Should I do this?

[Sam_I_Am]

So, a couple of weeks ago I had a Skype interview for a teaching position in Taiwan, teaching English to Taiwanese children 4-15 years old. I recently graduated with a BA in French and German, and have interned (twice) for the UK Parliament, and with a translation agency in Paris. A couple of weeks ago I started a masters degree.

I applied for this position in July, but it seems they didn't have any vacancies until recently which is why I wasn't interviewed until recently. The position is offered as a one year contract, but it seems pretty easy to stay on if you want to, and you can teach.

My major concern is that I have Social Anxiety Disorder. The thought of teaching a group of people does fill me with worry. On the other hand, my anxiety has improved the past few years since it was first diagnosed during my first year at university. I've also been looking at some Social Anxiety forums and it seems people who go on to teach find the experience empowering and helps them overcome their anxieties to some degree.

I'm not too concerned about quitting my masters course, because I will be able to get a refund of most of the fees, and I can always do it another year.

Does anyone have any advice? Perhaps if you're a teacher who has (had) Social Anxiety, or someone who's moved to Taiwan from an English-speaking country. I'm lucky to have several close Taiwanese friends there, who studied in my university in England.

 

[auntiehill]

^This is the type of thing only you can answer for yourself. How honest are you being with yourself? Have a real, brutal look at yourself and really, REALLY think about how you are most likely to react. Will you be happy doing this? WHY do you want to do this--because you feel you need to or do you really want to? If you think doing this will make you stronger, I'm not sure that's necessarily the right motivation. You're supposed to be going to help the kids, not so the kids will help you. Is it really fair to go in thinking that teaching the kids will help you out with your problem, rather than going in just for the joy for teaching? *shrug* Just a thought.

But, again, only you know what's right for you and whether this is really something you will enjoy. It's a huge step, so really, REALLY do some soul searching.

 

[Sam_I_Am]

Oh no, I'm not going to cure my Social Anxiety. I really want to go there, and I think I'd make an effective teacher. Social anxiety is just a side issue. I've always wanted to live in an Asian culture for a while. Since I lived in France, I've wanted to live and work in more countries and since I'm free of obligations and young, and all the rest of it, I've been considering Asia. I'd like to experience somewhere outside of Europe (I've been studying basic Mandarin) and I have a lot of friends from different Asian cultures (actually the majority of my friends) and I've fallen for their way of living. I've thought about settling down in that part of the world as well, and a one year teaching contract seems like a nice way to go there and be guaranteed a certain standard of living. At the same time, if I don't like it, a year isn't a large amount of time in the grand scheme of things.

 

[auntiehill]

^AH. That's more like it. If it is really something you want to do and something you're excited about, then sit down and have a hard think about how you are going to react, how will your social anxiety affect you (and can you handle that) and how much change & challenge can you handle in one go? If you really, honestly think you can deal with it, then most definitely do it.

 

[Sam_I_Am]

The thing about social anxiety is that it can be hard to predict. I remember stewing about going to Paris for a year for a work placement and then everything was fine and it was the best year of my life! Of course, teaching is a bit more stressful than translating legal documents for we socially anxious souls, but when I told the company about my social anxiety, they didn't exactly leap to their feet and warn me off. The teaching style seems fairly supportive as well: there's always you and Chinese-speaking teacher for each class, and the class sizes seem small as well.

 

[Kestra]

I say do it.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Could you find a way to speak to a similar sized group of children right now? Some sort of volunteer thing maybe. It might give you an idea how easy it will be if you do take the position.

 

[Amaris]

I think you should go for it.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Do what feels right. I speak as someone who taught Asian students in the US. And remember that each Asian country is different. Also, Taiwan is its own country, though mainland China may feel differently.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I have heard such great things about Taiwan! I think the regret of missing out on this opportunity would be greater than any difficulties you encounter.

 

[Sam_I_Am]

Agreed, I can't help thinking how much I might regret it (especially over the cold British winter time!) if I passed up the opportunity. I read some bad reviews of the company by ex-employees, but most reviews online are probably going to be negative, and it is only a year. The ex-employees' reviews I read all mention how they quit and found a better job in Taiwan, so if there is a problem, it's with the job, not the country.

 

[Captain Kathryn]

One of my former co-workers taught English in Taiwan for a year a LOVED IT.

He just told me that if I ever do it, not to order the pizza. Anywhere. He said the sauce is ketchup.

Other than that, he said it was the most wonderful experience of his life!

 

[Sam_I_Am]

Do you happen to know which company he worked for? Do you know if he worked a six-day week (apparently this is standard in Taiwan), and how he coped if so?

(I'm not a big pizza fan anyway!)

 

[Namikaze]

I've traveled to Thailand with the intention of teaching English and while it never came to fruition, I might have a helpful insight or two.

1). The job might be great, but are you prepared for the social differences inside and outside of the classroom? Things that we consider normal and standard here might not be as commonplace there. Granted, my experiences are in a different country, but it might be worth asking yourself if you're willing to sacrifice certain established social etiquette you may have in place of another set of values.

2). How comfortable would you feel traveling on your own throughout the country? Your employer would typically handle much of the arrangements initially, but what about your daily life?

