Program Reviews

After taking my TESL course I had decided on working in Taiwan, but I had never been to Asia and I honestly didn't know a lot about Taiwan. For me, I appreciated having a job arranged before I set foot in Taiwan and someone to pick me up at the airport. I found there were a few details that I felt misinformed about when I arrived (specifically that I would have to pay for my housing during training and then later get a partial refund as opposed to free board), but I think this was mix up more than anything. Overall, I feel that for me, using Reach to Teach was a good experience.

I was moments away from signing a contract with another company when a friend of mine put me in touch with Reach to Teach. Everything that turned me off from the first company, RTT did right. Their response was quick and professional and the interview put me at ease immediately. It was like a conversation, chatting about all the great, and challenging, things that comes with living and teaching in Taiwan.

I was on a plane and teaching in Taiwan two weeks after my interview with RTT. Although that is not normal, or recommended, it was perfect for what I was looking for! Everything went along swimmingly with the school minus a few hiccups. But RTT was there to check in with me and smooth out the bumps.

I had every intention of staying in Taiwan for only one year. Three and a half years later was when I actually boarded a plane, reluctantly, back to America. The beginning was rough but also exciting. I planned out my days off as if I was tourist, exploring museums, shrimp fishing (yes, you can fish for shrimp in Taiwan), and I even bought a motorcycle to explore the island in more depth.

I made some of my most lasting friendships in Taiwan, people I still hold close to my heart today. I try to visit the island as much as I can, but coming from the east coast on the USA can make it a bit of a challenge. Nevertheless, it's certainly worth making the flight out there if for nothing but the food. The noodles, the bbq, the night markets, and especially the soup dumplings will ruin American Chinese food for you for life!

Taiwan is, bottom line, one of the best places to choose to teach English in Asia. And RTT is by far the most reputable company to work with to get out there. The staff really cares and tries their best to help out whenever they can. Of course you need to exert some independence when you get out there and manage things on your own, but RTT had that safety net out allowing me to take the risk of a lifetime.

Since Reach to Teach is a recruiter and not a Hogwon itself, it's hard to rate things like social life or facilities since those aspects have more to do with the school than with the recruiter itself. The Reach to Teach staff was incredibly helpful in the application/visa/hiring process. They secured me a decent salary considering I hadn't taught before. I found them professional and available throughout. Once in Seoul, I didn't have a lot of contact with them, but I also didn't really try to. They do hold events around town occasionally.

Finding a good program to go teach in Taiwan was very important. I needed to be certain that I could trust them since I would be so far from home. The moment I started the process, they responded so fast and I got a good feeling about them. Then the interview came, I was amazed that I felt so comfortable. My interview made me feel at ease and I at the end of the interview, I actually asked him, was that an interview we just had?
They helped me through out the process and I was in Taiwan 2-3 weeks after my interview. I never had an issue with the school they recommended and I received emails from Reach to Teach constantly while I was in Taiwan, made me feel like part of a team.

I taught in Taiwan for just over a year after I graduated. It was an amazing experience that I would not change for anything! Taiwan is a great country with friendly people and is great to live in. It is so easy to travel around the island and to other countries.

RTT ( Mitch Gordon) was very helpful in accommodating our needs.My husband and I both needed a job and had lots of requests ;-) But RTT made it happen and placed us at a school (Uncle Sam American School) in Sanxia, just outside Taipei. RTT was very efficient and before we knew it we were on a plane. RTT also helps you to meet other people by hosting social events and we have made lifelong friends over there.

We had about 7 foreign teachers at our school.I taught the little ones ( 2-3 year)and just LOVED it. It is great to see them grow and learn. It is not always easy, but you learn how to deal with the issues and our Chinese teachers were very helpful. After kinder garden we taught the elementary school kids. This was a bit more challenging because I did not study to be a teacher and you need to know how to handle some kids, but like I said you learn quickly and there are lots of ways to get nice tips;-) For me it was important to keep it highly energized, the kids love to learn via games. You get training for the first week or two and then you are on your own with lesson plans and the actual teaching, but luckily you always have a Chinese teacher in the class to help you out.

