow pace of life.
E) Nantou
Nantou is perfect for people who want a more rugged life, exploring trails, cycling, and natural landscapes.
F) Tainan
Tainan is the food capital of Taiwan and has the best weather year-round.
G) Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung has one of the best public transit systems aside from Taipei, while boasting a beautiful harborfront.
H) Hualien
Hualien is the place to go if you envisioned a Ghibli-like experience in Asia, where you can live a simple life in a small town surrounded by nature.
I) Yilan
Yilan is the surfing capital of Taiwan. Want to soak in a hot spring after a morning of surfing and an afternoon of teaching? You can do that in Yilan!
Why I Chose to Teach English in Taipei
In the end, I chose to teach English in Taipei and I loved it! Here are 3 reasons why I chose Taipei:
1) Sports
Sports are important to me. Although sports like badminton can be played anywhere in Taiwan, ice hockey can only be played in Taipei, and soccer is hard to play in other cities. I moved to Taiwan wanting to gain international experience in the sports I love, and Taipei gave me this opportunity.
2) Language Skills
As I mentioned in my other blog about how I started a language school, I spoke Mandarin already, so I wasn’t afraid of getting stuck in a social circle of foreigners while in Taipei. I used my Mandarin to quickly become part of various Taiwanese social circles.
3) Budgeting
I was willing to cut luxuries so I could still save money. I chose a cheap apartment in Taipei without heating or an elevator. I always took public transit over taxis. I limited the amount of expensive imported Western food I ate in favor of cheaper local food.
Most importantly, I chose to teach English in Taipei because it is an awesome city! Yes, there are many negatives to Taipei, as with any city in the world, but Taipei has one of the world’s best public transit systems and healthcare systems. It offers many of the international conveniences foreigners long for. It’s a large city, meaning you can find or do almost anything you want in Taipei. You can see the mountains, Taipei 101, temples, and the sea all within a couple of hours. Every night of the week, you can venture to a different night market. The sweaty, freezing me ended up falling in love with Taipei. And you may too. But just know, when it comes to choosing your new home, Taiwan has much more to offer than just its famous capital.
