In many parts of East Asia, the emergence of soft pink and white blossoms signals the arrival of spring and the promise of warmer weather. When compared with other countries in Asia, like Japan and Korea, Taiwan’s cherry blossom season arrives earlier and is longer. It’s a season that attracts many people, young and old, to the mountains of Taiwan to take in the sight of this annual natural phenomenon.

One of the best things about living and teaching abroad is the exposure to new experiences that may be unique to what you might experience back home. Having grown up on the prairies of Canada, for me, spring was always the absolute worst season. While the other three seasons each have their unique beauty, spring is the ugly season when the snow turns to muddy slush and the trees remain bare and the grass yellow, waiting for summer to show their true colours.
Since living in Asia, I’ve discovered how this transitional season can be beautiful, and how, just maybe, it might even be the best season. Most years here, I’ve enjoyed the cherry blossom season at a distance, reluctant to battle the crowds of the most picturesque places.
However, this year I decided to make a day out of it and take some time to enjoy the special season (after all, it only comes once a year!) and to hopefully capture some good photos. With my camera and a willing friend ready to go, I headed to Yangmingshan, one of the best viewing places easily accessible from Taipei. The bus from Taipei Main Station was direct and convenient, with the ride being just short of an hour.

Upon arrival at Yangmingshan bus terminal, I immediately realized that I had not thoroughly thought through my plan. I had expected to get off the bus and immediately be overwhelmed by blossoms. Instead, the surroundings of the bus terminal revealed very little. However, I’d been to Yangmingshan plenty of times before during the fall and winter and knew my way around, so we started walking uphill away from the village and, sure enough, were soon able to see evidence of cherry blossoms.
We followed a little paved walking path up the mountain (nothing strenuous) and soon came across a little pavillion lined with brightly coloured blossoms, just below the parking lot of the Yangmingshan Visitor Centre, where many people were already composing photos and posing for photos. You couldn’t miss it! The blossoms in that area were a bright, bold pink, in contrast to the snowy white and soft pink blossoms that can be seen in other areas

Fortunately for us, it wasn’t very busy, being a weekday afternoon, and we were able to enjoy the lovely scene in peace, without the stress and noise of busy crowds. After a couple hours of strolling around, I was satisfied that I had captured enough decent photos and was ready to head back to Taipei to enjoy some food!

Tips:

Planning Ahead: Check the projected cherry blossom dates ahead of time. Be aware that different locations around Taiwan will have different peak days, so make sure you check the best days for the place you plan to visit!

When to Go: It’s inevitable that there will be a lot of people, as they will flock to the best viewing locations on the weekends, bringing their children, pets, and selfie-sticks with them. If you can’t go on a weekday (teacher life, I know), go as early as possible on a Saturday or Sunday morning if you want to avoid the crowds and have the best photo taking opportunities.

Getting There: You can take the bus directly to Yangmingshan from Taipei Main Station (260 Shuttle) or Shilin Station (111) and ride to the last stop.

The post Cherry Blossom Season in Taiwan first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.

We went to an Herbal Party in Taipei!
With its vibrant culture and rich tradition, Taipei is regularly abuzz with events and festivals throughout the city for locals and foreigners alike to discover and experience different cultural aspects. Last month, we ventured out to experience some of Taiwan’s local culture together by checking out Herbal Party 2018, an event hosted in Taipei’s historical and cultural district of Dadaocheng.

Located along the Tamsui River, Dadaocheng was once Taipei’s centre of economic and cultural development. Today, many of the old buildings, a mix of Baroque-style architecture and traditional Hokkien bungalows, have been preserved and continue to embody the spirit of Taiwan’s tradition and culture. As we walked along Dadaocheng’s bustling Dihua Street, we passed bright fabric shops, quaint tea houses, and traditional Chinese pharmacies with their walls lined with jars of mysterious substances, while delicious smells rose to meet us from street vendors selling Taiwanese snacks. Here, traditional arts also continue to be practiced, with small artisan shops and galleries exhibiting different crafts. This area is a must-visit in Taipei for its true atmosphere of historic Taiwan.

