ESL in Taiwan

Twenty years ago, I taught English on Taiwan and made bank. I've been back on vacation and family visits numerous times since.

From what I'm told The money, these days is still quite good, but not the gold mine that I experienced.

Legally, to teach ESL on Taiwan these days you need a college degree (which you already have), but I've heard of several people using fake ones, and never heard that an ESL certificate was much of an advantage unless you are trying to teach in a public school or university.

I doubled my (already good), salary because I could speak functional Chinese and because I moved to a small less populated county capital city in the rural central countryside. Most foreign teachers heavily prefer the more populous urban areas, supply and demand determine price.

Additional:
There is a learning curve of 2-6 months involved in the practice of ESL teaching, so it might be a good idea to start in Taipei, where jobs are plentiful and then move-on to a higher-paying area.

Demand for ESL teachers SPIKES everywhere in Taiwan during the summer months when the kids are out of school.

Good luck, and feel free to ask any questions that might arise.

Thousands go to Taiwan every year, with just a degree in 'something and maybe a TEFL cert.
Have a look for adverts on places like eslcafe and tefl.com, and others.

I teach English in Taiwan now (in Kaohsiung).

There are plenty of English teaching jobs here, but also plenty of teachers, so don't be surprised if there are many other applicants for the positions you apply for.

Experience is very useful - sometimes you won't even get an interview without teaching experience. People like to live in Kaohsiung long-term and many teachers here have years of experience, ESL qualifications (CELTA etc.); some even have teaching licenses. In theory, you can get a good teaching job here with just a degree; in practice, the flood of applicants for positions means that schools are getting ever more picky about who they hire.

Bear in mind that I'm talking only about Kaohsiung, which is a popular destination for foreigners. The situation may well be easier in smaller cities.

You'll need to come here, get somewhere cheap to stay (a hostel is fine for a week or two), and get out there on the streets handing out resumes at all the language schools you can find. Interviews usually include a demo lesson, so be prepared for that. Check the web for local foreigner newsgroups for job ads (here in Kaohsiung we have the Kaohsiung Living websites and a Yahoo newsgroup with the same name).

Bear in mind also that you'll probably be asked to sign a one-year contract for any job you apply for. True, there are not usually any big incentives to finish your contract like there are in eg. Korea, and the labor market is much more fluid, but giving Taiwan at least a year should enable you to save some money and enjoy the experience of living here. The first 6 months can be pretty tough.