ESL Teacher Testimonials

Robert Maguire (American)

I had done a fair amount of research before I actually started looking for places to work in Taiwan. Everything I read told me not to go with recruitment agencies or to accept jobs with chain schools, yet when I stumbled upon the Reach To Teach web site, I realized that this place was different. After doing some more searches, I realized that this wasn’t like other agencies and that there would be no safer way to come to Taiwan as a new teacher with no experience.

I understood upon arriving in Taiwan that I had made the right choice. Even having a Taiwanese girlfriend to guide me and translate for me, there is only so far a native can go to help someone making the transition from his or her country to one as different as Taiwan.

For example, have you ever been asked where the best hotel is in your hometown? It’s kind of the same thing. You might, at best, be able to give the name of a hotel, but you don’t know which one is the best. Since you’ve likely never stayed in a hotel in the city where you live, you don’t know which one has the best price, the best ambience, etc. It’s much the same thing with moving to another country. A native can welcome you, make you comfortable, help you with odds and ends, but they know very little about the details that are necessary for a foreigner settling in — from getting your ARC to simply getting fed up with the smell of “stinky tofu.”

I don’t regret my decision at all. With Reach To Teach, you will be placed with a good, reliable school and, thusly, gain a sort of dual support net during your time in Taiwan — both from Reach To Teach and your school.

- Robert Maguire

Chad Bryant (American)

I was recruited by Reach To Teach from my University during my senior year there. My life was very open ended at that point and I had absolutely no idea what to do with my major, or the rapidly approaching beast of full-time monotonous labor. Throughout the interview process, Mitch did a fantastic job of making me feel comfortable and confident.. He also provided pressure free advice in what has become a major life changing experience.

With the interview process out of the way, Reach To Teach guided me through the confusing maze of the Visa application process and answered any questions I had about the country and the transition. Mitch and Reach To Teach still serve as a great resource now, even after I've been placed and I would highly recommend the service to anyone interested in the job scene of Taiwan. Cheers!

- Chad Bryant

Mike Mlejnek (American)

I sat down to my computer one day after work and opened up my inbox to an email requesting an information session at my University about teaching in Taiwan. I was one year out of college managing a successful subcontracting business when I got the email. I decided to take a day off from work to go to the information session and it was one of the best decisions I have made in my entire life. From the moment I walked into the room to speak with Reach To Teach, to my arrival in Taiwan, they facilitated every step of the process and gave the support that someone needs when moving to a foreign land.

Let’s face it…getting on a plane, leaving your family, your friends, maybe your career….is not an easy thing to do. But, I can honestly say that there are many foreigners here who do that without going through an agency. Those foreigners suffer. Many of them end up having to leave Taiwan at some point to renew their visas. Some even end up having to leave altogether, angry and frustrated, because they didn’t have the proper support a legitimate agency can give you. Everyone’s experience in Taiwan is different, but those I have talked to at Reach To Teach events express the same gratitude towards Reach To Teach, Mitch and other staff...

- Mike Mlejnek

Carrie Marshall & John Kellenberger (Canadian & American)

As English teachers with over 4 years of experience in Asia, we’ve had plenty of experience dealing with the ins and outs of job hunting in the Asian ESL world. It’s tedious and requires a lot of attention. To be honest, weeding out the good jobs from the bad can be more than demanding. You never know what you’re going to get!

Not with Reach To Teach. Reach To Teach is the most reputable teacher placement service on the Asian block. There are loads of teacher testimonials on their web site to substantiate this claim. Just have a look at all the happy, satisfied faces you see there.

There are no gimmicks, hassles or pranks. The Reach To Teach staff are all former ESL teachers from around the world. They take the utmost care in dealing with the best schools in the business and are completely committed to finding a job that is a perfect fit for you and your teaching wants and needs. Best of all, Reach To Teach services are free!

Reach To Teach has a commitment to excellence and quality that sets them apart from the rest of the pack. You’ll get a great job and you’ll make friends through Reach To Teach sponsored events throughout the year. Monthly newsletters and emails will keep you informed of any upcoming events, such as beach parties, barbeques, dinner parties, and KTV to name a few. We even have our very own flag football team!

