Sourseed.com - Taiwan

Taiwan education system is compulsory of 18 years of formal study. Normally, the entire study requires 2 years of preschool education, 6 years of elementary school, 3 years of junior high, and 3 years of senior high school. Government strong encourage people to have a college degree. According to government statistic, there are 151 Colleges, 188 senior vocational schools, 277 senior high schools, 715 junior high schools, 2600 elementary schools, 2875 kindergarten and 985 special schools. Following the entry of WTO, English is recognized as second official language in Taiwan. Government has also implemented new education reform in English education. Elementary student will begin to have English course early. Schools are more open for Native English teachers for early education ever since.

History
Taiwan, the Republic of China's (ROC) modern history begins in 1911, following the collapse of the Qing dynasty. Dr. Sun Yatsen, leader of the rebellion, became the first president of the ROC. Not wishing to be president, Sun Yatsen stepped down, and the leadership was assumed by Yuan Shikai. He died in 1911. In the following power struggle, the Nationalist party-KMT (Kuo Ming Tan) came to power under leader Chiang Kaishek. After WWII, Japan handed back Taiwan to mainland China. With many years of external and internal warfare, the communist eventually won the popularity from the people, in 1949, about 1.5 million Mainland Chinese people followed the KMT into Taiwan, raising the population to 7.4 million by 1950. Industry revolution and land reform had immediately taken place. By 1960s, Taiwan was so called a 'little tiger.' Martial law was lifted in 1987, and Taiwan has became a more open and successful country ever since.

Economy
With limited resources and a population of over 22 million in a size of Holland, Taiwan is the world's 14th largest economy. Technology has played a key role for the rising economy of Taiwan, high tech businesses, notably electronics, telecommunications, computers and peripherals, account for over 50% of Taiwan’s exports. For which Taiwan, has been classified as a 'newly industrialized economy' (NIE). The annual per capita income has risen to US$ 11,895 and average 5% of annual growth rate. In 2001, GDP accounted for US$297 billions with total export US$329.76 billion in 2000.

Geography
Like tobacco leaf shaped, Taiwan is located in the Pacific Ocean only 160km from Mainland China. The island straddles the Tropic of Cancer. Located about midway between Korea and Japan to the north and Hong Kong and Philippines to the south, Taiwan lies on major air and sea transportation routes in the western Pacific Ocean. Taiwan is 394 km (245 miles) long and 144 km (89.5 miles) wide at the broadest point. The total land area is 36,000 sq km (13,900 miles), which is not much larger than the combined states of Massachusetts and Connecticut, or about the size of Holland or Vancouver Island.

Taiwan is known for its eminent mountain features that span from the north to the south of the island. These hard rock mountains had developed from series of volcanic activities during the past centuries. Nearly 200 of the island's peaks rise 3,000 meters or more in altitude, with Yu Shan (Mount Jade) being the highest peak at 3,952 meters among North-East Asia, outside the Himalayan range. The small country contains five longitudinal mountain ranges occupy almost half of the islands. The Central Mountain Range bisects Taiwan from north to south and about two-thirds of the island is covered with forested peaks. The rest of the island is made up of foothills, terraced flatlands, and coastal plains and basins. The tallest, Jade Mountain, stands 3952m. . About 85% of the Taiwanese people live along the western plain. The Central Mountain Range dominates the center of the island. This is largely uninhabited. The East coast of the island contains many sheer cliffs, and provides some of Taiwan's most awesome scenery.

Climate
Taiwan's climate is subtropical monsoon type of climate found on the southern Chinese mainland, with average annual temperatures of 21.7C (71.2F) in the north and 24.1C (75.7F) in the south. Summer is the longest season, beginning in May, and continuing through to the end of September. June, July and August are the hottest months. Temperatures can reach the low to mid 30's (Celsius) easily. Humidity is high. From June to September also is known as raining season, and afternoon cloudbursts are common. Fall is a short season, beginning in October, and continuing into mid-December. Temperatures average mid 20's (Celsius). Usually, the weather is sunny this time of year and warm. Winter begins in late December or early January. The temperature drops to around 10 degrees C, and it can rain often. Because the weather can be wet at this time of year, you'll need adequate warm clothing to keep out the chill- see the unit on clothing. Snows fall only on the top mountains. Spring is short. It starts near the end of February, and continues through to April. Temperatures are usually around the mid-twenties. To expect plenty of rain. Typhoon season starts from July to October, occasionally typhoon will cause severe damage on the island but most of them are mild. There are about 3 to 9 major typhoons in a year.