The Herbal Party event was centred around celebrating traditional Chinese herb culture rooted in Chinese medicine. The outdoor event brought new life and energy to centuries-old tradition by showcasing different uses of traditional herbs beyond medicinal applications, including snacks, cocktails, and DIY crafts, all in a fun, lively environment. Highlights included sampling and combining different herbs to create our own fragrance sachets, mixing cocktails using traditional herbs and medicines, and getting henna tattoos in the designs of Chinese herbs. The event also featured a DJ, snacks (also made with Chinese herbs), and even a visit from the mayor of Taipei.

Special thanks to teachers Felicia and Juana for participating in this event, to Diane for organizing, translating, and explaining everything, and to Lian for filming the event.

The post Dadaocheng Herbal Party first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.

Considering teaching abroad? Why Taiwan? We asked some of our Canadian teachers and recent university graduates to share about their experience teaching Foresight’s Ontario-based ESL program, and why they made the decision to teach in Taiwan.

The post Canadian Teachers: Why Teach in Taiwan? first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.

One of our Canadian high school teachers shares about her firsthand observations and experience living and teaching in Taiwan during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Originally posted to Facebook on 4/3, re-shared with permission.

Living in Taiwan during COVID-19 is…honestly, pretty normal.
It has felt quite surreal to wake up, go to school, teach students face-to-face, and then go on social media to see updates from friends all around the world going into isolation one by one. I found out today that Taiwan is allegedly one of six countries left in the world that still has schools open and running during this pandemic. In fact, because Taiwan extended the Chinese New Year break by two weeks to avoid community spread in schools – this happened in early February, back when we only had 10 confirmed cases – the Ministry of Education extended our school year by two weeks into the middle of July. Education is a serious matter here, folks.

When I first heard the news about a novel coronavirus in January, I was initially worried because Taiwan is right next to China and has more than its fair share of political tensions with China/the UN/WHO. A recent viral video of an interview conducted by RTHK with WHO’s Dr. Aylward is just another example of this. I was concerned about Taiwan’s ability to coordinate protective measures and partake in the sharing of information amidst a pandemic when most of the world, whether by choice or immense pressure from China, can barely have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
However, as it turns out, Taiwan has done just fine on its own – and, is arguably the safest developed country to be in right now in the entire world. An article stated that Taiwan “was expected to have the second highest number of cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to its proximity to and number of flights between China.” Yet, we currently have 329 confirmed cases, most of which are imported cases from travellers returning from abroad.

The government has done an incredible job protecting this country against all odds. Taiwan started implementing protective measures against COVID-19 since December last year. Healthcare professionals are working tirelessly on the front lines. Travel bans and strict quarantine measures were enacted early on. Tracking of coronavirus cases and contacts has been nothing short of impeccable. Mask production was ramped up and a rationing system was implemented. They can now be ordered online and picked up at one of the many NHI pharmacies around the country. This is just a tiny slice of what Taiwan has done to protect against COVID-19.

The result? People are still going to work, most restaurants and shopping centres are open, and the public transportation is still filled with commuters (who are all dutifully wearing masks). Although there has been a little bit of panic buying, our grocery stores are still well stocked…and yes, we still have toilet paper. While there are absolutely people and businesses that have been hit hard by COVID-19, the vast majority of us are in the extremely fortunate position of still being able to go about our daily lives without major disruption.

To my teacher friends and colleagues: I wish you all the best as you (hopefully) get to resume teaching sometime in the near future, whether online or face-to-face. At my school, we are currently preparing for online learning in case that situation arises. We have some preventative practices that I hope schools in more countries will adopt and adapt: Teachers disinfect commonly touched surfaces (desks, remotes, doorknobs, and light switches) several times daily, and we also spray all of our students’ hands with hand sanitizer when they enter class. Everyone gets their forehead temperature checked upon entering school premises. Hand-washing and mask-wearing are the norm.

Taiwan also has protocols in place if there is community spread in schools: 1 confirmed case triggers a shut down of that student/teacher’s class for 14 days, while 2 confirmed cases shuts down the entire school for 14 days. A few schools have had to do this. A travel ban was also implemented on K-12 teachers and students specifically until the end of the extended school year, after some students returning from abroad came back with COVID-19.

