So You Want to Teach English Overseas?

Choosing the Right Country and City

When deciding where to teach English in Asia, consider the cost of living, lifestyle, job opportunities, and visa requirements. Here are the popular destinations:

Requirements

Education

You'll need a college degree to teach English in Taiwan. A bachelor's degree from a university in any field will do — it doesn't need to be relevant to teaching English. Mine was Sociology.

Criminal Background Check

Taiwan requires a clean criminal background check, run at the federal level. Some people have reportedly gotten around this, but I'd consider it a hard requirement. Always check with your school and current country laws.

Visa Considerations

It was helpful to get a tourist visa when I went to Taiwan, which allowed me to stay for six months. After I was employed, they converted the tourist visa to a working visa. US Citizens can visit Taiwan visa-free for up to 90 days. Having the tourist visa may make it easier to apply for your work visa.

Health Background Check

In Taiwan, you'll need a health check — a blood screen (HIV, tuberculosis) and a chest x-ray. This is likely a requirement in other countries as well.

Most Asian countries require a bachelor's degree, though some (China, Cambodia, Laos) may be more flexible. Criminal background checks are increasingly required — confirmed for Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Thailand and Cambodia may not require this, but always verify.

Getting to Asia

Traveling on a Budget

One cost-saving strategy: book a flight to a low-cost hub in Asia, then find a separate flight to your destination. For example, it's often cheaper to fly from the US to Hong Kong and then take a connecting flight to Taiwan, rather than booking direct.

This approach can also give you a short vacation in another country. Round-trip tickets from Chicago to Hong Kong can be found under $600 if you time it right. Then inter-Asia flights are often very affordable.

Hotels in Asia — What to Expect

In a word: affordable. Hostels in Southeast Asia can run as low as $5/night. Standard hotels in East Asia are more like $30–60, but they often come with impressive amenities. Drop $100+ and you're in luxury territory.

Most hotels in Taiwan (and across Asia) include free snacks like instant noodles, coffee, tea, a kettle, and travel kit toiletries — toothpaste, toothbrush, shave kit, sewing kit, and more.

When You Only Speak English

Surprisingly, it works better than you'd think. English is generally understood as the language of business, and airports worldwide have English signage.

Pro tip: Google Translate has gotten remarkably good. You can point your phone camera at signs and get instant translation — incredibly helpful for reading menus.

Internet & Phone Service

Most countries let you grab a SIM card at the airport or local shops with prepaid data. Data costs in Asia are generally cheaper than the US. Taiwan requires some passport paperwork for a SIM, but it's worth it for the rates.

When phone kiosks are closed at odd hours, having a service like Google Fi is a lifesaver — it works globally in most countries, so you have internet the moment you land.

The Actual Work & Pay

The schedule of an English teacher in Taiwan is relatively lax compared to the 40-hour work week. Typical hours: 25–30 per week, probably closer to 25. Pay in Taiwan currently runs about 650–750 NT/hour (~$20–23 USD), putting monthly earnings around $2,000–2,500. Bonuses for attendance and class retention are common.

Sample Monthly Budget (with free housing)

With earnings of $2,000–2,500 and expenses around $730, you can realistically save $1,000–1,500 USD/month — presuming you don't need to pay off debt. That's a serious boost to your financial independence journey.

Job Hunting & Networking

• Use online job boards like Dave's ESL Café or TEFL.com to search for openings
• Join Facebook groups or forums for teaching English in Asia — great for advice, job leads, and networking
• Attend job fairs or language expos to connect with employers
• Reach out to teachers already working in your target location
• Consider a recruiter or placement agency to streamline the process

The Teaching Part

Generally speaking, the kids are pretty well-behaved. At times they're remarkable. At times they're quiet and harder to inspire. In Taiwan, there's a slight element of the teacher entertaining the students — cram schools are businesses, so parent satisfaction matters.

With younger kids, you'll usually have a Chinese-speaking co-teacher to assist. As the kids' English progresses, you'll teach solo. Cram schools (buxibans) typically run from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM — leaving your entire day free. No alarm clock required.

Teaching Tips

• Set clear expectations — establish classroom rules and learning goals from day one
• Vary your methods — group work, games, multimedia to keep students engaged
• Encourage participation — create a supportive atmosphere where students feel comfortable asking questions

Helpful Tips

• Some countries (notably Korea) offer travel reimbursement for your flight. Less common in Taiwan.
• Some schools provide free housing. My first school in Taiwan (Gloria English School in Taoyuan) offered free room — you only paid electric and a ~$30/month cleaning fee. Taoyuan is a ~40-minute, $2 bus ride from Taipei.
• Language exchange is a popular cultural thing — you learn Chinese, your partner learns English. In Taiwan, Tealit is a popular platform for this. (Fair warning: it doubles as a social scene.)
• For job listings, Dave's ESL Café is the go-to site for teaching in Asia.

Some Concerns

• Local laws: Many Asian countries have harsh penalties for drug use — including execution for dealers in some places. I'd strongly advise against messing around with drugs overseas. Not worth the risk.
• Work legality: Schools sometimes hire teachers without proper work permits due to high demand. You're required to have a work permit in Taiwan. Working without one risks deportation — proceed at your own risk.