Population
The total population of Taiwan is about 22 million people. Average life expectancy is now 76 years in Taiwan. Population growth is about 0.9% and falling. Taiwan is one of the highest population density in the world with average 607 people per sq km. Less than 2% of the population is aboriginal. In education, more than 1.1 million people have a four year college degree and 27.4% of work population have at least a junior college degree. Overall a national literacy rate is 95%.

Religion
The Chinese religious belief system has a guardian deity for almost every aspect of human life. The Chinese deities revered in Taiwan, notably Kuan Yin, Goddess of Mercy, and Matsu Goddess of the Sea, all had their origins on the Chinese mainland. Approximately 50 percent of the population regularly participate in some form of organized religious practice. Taoism and Buddhism are the predominant religious in Taiwan, other religion as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, also came to Taiwan via the mainland. Quite fair amount of people believe Christianity or Catholic and more than 70 percent of the indigenous population is Christian.

Languages
Mandarin Chinese is the official language in Taiwan. Majority of people can speak both Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese, although other dialects are also spoken, such as Hakkanese, and several aboriginal languages. Many people can speak some basic English, but most taxi drivers do not speak English.

Accommodation
Mostly employers will provide a private room for each teacher and usually three bedrooms in an apartment. Apartment condition can be furnished or unfurnished depending on the salary package you get. Most apartment rentals in Taiwan are unfurnished and uncarpeted, and there is absolutely no standard for what appliances are or are not provided, including refrigerators, stove and oven, and air conditioners. Built in closets are rare, usually a stand-alone wardrobe and some places provide a washing machine but not common. If you're looking for furnished apartments, don't expect interiors to have the same attention to decor and color coordination as may be found in the western country. Most of apartment are three bed rooms, but you still can find a studio or two bed rooms apartment around. Mostly you will find that the master bedroom has an air conditioner and built-in wardrobe, but the other bedrooms do not. Be aware of weather in Taiwan, it is very humid, mold spreads like wildfire and dust collects faster than the speed of sound. Thus, furniture usually comes in a limited variety of resistant wood, leather, and plastic finishes, and floors are tiled or hardwood. Depending on the area you locate, unfurnished apartment prices can range from NT$3,000 to over NT$20,000 and the difference between furnished and unfurnished can run from NT$3,000 to NT$5,000.

Most of public restroom have western style toilets and about 50 percent of public restroom have both Asian (squat) and western style toilets. In the rural area, the restroom are usually Asian style. Most of the public restroom have toilet paper but few place will require a fee for using the restroom.

Electricity & Water
Electric current is 110 volts, 60 cycles, AC. Drinking water served at hotels and restaurants is distilled or boiled.

Paying Bills
All utility bills can be paid conveniently. Telephone, water and electricity bills can be paid at any bank where you have an account as well as at 7-11s and many other 24-hour convenience stores. Often, tenants simply give their bills along with payment to their landlords. This is the easiest method. Currently for phone bills, Hinet has online payment services but only in Chinese and for electricity and water you can set up an automatic transfer payment account in Postal Remittances and Savings Banks, then they will take care rest of them for you. Water and electricity bills are paid every two months. You are charged according to how much you use. Most people can expect to pay about NT$150 per month for water service. Electricity bills will vary depending on how often you run an air conditioner or a space heater. You can expect to pay more than NT$500 per month in the hottest and coldest months.

Currency
The currency in Taiwan is the New Taiwan dollars (NT$). The exchange rate is subjected to market fluctuations. Foreign currencies can be exchanged at the airport, government-designated, private banks and hotels. Major credit cards are accepted in the major retail stores or department stores and traveler's checks may be cashed at some tourist-oriented businesses or at the international tourist hotels.

Business Hours
Most of business are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Government offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Department stores are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and most other stores are open from 9 or 10 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. Most of restaurants are close at 1a.m. and a few 24 hours restaurants. One big difference from most Western countries is that no matter the time of day or night, there is always something going on. Major cities like Taipei, Kaohsiung or Taichung, are called sleepless cities. Many 7-11s and other 24-hour convenience stores around - it is not uncommon to have several per city block. All night drug stores are not uncommon.

General
Adjusting to a total different cultural environment is not easy, so be prepared to get sick here if you have low immune system. So expect it, it won't be so depressing. You will almost certainly get sick several times over your first few months in Taiwan. This is due to several reasons. First, you're in a new place and your body is adjusting to all sorts of new conditions. Second, no matter how you try to avoid it, you will probably eat something that disagrees with you. Third, if you are going to be a teacher of kindergarten or elementary school, you'll be exposed to dozens of children everyday, carrying germs and viruses that are new to your immune system, so it will take some time to build up the proper defenses. This happens to new teachers all the time in Taiwan. Don't worry - you will get better. If you need medicine, there are all kinds of small pharmacies here, with both Western and Chinese medicines. There are also some larger chain-stores (like Watson's) that are like "drug stores" or "chemist's" back home.