Taiwan learned its lessons from SARS in 2003. The minimal changes to our daily lives in Taiwan are possible because the country implemented protective measures quickly, proactively, and effectively. Culturally, living in a more collectivist as opposed to individualistic society also has a considerable impact. The normality of our current reality is a reflection of all of these factors and more. That being said, these are not reasons to relax just because we have fewer cases or a lower risk of community spread – flattening the curve does not work if not everyone participates or takes these measures seriously. Me? I am just a really lucky foreigner to find myself living here, of all places. I hope the rest of the world learns their lesson from COVID-19 so that when a future epidemic occurs (because it certainly will), it does not have to turn into another devastating pandemic.
Thank you Taiwan! Stay safe, everyone.

*Sophia is a Foresight I.E.C. teacher from Toronto, Canada. She currently teaches grade 7 ESL in New Taipei City.

The post When “Normal” Becomes the Outlier: Living in Taiwan During COVID-19 first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.

What’s it like teaching English in Shanghai? Take a peek inside our ESL classrooms as ESL teachers at Shanghai Taiwanese Children’s School share about what their day typically looks like, what they’re working on with their students, and how they’ve grown from their experience.

The post All About Teaching English in Shanghai first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.

• Living Abroad
• Teacher Voices

One of our Foresight staff members shares her experience and recommendations for hiking in Taipei, one of the best places to live for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers.

When I first moved abroad to teach English, I quickly discovered that, while I loved the thrill of living in a big city with new sights and sounds and cultural experiences, the small town girl in me would still crave the outdoors, open spaces, and the quiet, calming peace of being surrounded by nature.

Living in Taipei, where great mountain trails are so accessible, I fell in love with hiking in a new way and it became a regular part of my lifestyle. I went hiking nearly every weekend, taking on both easy day hikes in Taipei and eventually longer multi-day high-mountain treks in Taiwan’s central mountains (did you know that Taiwan has the highest density of high mountains anywhere in the world?).

If, like me, you love both being in the city and being able to escape to nature, Taipei is the ideal place to live. Not only does Taipei have a great balance between convenient city living surrounded by beautiful nature, its temperate climate makes it possible to enjoy the outdoors all year round. In Taiwan, you’ll see people of all ages out enjoying different mountain trails and scenic areas, including young people, families with kids, and the elderly.

If you’ve never hiked before, Taipei is a great place to try it! Hiking is the perfect leisurely activity for anyone who enjoys being outdoors because it doesn’t require any special skills or equipment, but you can still feel good about getting in some low intensity exercise while connecting with nature, or get together with a group of new friends and enjoy exploring together.

In this post, I’m sharing some of my favourite day hikes that are within Taipei City. All of them are easily accessible by MRT or bus and are suitable for beginners to experienced hikers. At the end, I also give some tips for those who are beginners, or new to hiking in Taiwan!

Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain) – Xinyi

This is hands-down the most popular trail in the whole country and will definitely show up on any Taipei hikes list, mainly because it’s very accessible (less than 10 min walk from Xiangshan MRT station – red line), short (it only takes 15 mins – or less if you’re fast and fit – to get to the viewing platform), and offers the best view of Taipei 101. It’s not uncommon to see people take on this trail in all kinds of attire – jeans, flip-flops, high heels, dresses – and while I don’t recommend doing it dressed like that, it does speak to who comes here. Everyone. Everyone comes here. Everyone wants that iconic photo with Taipei 101 in the background. I have several.

It’s a short hike, but it feels very intense the first time you do it. Stairs, stairs, stairs, up, up, up. Take breaks if you need them, and remind yourself that it’s not that much farther, and the view is worth it!

For a short casual hike, my recommendation is to come at sunset. You’ll get to watch the city lights come on and enjoy the night view of Taipei. The trail is also well-lit with lamps, so you won’t have to worry about being lost in the dark and using your phone flashlight to fumble your way back down. It’ll take you 25-35 minutes total to go up and down.

If you’re unsatisfied with such a short hike, you can extend this into a longer daytime hike (2.5-3 hours) by continuing past the Six Rocks lookout and following the trail all the way to the top of Nangangshan (Jiuwufeng is the name of the peak). The trail is paved all the way up. There are also many other trails to explore on this mountain that don’t require as much time, and it’s relatively easy to descend back to the city at any point.