- Carrie Marshall and John Kellenberger

Aspen Rains (American)

My recommendation to any truly qualified and motivated individual who is thinking about teaching English in China or Taiwan is this: Contact Reach To Teach Recruiting before purchasing plane tickets. Reach To Teach has been the defining factor in my successful entrance into the Taiwan ESL market, through close personal service and an outstanding dedication to the integrity of the process.

Reach To Teach evaluated my qualifications, and then matched me to an excellent starting position with an employer I can trust. I was saved the trouble of weeding through job offers and slogging through interviews with schools of mediocre or unknown quality.

I can state from my own experience and from knowing other teachers who have worked with Reach To Teach, that they do everything possible to put good people into good jobs. Anyone who's been doing their homework on teaching jobs in Southeast Asia knows that the ESL market is both growing and tightening right now. Mediocre schools will say anything to lure in university-educated Western teachers. While no one can guarantee someone else's happiness, Reach To Teach can drastically cut down your chances of contracting with an employer of dubious worth.

So, my advice to prospective teachers is this: Don't take hit-and-miss chances with employment ads and promises from unknown institutions. Before you buy your airplane tickets, contact Reach To Teach and get an intelligent evaluation of your prospects.

- Aspen Rains

Shaundra McCarter (American)

Reach To Teach has helped me beyond my expectations. They have been there every step of the way. No question was too big or too small, and believe me I had many questions! They really took the time to get to know me personally and with that information they found a great school which is ideal for me.

Reach To Teach continues to be a great resource for me. It is a comfort to me that they are only a phone call or email away.

- Shaundra McCarter

Mike Cameron (Canadian)

I feel very lucky to have met Mitch, the Director of Recruiting for Reach To Teach. It was a long term goal of mine to travel to Asia for teaching. Mitch made my move here to Taiwan extremely easy and pleasant. I had done my research and knew what I wanted when I came to Taiwan. After I was accepted to Reach To Teach, a process that required multiple emails back and forth, the appropriate documents, and an hour long phone interview, I was given many different contracts to look over. Some of them were okay, others were great, but were not in the location of Taiwan that I wanted. I never felt rushed or pressured to chose any particular contract. Reach To Teach took the time to find out exactly what I wanted, and when that came along I took it. All of the information that I needed to get into Taiwan was provided by Reach To Teach. They were very informed as to what exactly would be needed, and at what time, through each of the steps involved in moving to Taiwan.

And that's not all, from what I've seen, Reach To Teach seems to tend to stay in close contact with the teachers they bring into Taiwan. Reach To Teach get together's are regular and fun events. Last month, they reserved a popular bar in downtown Taipei and held a benefit raffle for a volunteer group that looks after stray animals in Taipei. Karaoke get together's are hilarious, and we even got together with the Canadian and American Societies for a day of paintball in January.

The teachers Mitch brings in are great people. I've made a lot of new friends in the six months that I've been here. Many of them are Reach To Teach recruitees.

- Mike Cameron

Zand Maloney (New Zealander)

I found Reach To Teach to be very helpful throughout the process of finding and getting work teaching in Taiwan. They were always very helpful with any inquiries I had prior to arrival and on arrival never pressured me into any jobs.

Reach To Teach was also a great help in finding my feet in Taiwan, even inviting me out on my first night there! I am very happy in Taiwan and would definitely recommend it as a destination and Reach To Teach as an agency to find you a job.

- Zand Maloney

Matt Pierce (American)

You can be sure that Reach To Teach delivers on everything it promises. In fact they have done much more than I had expected. It seems like they go out of their way to make sure you're as comfortable as possible here. In my case, they helped me and other vegetarians coming here help each other with information about the food here.

However, the biggest reason I'm glad to have the opportunity to work with this organization is the school they matched me with. Our curriculum is top-notch. All of the teachers are informative and glad to help a first time teacher like me. All of the kids are delightful, affectionate and eager to learn. There's no way you can go wrong in working with Reach To Teach.