Upon arriving in Taiwan you will receive a National Health Insurance card (NHI) from your employer. Your NHI Card is valid for one year and will cover most of the cost with pay only NT$100 to NT$150 visiting fee. This insurance covers for regular medical and dental plan. Most doctors and dentists can speak at least basic English.

Common Problems
Taiwan is much hotter and much more humid than most of the countries from which English teachers hale. As a result, skin irritations and funguses such as Athlete's Foot are not uncommon. There are several steps that can be taken to avoid these problems. Frequent bathing, making sure to thoroughly dry yourself after bathing and the use of baby powder or other drying powders can significantly decrease the risk of these kinds of irritation. Medicinal creams of various sorts are also commonly available for combating these irritation should they occur. The increased humidity, along with the air pollution and colds and flu that are commonly passed around can lead to what is commonly referred to as "the Taiwan cough" - a sometimes persistent and recurrent nuisance. The best way to deal with this is simply to be patient. Be careful with your health, take care of colds when you get them, and if you smoke, quit or cut down. Throat irritations are also common as teachers depend heavily on, and sometimes over-use their voices.

Vitamins
Everyone has their own ideas about the use and efficacy of vitamins and other food supplements. In general though, it probably can't hurt, and the use of vitamins may help you fight off colds and generally stay healthier in this new environment where your body will be under new stresses. Vitamins are much more expensive in Taiwan than in most Western countries, so if you take vitamins, or plan to take vitamins while here, it's not a bad idea to stock up before coming. Suggested vitamins are C, E and zinc for general maintenance of the immune system, and Echidnae for fighting off colds and flu when they threaten. Other vitamins are a matter of personal choice, and it may be worthwhile doing some of your own research on this subject.

Western Toiletries
Pharmacies with Western toiletries are very common. Unless you are very brand specific, there is no need to bring a supply of anything. Most items are a little more expensive, but quite easily found. Some brands that are commonly available in Taiwan include: Pantene, Vidal Sassoon, Pert, Flex, Finesse, Head &Shoulders, Nivea, Freemans, Oil of Olay, Pond's, Neutrogena, Dove, Ban, Gillette, Secret, Maybelline, Covergirl, Vick's, Ciba Vision, Alcon, Opti-free, Bausch & Lomb, Colgate, Aquafresh, Johnson & Johnson and Oral-B. In additional, there are many Japanese and local brands to experiment with. One notable exception that is not commonly available is Tylenol. But overall, if you are not sure weather or not to bring it - DON'T.

Medical Exam
To obtain a work VISA, you will have to take a medical exam at the government assigned hospitals. Most of the times, the employer will take you to the exam. The check-up will include a blood test (HIV, syphilis, dengue fever etc.), a chest X-ray, a urine test for drugs (traditionally morphine and amphetamines, but they may start testing for marijuana soon), a stool sample (test for parasites), and various others tests. It depends on situation, sometimes employers will cover the medical exam but some don't. It takes about 5-7 working days to get the medical exam. Costs are from NT$1500 to NT$2000.

Vaccinations
No special vaccinations are required. However, inoculations for Hepatitis B are recommended, as the carrier rate in Taiwan is estimated at 15-20%. Inoculations for Hepatitis B require up to three injections spaced over six months. If you do not have enough time to get all of the injections before coming to Taiwan, you can bring the vaccine for the remaining injections with you and have a doctor here administer it. Talk to your doctor regarding transportation and storage of the vaccine. Hepatitis A and Japanese Encephalitis are rare in Taiwan.

Dress Code
The dress code for teaching is quite casual, but there are certain basic requirements that must be met. Teachers cannot wear shorts or open toed shoes while teaching. Any long pants, including jeans are fine, though cotton pants would be much more comfortable in the hot weather. Skirts (for women) are acceptable as long as they are not too short. T-shirts are also acceptable. The overall image of the teachers should be clean and presentable at all times, so pants or shirts with holes in them are not acceptable.

General
When packing your wardrobe for your year(s) in Taiwan, we recommend you keep the following in mind:

Swimming
Currently there are many spa center has included swimming pool. You can excise and relax at the same time. Admission fees run from NT$200 to NT$500, depending on facilities and location. Discounts are often offered when you buy a book of tickets as opposed to single admission tickets. It is mandatory to wear swimming caps, goggles are strongly recommended. They can both be purchased relatively cheaply at the pools.