Hushan (Tiger Mountain) – Xinyi

I actually prefer this hike to Xiangshan. It’s only slightly more out of the way (15 min walk from Yongchun MRT station – blue line), but also offers great views of Taipei 101 and is far less busy than its more touristy sister. To go up to the lookout deck and back down takes less than an hour, but I usually like to start here and take the long route that connects to Xiangshan (via Nangangshan/Jiuwufeng) for a longer hike (around 3 hours).

Jinmianshan – Neihu

This hike is my favourite for varied terrain! While most urban trails in Taipei are paved and have a lot of steps, this one is more dynamic with a mix of stairs and natural trail, and some rocky parts that require scrambling using your hands, making it more fun and interesting. The trailhead is a 12 minute walk from Xihu MRT Station (brown line). You’ll clearly know when you’ve gotten to the peak; there’s a field of rocks including a distinct turtlehead-shaped rock that makes for some fun photos. You can end this hike back at the starting place, or you can follow the trail through and finish near Lishan High School (if you do, you can reward yourself with a delicious Aussie brunch at The Antipodean!). Either route will be 1.5-2.5 hours, depending on how often you take breaks to admire the views.

If it has recently rained, the rocks can be slippery. You’ll want to be more mindful of your steps, wear footwear with good traction, or if you’re not feeling confident, try again on a drier day.

Also, this trail has more sun exposure than other trails in Taipei, particularly at the scrambling part and the peak, so if you’re prone to sunburn, I highly recommend some sun protection!

Laodifang Lookout – Jiantanshan, Shilin

This has been my favourite trail recently. Starting from Jiantan MRT station (red line), it’s about an hour to one and a half hours to Laodifang Lookout. It’s a platform deck that looks out over Songshan Airport where you can see the planes coming in. This hike feels like a lot of stairs in the beginning, because it’s a rapid ascent, but becomes more leisurely the higher up you get. On this mountain, there are some great lookout points both to the north (towards Yangmingshan) and the south (towards Taipei 101).

One option for extending this hike is continuing east across the mountain and ending behind Miramar (Jiannan Road Station – brown line). The last part of the trail joins with a paved mountain road and you can walk down from there. This takes around 3 hours.

Alternatively, if you do this hike around sunset and finish back at Jiantan station, you can hit up Shilin Night Market for some yummy Taiwanese snacks to reward yourself!

Xianjiyan – Jingmei

A hidden gem in Taipei! I only discovered this trail recently, and it’s a good one! It’s very easy and leisurely, mostly visited by locals from the nearby neighbourhoods, but the trails are nicely maintained and the views in all directions are great! This is perfect for beginners or casual hikers.

It’s a 10 minute walk from Jingmei MRT station (green line), and you can start and end here (about one hour), or continue towards Wanfang Hospital MRT Station (brown line), although I did get a bit lost trying to go this way and had to consult GPS frequently; like most urban trails in Taipei, it’s a network running all over the mountain with many entry and exit points.

Fuzhoushan – Daan

This is another easy hike that doesn’t take very long – about an hour and a half. Much of it is well-lit with lamps, so it’s suitable for a night hike, complete with view of Taipei 101. You can access the trailhead from Lingguang MRT Station (brown line).

Qixingshan – Yangmingshan, Beitou

This is the highest peak in the Taipei area and is also the farthest to get to, but it is a great, longer day hike that is a bit more challenging than those closer to the city. The trails are clear, well-signed, and easy to follow.

There are a number of ways to do this hike, but I usually start at Yangmingshan Visitor Centre and end either at Xiaoyoukeng or Leungshuikeng. The route from Yangmingshan Visitor Centre to Leungshuikeng is scenic and varied, and you can go in either direction. It’s about two hours (or less) up, and the same down (estimate 4 total hours of hiking).

If you take the route down to Xiaoyoukeng, you’ll smell the sulphur on the way down, and you can see the volcanic vents at the bottom. If you get car sick, I do not recommend going this way as the only way back is by shuttle bus; it’s a small bus that whips around the very windy road, and is often packed with people because of its infrequency. I didn’t take this into consideration the first time taking my friends here, and one of them had a rough time with that ride back!

Yangmingshan Visitor Center to Qixing Peak is mostly forested and shady, whereas from Qixing Peak to Leungshuikeng is mostly exposed, as is Qixing Peak to Xiaoyoukeng. This is worth considering, depending on the weather conditions.

