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Guide to Living and Teaching English in Taiwan

 

Before You Go

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What To Bring To Taiwan - Teaching English in Taiwan Take the time to carefully pack only what you will need

In choosing to teach English abroad for a year you are making a choice to live in a foreign country. You should not try to re-create every aspect of your daily life in your home country. Not only is it impossible, but even if you succeeded what would be the point in moving to a foreign country?

The most important thing to bring with you is a positive attitude and a willingness to adapt your lifestyle to a new and foreign environment. Don’t be the sad sap that sits in a foreign bar crying in your beer and lamenting the lack of Doritos in Taiwan. Remember it is you who is making the choice to live in a country where squid tentacles, not Doritos, are the snack food of choice.

We do not suggest you bring everything on the list below but rather to choose some items that will remind you of home and make the transition to life in Taiwan easier. No matter how much you like Taiwan, you will experience moments of homesickness and even occasional “I hate Taiwan” days. For those special occasions it is nice to have your favorite book and a can of chicken noodle soup on hand.

How Much Money Should I Bring With Me?

  • Bring around USD $500-800 to get you through your first month.

Western Foodstuffs To Pack For Taiwan

  • Western cooking spices - lemon pepper, Montreal steak spice, oxo cubes, french onion, dukka
  • Specialty Coffee (Saltspring Organic Fair Trade is my favorite)
  • Honey
  • Oatmeal and other hot breakfast cereals
  • Dried soup mixes
  • Mexican style spices
  • Walnuts, brazil nuts, and other exotics can be next to impossible to find

Western Medicines and Pharmaceutical Products

  • Advil
  • Tylenol
  • Midol
  • Pepto-Bismol
  • Tums
  • Neo-Citran

Clothes to Bring to Taiwan

What Clothing To Bring to Taiwan - ESL in Taiwan You will need a variety of clothes here in Taiwan

Clothes tend to be cheaper in Taiwan than in most Western countries so it is possible to bring just the bare minimum and plan on buying more clothes as you need them. However, I should mention one important note concerning shoes. Taiwanese feet tend to be on the small size, so guys if your shoe size is pushing 12+ you may have serious problems finding anything that fits. Female sizes are better represented, but you too may have trouble.

Western brand clothes (Levi’s, GAP, Polo, etc) will be just as expensive if not more in Taiwan than back home. Local imitations can easily be found and will be far cheaper. Natural fiber clothes can also be more difficult to locate in Taiwan.

The rule of thumb is comfortable is casual. As long as you aren’t wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and your clothes aren’t dirty or wrinkled, you will be fine. Taiwanese are image conscious and you will be treated with far more respect if you dress nicely.

Teaching Materials to Bring to Taiwan

Your school will be well stocked with textbooks, games, and other materials to supplement your classes with. Your students will be expected to bring their own notebooks, pens, pencils and erasers with them to class. Don’t worry about having to stock your school with enough teaching supplies to last 50 kids for a year.

On the other hand, it would be a good idea to bring several packages of stickers with you that have English words on them - “great”, “good job” etc. Not only is this an effective way to reinforce vocabulary, but also make great rewards for good behavior. Use rewards judiciously or else all of your students will expect rewards all the time.

Western games such as Twister, Monopoly, Uno, and Boggle also make great ‘fun time’ activities.

Female Teachers’ Packing List

  • Tampons
  • Cosmetics
  • Bras
  • Swimming suit
  • Shoes
  • Birth Control Pills
    • Birth control pills are available in Taiwan. You should see a doctor to get a prescription. NT$150-250 once you have your ARC card.
  • Condoms
    • These are a good thing to have whether active or not. Asian condoms tend to break easily and are different sizes.

Miscellaneous Items to Pack

Books in Taiwan - Teaching English in Taiwan Be sure to bring all your favorite English books!

  • A copy of your vital documents:
    Bring photocopies of your passport, degree, transcripts and photo ID in case you lose your passport or other documents and need to replace them.
  • Pictures from home:
    Bring a couple of photo albums with you with photos of your friends and family. Condensed versions of your photo albums are fine, don’t bore yourself and your class to tears with ten consecutive shots of Aunt Millie. This is a great way to combat homesickness, and you can also get a lot of mileage out of them in the classroom. Your students will be endlessly curious about life in your home country.
  • Books:
    Penguin classics are available in English in major bookstores, but contemporary literature in English is hard to find. Bring some of your favorite books with you or order them from Amazon.com
  • Posters:
    A few posters from home can help your apartment in Taiwan feel like home.
  • Movies or TV Shows from Home:
    It is cheap and easy to rent movies in Taiwan. Most Hollywood flicks are in English with Taiwan subtitles. If you want to watch your favorite movies without Taiwan sub-titles or editing, bring copies from home.