Living in Taiwan is a great experience. You can earn a lot and the living costs are really not high.

I would recommend teaching in Taiwan and using RTT to anyone.

Enjoy

Alida

Gillian at Reach to Teach is 100% responsible for keeping my sanity in check over the arduous 5 1/2 month EPIK application process. She gladly (and promptly) answered all my tedious questions within 24 hours of being asked. She didn't sugarcoat the process of moving abroad and was realistic about the risks - I appreciated this the most. Even after I arrived in Korea I continued to receive emails, inquiring about my experience and if everything was satisfactory. I've recommended Reach to Teach to many people interested in teaching abroad (and also to friends who ARE teaching abroad but want a change). This has been, by far, the best year of my life and an experience that has changed me in so many ways and forced me to grow, not only as a teacher, but as a person. Thank you Reach to Teach!!

I had only been to Asia once (China) when I applied to teach in South Korea. Reach to Teach made the entire process as simple as possible. From the interview to purchasing my departure ticket (and lots of visa help in between) RTT was there for me anytime I needed help. Its hard to imagine I would have gotten to Korea in one piece without their help. They also had some great social events for teachers in Seoul that made it easier to make new friends.

Hey everyone!

Reach To Teach asked me to share my views on teaching English in Taiwan. I taught here from the summer of 2007 and returned to the United States at the end of 2009. I came just after I graduated with little teaching experience, but a great desire to live and travel abroad. I had studied abroad in Taiwan during college and quickly came to love this small island country. The people here are so friendly! Above anything else, the people here are what making teaching in Taiwan a great experience.

About RTT: I found them through an online search and although I wasn't initially impressed with there website, I applied online and was surprised to hear back from them so quickly. Within 2 days I was setup with a phone interview, and two weeks later I was offered a job! Pretty easy. I also applied directly with Hess (a school there) who were far less responsive and I quickly gave up on them.

I was walked through the whole visa process (pretty easy, just be sure to get a 60 day landing visa). 6 weeks later I arrived in Taiwan, honestly shell shocked that I was actually going through with this! It was a little overwhelming, but RTT regularly hosts social events for new teachers which was a great way to meet other teachers in the area. These events are held every month were a lot of fun!

The school I taught was called Principle and was located just outside of Taipei in a neighborhood called Tuchung. There are not a lot of expats in this area, and honestly not a lot to do, but luckily I lived 5 mins from the MRT which is the subway system them. This system is fantastic and allows you to easily get around the rest of Taipei very cheaply. If you live in Taipei I HIGHLY recommend you live near an MRT station. This will make your life so much easier!

My school was rather small by most standards. There were only two ESL teachers (including me) and we were responsible for teaching 5 kindergarten classes. Most of my students were aged 4-7 were a lot of fun to teach. There were a couple brats, but you'll find them at every school. I would start teaching at 9am, have a 2 hour lunch (seriously!), and teach again from 1:30pm to 6pm. That was my day! I also taught four days a week for a total of 30 hours a week. I didn't teach Saturdays, but as I meet other ESL teachers I found out that is pretty common.

If I were to do again, I would take a TEFL course. It wasn't required, but the first couple weeks were a little nerve racking as adjusted to life as a teacher. All the teaching materials were provided, I was mostly tasked with creative ways to teach the material. When you're teaching 5 year olds you HAVE to be creative, otherwise you'll quickly loose them. Come prepared with a large bag of tricks!

Each month I think I made about $NT50,000 which turns into about $1,600USD. Not a lot, but easily enough to live comfortably in Taiwan. My rent was about $NT8000 and food came out to about $NT11000 a month. That leaves a lot of spare change!

Good luck! I look back on the experience as some of the best years of my life. I highly recommend RTT and teaching Taiwan.

Cheers,
Andrew