It’s important to note that Yangmingshan is often foggy or rainy, even when the weather is clear and sunny in the rest of Taipei, so check the weather ahead of time. I’ve done this hike many times in the rain or fog with no view whatsoever, but on a clear day, you can see all of Taipei, as well as north to the ocean.

Also, because this hike is a bit longer, it wouldn’t hurt to bring some trail snacks to stay fuelled up!

For transportation:
Yangmingshan Visitor Center: take bus 1717 to/from Taipei Main or Shilin MRT station.
Leungshuikeng: take bus S15 to/from Shilin MRT Station
Ending at Xiaoyoukeng: take the shuttle bus back to Yangmingshan Bus Terminal and change to 260 Shuttle to Taipei Main MRT Station or R5 to Shilin MRT Station

Tips for Beginners

What to wear
Comfortable clothes and shoes are essential. For all of the hikes listed here, any comfortable athletic shoes will be fine. Sun protection is also important. Most trails in Taipei are mostly shaded by tree coverage, but for more exposed trails on sunny days, I always bring a hat, sunglasses, and wear sunscreen; even in winter, this subtropical sun is not to be underestimated! I’ve definitely gotten sunburned in December. For hiking in the evenings, insect repellent or long protective clothing is also a good idea.

What to bring
Because these are short hikes, they don’t require you to bring much with you. Bring a water bottle (less water for hiking in the winter, a lot more for summer). If you sweat a lot, you won’t mind having a small towel or extra T-shirt with you; it doesn’t take much to break a sweat here, especially with Taipei humidity.

On the trail
I should note that many trails in Taipei sometimes seem more like a network of intersecting trails, rather than one clear continuous trail. You’ll sometimes come to different forks and intersections and be unsure of which path to choose. Don’t worry too much about which route to take; the trails often rejoin or cross back again, and if you end up taking a different route than originally planned, you’re never far from getting back to the city.
I often use GPS on Google maps to check which direction I’m heading, relative to where I want to get to, and just choose trails that go in that general direction. Even though I’ve visited a trail many times, the exact route may vary each time I go, and sometimes I discover new views or sites along the way.

I hope you’ve found this helpful and are inspired to get out there and explore! Remember to always prepare and plan ahead, and stay safe on the trails.

*Lian is a high school teacher from Calgary, Canada and has lived in Taiwan for over three years. She has taught English in Hong Korea, Korea, and Taiwan, and currently works as part of Foresight’s HR team. When she’s not hiking, biking, or otherwise enjoying Taiwan’s beautiful outdoors, she enjoys playing board games with friends.

The post Urban Hiking in Taipei – 7 Great Trails You Can Access by Public Transit first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.

• Travel
• Living Abroad
• Teacher Voices

What are the most beautiful, interesting, quirky sights you’ve seen where you live? During the month of November, we invited our teachers to participate in a photo challenge to share their favourite things about teaching in Taiwan. They were asked to share a photo and complete the prompt “The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is…”

The photos were shared on our Facebook and Instagram, and followers were invited to support our teachers by liking their favourite photos. We were especially impressed by the stunning landscapes that were shared with us!

Taiwan is truly a beautiful place to live and teach, and we loved seeing the unique perspectives represented by our teachers.

Thank you to the teachers who participated in this challenge, and to all those who supported by voting.

First Place Winner: Quintin Oosthuizen

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is sunset at Fisherman’s Wharf in Danshui.”

First Runner Up: Nicholas Corasaniti

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is blue waters, for when you feel blue.”

Second Runner Up: Sophia Wang

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is being able to enjoy the natural beauty of the island. With just a short commute out of the city (and sometimes not even that!), you can soak in breathtaking sights such as this one of the sunset kissing lush green mountains. It’s a refreshing way to relax and recharge after a full week of teaching. You will also literally “soak in” sweat… but hiking up to see this surreal view is worth every drop.”

Honourable Mention: Daniel Alfaro

“I think the best part about teaching in Taiwan is being able to live out and experience a rich culture which blends and brings the best out of both traditional values and progressive mindsets. A place where we enjoy great food, friendly people, and the freedom to discover who we are.”