- Matt Pierce

Lance Goldenberg (American)

I have been extremely impressed by Reach-to-Teach. They helped me every step of the way, starting from long before I got on my flight to Taiwan, to my stop in Singapore where they helped me through a very problematic visa situation, to my arrival in Taiwan where I didn't know anybody or have anyone to help me out, and even today, several months after my arrival in Taiwan, Mitch still continues to check up on me and help me whenever I am having any questions about my school, employment contract, work, and life in Taiwan, in general.

As an experienced ESL teacher who has taught English in several different countries, I have dealt with many other agents in the past, and I have never dealt with anyone before who was even nearly as helpful and trustworthy as Reach To Teach has been.

- Lance Goldenberg

Andrew Wong (American)

Since the day I’ve gotten involved with Reach To Teach, from the recruitment process until now, the agency has supported me throughout the whole way! From inside the classroom to outside, they have been there to ensure a suitable environment for me in Taiwan.

Teaching and living in a foreign country can be very challenging. The team of Reach To Teach understands this and will take the extra step to find appropriate solutions to problems and make sure that everything is taken care of. As a result, this does indeed make your stay abroad much more comfortable and secure.

Reach To Teach cares about their teachers. Their guidance and concern has supported me and many others here! I’m glad I went through Reach To Teach rather than going out there alone. I highly recommend their services to anyone planning on teaching abroad! My stay in Taiwan has been exciting and unforgettable, thanks to Reach To Teach!

- Andrew Wong

Alexander Merigan (American)

After graduating from college I decided that I wanted to experience Asia firsthand and the best way to do that would be to teach English. I began searching online for jobs in Taiwan through various recruiting agencies and private schools with little success.  The services I contacted were either unprofessional or couldn’t offer a position that suited my needs. After two months of searching for a job I began to think that there was just nothing out there for me and maybe I should think of other options. That’s when I found Reach To Teach.  Within one week I had a guaranteed job at a good school and the choice of various positions at different branches of that school teaching different levels of students. That freedom let me pick the job I have now, which I’m more than happy with. I was in Taiwan with a good job and all the support I needed before I knew it.

- Alexander Merigan

Colin Monk (Canadian)

Fresh Graduate? Not sure where to go next? What to do with my diploma? What to study next? My head was full of questions and all I knew is that I wanted to make some money as well as travel, live and work in a Chinese-speaking country. Choosing to teach English in Taiwan is a fantastic decision that many young grads make every month in their quest to live abroad, seek adventure and make some cash. Choosing Reach To Teach, though, is a decision that only the brightest and most organized make.

Most people will tell you, finding a job teaching English is easy. They are right; there is an abundance of jobs in all sorts of schools for native English speakers. If you show up in Taiwan without any preferences, you could get a job in a week. While finding any old job might be easy, finding the right job for you is no easy task. Reach To Teach is an invaluable service in this regard because they learn about you and what you want, and then are able to match you to a school you’ll like.

They walked me through the process of getting a visa, finding a job, accommodation and settling into Taipei in a friendly, professional and respectful way. It was great to get the simple “low down” on the multitude of jobs rather than sift through all the information on the internet by myself. For your sake, Reach To Teach is the easy way, the best way.

- Colin Monk

Rich Assman & Francy Collazo (American)

I had many jobs in New York before I came to Taiwan but none of them were satisfying. After college, I worked as a waitress, a hostess, in a law office, design firm, etc., and then finally found my passion for teaching at 25 when I began teaching dance. I've always wanted to travel and work abroad and had been looking and dreaming about it for five years before I decided to take a leap and go for it. I was so nervous waiting for "the call" that would change my life and when it finally came, I was pleased to hear a friendly voice on the other end. Within a few weeks I had a job offer in Taiwan and Reach To Teach was there to guide me through the whole journey.

We were both pleased with our schools and discovered the satisfaction to be gained from teaching and helping students develop their skills is enormous. Reach To Teach even organized special trips and get together's so teachers could meet and socialize.

Reach To Teach has helped us immensely with this experience. Not only have they answered all our questions but they've also been helpful and supportive throughout our time here. It's comforting to know that whenever we have a problem we can always call or email and will always get a quick and friendly response. If you are looking for a recruiting agency that is committed, caring and trustworthy, go with Reach To Teach.