Running/Cycling/Hiking
Taiwan has many recreation parks all over the country. It is usually not safe to run or ride the bike along the street. People tend to drive aggressively in Taiwan. Shoes and gear as well as bicycles can be purchased at a relative cheap price in any local sports store. There are many good places to mountain hiking as well, you can check the useful link to find out more information about it.

Gyms
Many universities have recreation center, some of them are open for the public for free at the night. A lot of fitness center throughout the country, usually require a fee but have more excise equipments. You can pay by each time visit but if you are sports person, it will be better off to be a member. Membership fees run between NT$1500 and NT$2000 per month depending on the membership plan of choice. Personal trainers are available as well as a tanning bed.

Court Sports
Badminton is a popular sport among Taiwanese as well as basketball for college students. Most of them are very friendly, seizing the opportunity to show off both their playing skills and English speaking abilities.

Golf
Play golf is not cheap in Taiwan comparing to western country. You can see many indoor golf court all around the country.

Others
Taipei has a number of sport interest groups including rugby, scuba diving, ultimate Frisbee, paragliding, kayaking and horseback riding. However, the further outside of the mainstream the activity is, the higher the associated costs will be.

Fast food chain has strong foothold in Taiwan, those stores including, Burger King, McDonald's, 21 Century, KFC, Yoshinoya, Subway, Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut and Napoli. Prices are relatively higher than those in Western countries and quite expensive compared to Chinese food alternatives. Up market diners will find a number of good steakhouse, Thai, Italian, Mexican and French restaurants.

Many traditional markets still can be seen in the late afternoon. The produce and meat are relatively fresh, but sometimes, the price can be more expensive than those in supermarkets. Some supermarkets even carry imported meats, cheeses and wines (although Taiwan's high import taxes are in effect). There are few amount of western foods grocery stores in Taiwan, there you can find most kinds of western foods, such as spaghetti, cream soup, etc.

Those enjoy different kind of cousins will find a bounty of dishes to discover. From cafeteria-style 'lunch box' eateries and dumpling and noodle shops to night markets and street vendors featuring all manners of nutrition. The choices are plentiful.

Vegetarians
Many vegetarian restaurants can be found on the streets. It serves all kind of vegetables but most of them are Taiwanese flavor oriented. The price is variance over the places and location. But do not worry, you will find your favorite veggie either in the traditional market or supermarket. Taiwanese people love all kinds of produce. In the food stands you can find tofu, bean and other vegetarian centric-meals abound. For most vegetarians currently living in Taiwan, the words 'bu yao rou' (I don't want meat) are a daily utterance. One warning for those who are strict in their avoidance of meat: many restaurants use pork lard in place of vegetable oil when frying. Strict vegetarians can find completely animal-product free food at vegetarian restaurants, which are easily distinguished by the inverted swastika displayed out front.

Internet
Keeping in touch with the folks back home is not a problem, as long as they're on-line. Internet cafe is a very popular place for the people who love internet or PC games but do not have own computer, especially among high school students in Taiwan. Many internet cafes have high speed broadband connection and latest software. Prices run about NT$30-50 per hour. The downside is during the lunch time, it will get crowded with uniform clad high school students playing PC games. Many universities’ library also have free use of computer and internet for non-university student as long as you show any type of id. For those do not feel like to fight with traffic or like to have privacy while surfing the net, can purchase PC with fairly amount of money in the computer streets all over the Taiwan.

Standard telephone connections and ADSL lines are also available. The local phone company (Hinet) offers standard phone connections for about NT$0.4 per minute, but since you also pay by the minute for local calls, the real cost is somewhat higher. ADSL lines from the same company run about NT$1299 for 512K speed per month. In either case, there will be set-up and installation fees on top of this. Recently, with the privatization of much of the telecommunications industry in Taiwan, competing companies have been sprouting up that offer various package deals for Internet access. A little bit of research once you arrive will allow you to find the best deal.

Overseas Calls
On private phones, the Overseas operator may be reached by dialing "100". Direct dialing is available as well by dialing "002-(country code)-(area code)-(telephone number)". Person-to-person and station-to-station calls are accepted. For information call the Telecommunications Administration at (02) 2321-2535. Rates for international direct dialing are calculated every six seconds. Many telecommunications industry in Taiwan has spawned a number of competing companies that offer different deals for long distance calling. Search around can save you some money. AT&T USA Direct Service World Connect Service is available from almost 90% of public phones in Taiwan by dialing 0080-10288-0. You can simply pick up the handset of any public phone and dial the access number with no need to insert a phone card or coin, wait a few seconds and you will be connected to AT&T USA Direct Service. Use your AT&T calling card or call collect - easy and fast.