Other Entries

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is watching traditions unfold.” Nicolas Corasaniti

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is Green Island, one of the amazing places for snorkelling and diving around Taiwan.” Quintin Oosthuizen

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is the ocean around Taiwan is just as beautiful as the island itself. Friends are easily made island wide.” Quintin Oosthuizen

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is truly feeling like you are living on the island of Formosa: the beautiful, green island.” Rebecca Thompson

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is never being farther than a train ride from seas where the waves match the clouds in their colour and beauty.” Rebecca Thompson

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is strolling through a mountain valley surrounded by the beatific gaze of Chiang Kai-Shek.” Rebecca Thompson

“The best thing about teaching in Taiwan is the amazing food scene. Even this friendly neighbourhood dog knows where to find the best local shabu shabu restaurant.” Sophia Wang

“The best thing about Taiwan is the food!” Jenny Xiong

What do you think the best thing about teaching in Taiwan is? For more photos and updates about teaching and living in Taiwan, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

The post The Best Thing About Teaching in Taiwan is… first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.

Luke, an elementary and support teacher with Foresight, reflects on valuable lessons learned inside and outside of the classroom while teaching abroad in Taiwan.

This week has marked five years since I left England for foreign shores. It was a large leap of faith but one that, five years later, has rewarded me with a life I am truly grateful for and connections, experiences, and anecdotes that will last me a lifetime. Upon graduating with a Masters degree, I followed the flow of graduates from leafy university town to the overwhelming metropolis of London. I had landed my “dream job,” as a professional football scout and was moving in with friends. Over the next six months, my belief in humanity was slowly eroded and sucked from within me, and the endless cycle of commuting, working, and being poor led me to move to China. Over the next years I lived a transient life, moving around every 6-9 months and living an incredibly fast-paced life. It was a lot of fun, but I struggled to really get my feet under the table in any one country as I always felt the grass would be greener.

That is, until I came to Taiwan. I was initially employed as a grade 2/support teacher at Guangren Elementary School in Wanhua District, Taipei. Starting a new job can be daunting, starting a new job with mainly North Americans as a Brit was more jarring. Being British, we don’t often talk about our feelings, give positive feedback to people, or smile; on the other hand, the Canadians I was working with were endlessly positive. On my first team meeting at school, there was a section of the meeting called “Shout Out of the Week,” and we must have spent about ten minutes talking about how happy we were to be working with each other. This was a real step away from the simple appreciative head nod that plagues England, but after a few months, I became more open to receiving compliments (as opposed to an aloof shrug) and even joined in, praising my grade partners who were going above and beyond to support each other.

Grade 2 class

As a football coach and player, I have always been a huge advocate of teamwork. One of my many monikers is that a good team should be stronger than the sum of its parts, and over my past 18 months at Guangren, I can safely say we have achieved that status. Forming a team isn’t as easy as just snapping your fingers and becoming the A-team. The initial months as we found our workflow was a little here and there, but after a while, we fell into a really good work system where everyone was playing to their strengths and producing materials for the team.

Stern teacher faces

One of the things I enjoyed the most was planning together. I was told in a previous role that planning is one of those things that takes as much time as you have, but having five brains is a lot better than having one! Personally, I am not a creative person or teacher, I know it is a huge weakness of mine, and having to teach art was always something I dreaded. Luckily one of the other teachers in my team couldn’t get enough of teaching it and produced materials that could even guide the least creative soul through a lesson. In turn, I would make materials used to teach basic football in our school, and another teacher would make basic gymnastic materials.

What we are actually like!

The other half of my role was one of a support teacher. It was the first time our school had this position and it took a while for the role to be fully defined and what we collectively wanted it to look like. The idea was, quite simply, to support the teachers. It was always different depending on what the teacher and students needed – it could be taking the whole class as the teacher works in small groups, or taking high needs or students that need extension whilst the teacher taught the rest of the class.

I wasn’t the easiest kid at school, finding it hard to motivate myself and often not seeing the point in teacher-mandated work. My role as a support teacher was working with these kids, and having had my experience, I felt in a good position to try my best to coax language out of them. I’ve always found with these kids (and with myself) you need to gamify everything. It’s all well and good asking a student to read a page, but they need a reason to read; I often found that competition could provide this reason.