- Francy Collazo & Rich Assman

Venessa Robinson (American)

Reach To Teach is one of few recruiting services that provides a soft landing as well as a safety net throughout your journey abroad. It provides support every step of the way.

Reach To Teach is reliable, professional, and available. It addresses any questions or concerns you have during what can be a challenging transition. Upon arriving into the unknown, you immediately feel welcomed into a community of fellow teachers who are eager to help you as others have done for them. I highly recommend Reach To Teach to anyone considering teaching abroad!

- Venessa Robinson

Rebecca Thomas

I had been working as a 911 dispatcher for 13 years and decided that I really wanted to begin teaching. I worked on activating my teaching certificate and started looking for job opportunities. I discovered several opportunities to teach abroad and was contacted by several agencies. I researched the agencies and was very pleased with all of the information associated with Reach to Teach.

I spoke with several representatives from Reach to Teach to find a placement that I would enjoy. After several discussions I decided that Shanghai was my destination of choice. Reach to Teach then located and researched several opportunities in the Shanghai area and provided me with some options.

I feel that I was very lucky to have people help to find the best opportunity for me. I received so much support and encouragement from the representatives (Richard especially) while I was planning my travel arrangements. There were some initial difficulties obtaining a working visa due to new restrictions associated with the Olympic Games and Reach to Teach emailed me daily and called me frequently to help work through the issues.

I arrived in China in September of 2008 and began my incredible journey into teaching. I have heard so many stories from people who were not provided assistance or options and discovered that many of the terms of employment, promised before their arrival, were not delivered. I have only had positive experiences with my employer and employment. I work about 20 hours each week and have time off to explore the beautiful country of China and share my experiences with the wonderful friends I’ve made here and family who have been able to visit.

- Rebecca Thomas

Michael Rosecrans

After I graduated from university, I knew that I wanted to move to China. I had a friend teaching in South Korea and he suggested looking into opportunities for English teachers in China. The more I researched, the more questions I had. How does the visa process work? What will my job be like? Should I use a recruiting agency? You can find so many terrible stories on the internet from people who end up in bad teaching positions. So I wanted to make sure I had all the facts to make an informed decision.

I applied to several different companies and I decided to use Reach to Teach. They really impressed me by how they handled the recruiting process. They were professional, friendly, and a pleasure to work with. All those questions and concerns I had before were addressed. And in the end, the school they set me up with was perfect for me. I could not have hoped for anything better. Even after I had moved to China, they continued to check up on me to make sure that my new employer was meeting all of my expectations.

I learned from my experience that a good recruiting company like Reach to Teach makes the complicated process of finding a good teaching job easy. My greatest concern, like many people, was that I would move to the other side of the world for a terrible job. But Reach to Teach has worked with many of these schools before. So they know which ones will meet your needs and which ones will not. Knowing this, I felt comfortable enough to make a decision. For anyone considering going abroad to teach English, I highly recommend using Reach to Teach.

- Michael Rosecrans

Wayne Watterson (American)

Numerous Westerners have come to East Asia in the last decade to teach during this “English Revolution,” and there are a various deep-rooted motivations that drive people to venture into the other side of the world. For some, it’s to seek adventure, for others, it’s to have a rich cultural experience, and for me it was both of these things, along with the incitement of possible future business opportunities in thriving cities like Shanghai, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, and Taipei.

William Author Ward once said, “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” So, in short, I decided to adjust the sails and pursue opportunities in China that would allow me to learn a valuable language, and also have the experience of living in what I believe is one of the most fascinating places in the world.

I have been here now for almost two months and the new life here has exceeded my expectations in practically every regard. I have found the students to be an absolute delight, most of them are eager to learn English, and want very much to become the friends of foreign teachers. They like to come up with nicknames, give invitations to visit their hometowns, and on occasion have given me some thoughtful gifts and once sang a song for me when I came into the class on the “Teacher’s Day” holiday. There is plenty of free time to enjoy, and I spend a large amount of it hanging out with Chinese friends, learning Mandarin, and also experimenting with cooking the new cuisine.

I am grateful towards Reach to Teach for the smooth process and partnering me with this terrific school. If you are interested in coming to Asia, going through a professional and reputed organization will make all of the difference. I highly recommend Reach to Teach.