Domestic Long Distance
These calls may be made on private phones or pay phones directly, or through the telephone bureau.

City Pay Phones
It is relatively cheap to use city pay phones. The rate for local calls is NT$1.00 for three minutes and about NT$10 for the domestic calls. You can simply buy a phone card for NT$100 to NT$200. It is easy and simple with no hassles of putting the coins all the times.

Cell Phones
Cell phone is quite cheap comparing to most of western country. For those who do not feel like to go through many process to obtain a phone line, can simply purchase the cell phone. The price varies depending what model you get. Cell phone SIM card, like phone card, can be purchased at any convenient stores or electronic stores. You can also get a calling plan from the telecommunication company. The cell phone can also direct dial or receive for the international calls. All the incoming calls are free, you just need to pay for the outgoing calls.

To get around in Taiwan definitely is not a problem, public transportation is well built, you can simply go anywhere in major cities with your preference of train (MRT-Modern Railway Train) or bus even taxi. Be prepare to have a rough ride with the taxi, the drivers tend to drive more aggressive than regular drivers and they don't speak English. Bus and train is all over the big cities like Taipei, or Kaohsiung. The bus fare is range from NT$12 to NT$24 within the city and train is about NT$20 to NT$55, depend on the distance you travel. There is no English sign for bus stops. If you do not like to fight with the crowd, you can simply purchase a scooter. Majority of people in Taiwan own at least one scooter, you can go anywhere easier without worrying about traffic and crowd. The used scooter can be purchase at the scooter shop, but shop around, you can get a descent price for it. A lot of foreigners in Taiwan drive the scooter without license, which is strongly NOT recommended. To protect yourself and others, get a license before get a scooter.

Visa
Without a working visa (ARC-Alien Resident Certificate), also called "resident visa", foreigners are restricted to work in Taiwan. Working visa can be applied at the Ministry of Foreign Affair or Taiwan Consular Office in your country. Once the working visa is approved, then you can apply ARC at the local police station along with working visa. Most of the times, if you did not obtain working visa before you land in Taiwan, your employer will apply for you. It takes approximately one month to get your ARC card.

These are the general requirements and procedures for the ARC application in Taiwan:

Application form
School license
Weely class schedule
Current employed teachers' list
Medical exam
Employment Agreement
Passport is valid for at least one year
Copy of passport
Two photos taken within 6 months
Copy of College diploma (need to be notarized)
Copy of translated College diploma (need to be notarized)

Time: 7-10 work days
Fee: NT$500 per applicant

Step 2: Ministry of Foreign Affair

Resident Visa Application form
City Education Bureau approval document
Original copy of passport
Two photos taken within 6 months

Time: 10 work days
Fee: The Resident Visa fee (single entry) is NT$2,200 (U.S.$66) or NT$3,000 (multiple entry).

Step 3: Local Police Station

ARC application form
Copy of Education Bureau approval document
Original copy of passport with resident visa on it
Two photos taken within 6 months

Time : 5-7 working days
Fee: NT$500

For more information on visa issue, check in the usefu1 links in the below.

Tax
For the first 6 months, you will pay 20% of income tax, afterward, you will just pay 6%. Ask your employer, whether they withheld your income tax or you have to pay tax yourself. Local sales tax is about 5%.

There are quite a few foreign invested banks in Taiwan such as, Citibank, Standard Charterd, Bank of America and Cathy bank. Open a new account is quite simple for local banks as well. Most of employers will assist you to open a bank account in Taiwan for a payroll purpose. Many banks offer wire and transfer services with a fee. Just bring a copy of your passport and ARC (working visa) along with application, most banks require initial minimum deposit of NT$100, some maybe more. Then you can get a bank book and ATM card immediately.

Contract term: 6 and 12 months
Salary: NT$50,000-70,000/month
Over time: NT$500-700/hour
Relocation Assistance: airfare reimbursement
Accommodation: Depend on offering package, some school offers higher pay with no accommodation or accommodation with less pay. The accommodation is generally unfurnished.

If you don't wanna be interrogated by the custome officer, you should consider not to bring items like, handcuffs, knife, gun replica, illegal drugs, meat, plants or other harmful sensitive stuff. For more these information, check the official Taiwan custom web site.

Disclaimer: the information above is prepared by experienced teachers and intend for a general references only, for more detail information, individuals should consult the official web sites. SourSeed will not held any responsibility of consequence for any decision made. Copyright © 2004 SourSeed Inc. All rights reserved