Getting these kids excited about learning was just as rewarding as working with the higher level kids. These kids were more motivated than the previous group and stretching them cognitively and socially was often the order of the day; having them work in pairs or small groups with other high-level kids brought out a higher level of English. There’s a saying in football, and it’s that playing with better players makes you a better player, you raise your game if you are playing with better players, and this is how these small sessions worked. We would deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words from context and go on tangential conversations where learning was student-led and followed the natural flow of the conversation. My role here was to stay as adaptable as possible, wear different hats for different students to bring them out of their shells.

In teaching interviews, a classic cliche is when a teacher will be asked the question, “What have you learnt from teaching,” and the teacher will reply with something like, “Well, sometimes I feel like I’m being taught by the kids, I’ve learnt so much from my students.” I’ve certainly used this line of answering before, but having reflected on what I have discovered about myself, my interactions with the students have developed a lot of my soft skills, in particular, how compassionate I can be. I haven’t learnt these skills from the students; I have developed them from my interactions with the students.

I have students here whose English is of a really good level, and they give 100% in each class and in every activity we do, but these students struggle with certain aspects of school life. Take one student. His oral language is impeccable and he is an excellent reader, his writing is full of wonderful ideas and he experiments with language in all of these spheres – sounds like an ideal student. Unfortunately, his handwriting is basically chicken scratch. On my bad days (we all have them), I ask him to try harder and write neater, but often I stop myself and remember back to my school days. I was often told to try harder with my handwriting, but when I tried my best it still wasn’t good enough (disclaimer, it still isn’t) and I found it demoralising to always be told my handwriting wasn’t up to scratch – surely give me feedback on my content! So now, I practise compassion and bring myself to understand he is trying his best and I can support his content and understanding of English, not his handwriting.

Working at Guangren Elementary has been an incredibly fun time. To use that age-old cliche, I’ve learnt a lot from my colleagues, I am more comfortable giving and accepting praise, I love working with the teams I work with, I’ve become more adaptable and compassionate. To have all these bonuses from a job makes it pretty worthwhile for me.

*Luke is a primary school and support teacher from England. He has coached football and taught English in China, India, Vietnam, Italy and is now here in Taiwan. He has a passion for guided discovery, Korean BBQ and long-distance running.

The post What Teaching Abroad has Taught Me About Compassion, Adaptability and Teamwork first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.

Published: 14 May 2021

If you could go anywhere in the world to teach, where would you choose to go? With so many options around the world to choose from, what makes Taiwan the right choice for our teachers?

We asked some of our new teachers to share about how they chose Taiwan, and what made our program specifically stand out to them.

Are you a certified teacher looking to teach abroad? Check our our current job openings.

The post How Did You Decide to Teach in Taiwan with Foresight? first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.

Jake, a high school teacher in our Ontario ESL program, recounts experiences living and working in Asia that led him to become an English (EFL/ESL) teacher, despite public speaking not coming to him naturally.

How did I ever get into teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL)?

One of the skills teaching requires is the act of speaking in public. As a teenager, I was terrified of speaking in front of people. I absolutely avoided it in any way I could. In fact, I still do. Flashback to a talk I had to give in middle school on a topic I have long forgotten or suppressed into a subconscious abyss. I kept stuttering and sweating so profusely that I had to keep my prescription glasses from sliding off my damp face. Fast-forward to my undergrad environmental biology research presentation. Again, I experienced the same physical reactions to having classmates stare at me with awkward concern as I uttered more uh’s and umm’s than my findings on the impact of human activities on the reproductive cycles of baleen whales.

Fast-forward yet again to my job induction training as a new corporate company recruit in Japan. Similar dilemma. Just the act of introducing myself in front of a large audience caused me to forget my name. The only difference was the English “uh’s” and “umm’s” were replaced with their Japanese equivalents – “ah-noh” and “ehh-to.” Language proficiency was not an issue. Ironically, my state of panic was perceived as a deliberate comedic act by a repatriated “foreigner” – me. ‘Oh, such a funny guy, like an American standup, neh.’

So, returning to the question of why I became a teacher, I would have to say that there are two factors that compelled me to take on a vocation that dictated certain personality traits and other natural qualities that I clearly did not possess. At least a couple that might automatically come to mind is the ability to stand in front of a group of people without disintegrating and talking coherently without imploding. But if pigs can fly…

My fascination and excitement at becoming a “salaryman” in Japan Inc. dwindled into disillusion and desiderium by my third year (a long story for another day). Like someone sneaking into the pantry for Oreos during a keto diet, I then began moonlighting at an English “school” after work. I nearly literally stumbled upon it when I slipped on a wet pamphlet advertising the school. It was promoting an English rakugo event there, to be performed by a student who happened to be a famous local rakugo celebrity.

Rakugo (落語) is a traditional form of spoken storytelling that has its Buddhist roots going back as far as the 9th century. Mantras evolved into their modern form of entertainment during the Edo Period (1603–1867), becoming more accessible to the general public. Comedians, or rakuga, perform alone and sit down on flat cushions on stage, in contrast to the more familiar “stand-up” comedy in the West. I was intrigued. To a rakugo show, I will go.
I arrived very early at the school on the night of the rakugo performance. I waited in a tiny lounge along with a couple of other people who were regular students there. We chatted in English, sharing stories and laughing at my quirky jokes about working in Japan as a North American Nikkei, someone like me with Japanese ancestry. Just before the show started, they had asked how long I was an instructor there. I replied that I was not. After a brief awkward moment of silence, they laughed and explained that they had thought I was their substitute filling in for their regular teacher who had called in sick. To this day, I do not know if these individuals had anything to do with the school offering me a job the following week.

The school was a small flat refurbished into a kind of café with open-style rooms each furnished with a small round table and a set of chairs. As an English conversation instructor at “Hello Café” (a pseudonym), I was tasked to teach vocabulary and sentence patterns to facilitate group discussion for adults. They were mostly professionals seeking hobbies, distractions in life, or skills to enhance their respective careers.

The feature about my teaching that the students once remarked in their feedback, which still sticks with me to this day, was that they had discovered something new about themselves through the process of practising their English.

As weeks became months, I reclaimed my mojo and took on more students with additional evening and even weekend shifts. My students loved karaoke. An activity they often requested was singing in chorus to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” or Billy Joel’s “Honesty.” Another activity that became a regular part of my lessons was reading aloud from role-playing scripts of situational dialogues that I sometimes altered to draw shy giggles or boisterous laughter. The feature about my teaching that the students once remarked in their feedback, which still sticks with me to this day, was that they had discovered something new about themselves through the process of practising their English.

Over the next two to three years, I persevered to balance my day job with my EFL moonlighting and part-time university studies. By my sixth and final year of working as a corporate “suit,” I had obtained a secondary school teaching diploma and was introduced to my first teaching job by a former student at “Hello Cafe,” thus launching my high school teaching career in Japan. It was an exciting new chapter in my life in Japan. I had transformed from an extremely introverted, spotlight-evading soul seeker to, well, a somewhat less introverted, spotlight-evading soul seeker. And at the age of 30, which today seems like a lifetime ago, I had finally felt I had found my calling in teaching, albeit accidentally.

I have not looked back since. Schools have changed, along with cities and countries of residence. After 12 years as an EFL school teacher in Japan, I relocated to Australia to expand my career as a teacher of middle school science and Japanese as a foreign language. Seven years after that, I relocated yet again to China to teach science and non-ESL subjects at a couple of international schools. Then, the world coughed and sneezed. I then came to Taiwan to teach EFL (ESL) again to find some work and life balance. I am still working on that. Also, would I have become a better or more “successful” teacher had I not moved around from school to school, country to country? Possibly. Perhaps this introverted spotlight-evading soul seeker has fooled himself for too long in believing that I need to live a life of adventure and ever-changing scenery in order to grow, succeed and be content in life.

“The way must be in you; the destination also must be in you and not somewhere else in space or time. If that kind of self-transformation is being realized in you, you will arrive.” — Nhat Hanh

Oh, well. Back to my lesson planning now.

Jake was born in Kyoto, Japan, but grew up and was educated in Quebec, Canada since the age of three. He studied science and English literature at university, and later obtained a graduate degree in education. His current hobbies are currently reading up on science articles, foreign language learning, calligraphy and taking iPhone photos during holiday trips.

Reference

All Good Tales; Storytelling traditions across the world: Japan; 2018; https://allgoodtales.com/storytelling-traditions-across-world-japan/
This story was originally posted to Medium on March 21, 2021, re-shared with permission.

The post The Accidental Teacher – How did I ever get into teaching English as a Foreign Language? first appeared on Teach in Taiwan | International ESL Teaching Jobs with Foresight.