3). How would your social life be affected? Even though you may have friends in the country, social interactions outside of work are few and far between for casual friends and because of this you may begin to feel isolated. Could you handle a feeling of loneliness?

For what it is worth, usually students hoping to learn English are extremely polite and well-mannered, certainly a world apart from students and individuals I encounter here on a daily basis. This is just my opinion, but I believe that it stems from the fact that there is a great deal of pressure from their families to excel and become successful, as opposed to the current sense of entitlement that I encounter with many of my fellow Americans.

I would also suggest verifying all immigration information prior to making your trip, including any VISA requirements and then working with your employer to ensure that you have a firm understanding of what they're going to be responsible for and what arrangements you'll need to ensure take place on your part.

Um... And... Be careful with romantic relationships... For a myriad of different reasons... They can be a headache...

Also - Ketchup on Pizza is common in Asian countries, but most pizza I've encountered always has the traditional pizza sauce, whereas the Ketchup is used as a condiment should be, as an additional topping. My wife, who is Asian, puts it on her pizza, it's not bad, just different.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

I say do it! If it's something you really want to do, go for it. Who knows maybe having this feather in your cap will help you with your social anxiety.

 

[Captain_Nick]

It sounds like you want to do it to me .. in any event you already know whether you want to do it or not. So, take the relevant course of action.

Believe me you're better off doing it and having a great time or a dreadful time, rather than not doing it and never knowing one way or the other.

As for the social anxiety, use it. I had crippling social anxiety years ago. Couldn't talk to anyone except my family. That's one of the reasons why I joined this website. Probably the primary reason; I was able to make 'friends' for the first time in years. Anyway it annoyed me no end that I could be so brilliant in some respects but so hopeless in social situations. So I pushed myself hard, learnt everything I could about social anxiety, introversion, communication, psychology, leadership, teamwork, and I forced myself into very uncomfortable situations. I still avoid parties and certain social gatherings, but I'm a lot more effective now that I was in the past .. so much so that I've delivered the best presentations (public speaking) in my year at university this year .. twice. I'm pretty happy with that. IT guys are not known for their public speaking skills.

I apologise for the self love but as I'm sure you gathered I'm my favourite topic. I'm a bit of a bore really! But there it is. I hope you get something out of that.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

It sounds like you want to do it to me .. in any event you already know whether you want to do it or not. So, take the relevant course of action.

Believe me you're better off doing it and having a great time or a dreadful time, rather than not doing it and never knowing one way or the other.

As for the social anxiety, use it. I had crippling social anxiety years ago. Couldn't talk to anyone except my family. That's one of the reasons why I joined this website. Probably the primary reason; I was able to make 'friends' for the first time in years. Anyway it annoyed me no end that I could be so brilliant in some respects but so hopeless in social situations. So I pushed myself hard, learnt everything I could about social anxiety, introversion, communication, psychology, leadership, teamwork, and I forced myself into very uncomfortable situations. I still avoid parties and certain social gatherings, but I'm a lot more effective now that I was in the past .. so much so that I've delivered the best presentations (public speaking) in my year at university this year .. twice. I'm pretty happy with that. IT guys are not known for their public speaking skills.

I apologise for the self love but as I'm sure you gathered I'm my favourite topic. I'm a bit of a bore really! But there it is. I hope you get something out of that.

I went to like this, then i realised i wasn't on facebook. I'm dealing with some of this stuff myself at the moment, and it's nice to read stories like this

 

[Captain Kathryn]

I've traveled to Thailand with the intention of teaching English and while it never came to fruition, I might have a helpful insight or two.

1). The job might be great, but are you prepared for the social differences inside and outside of the classroom? Things that we consider normal and standard here might not be as commonplace there. Granted, my experiences are in a different country, but it might be worth asking yourself if you're willing to sacrifice certain established social etiquette you may have in place of another set of values.

2). How comfortable would you feel traveling on your own throughout the country? Your employer would typically handle much of the arrangements initially, but what about your daily life?

3). How would your social life be affected? Even though you may have friends in the country, social interactions outside of work are few and far between for casual friends and because of this you may begin to feel isolated. Could you handle a feeling of loneliness?

I guess people are different because those are the exact reasons why working in a foreign country has always been appealing for me and if I did not have people to take care of in America, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I work at a super-Korean company and have for about 5 years now (it is in America, yes, but the culture of the company is 100% Korean). If you truly go into it knowing that you are going into it with the intention of learning as much as possible about another culture and if you get thrills and excitement out of learning a new language or new customs, then it is perfect. If you go into it like some of my former co-workers went into it...with aggravation and annoyance that people around you are speaking another language...or if you are intolerant and unwilling to accept another culture as your own...then it's not for you.

Being 100% immersed into another culture, I can honestly say, has been one of the most rewarding and extraordinary experiences of my entire life. It is hard work, sure. And since it is a Korean company we work a ton (a TON) of late hours because...that is Korean work culture. But I can honestly say I would not trade the experience for ANYTHING.

 

[Kirby]

If it interests you, then do it. A good friend of mine went to teach English in Japan shortly after college and he loved it. He's now been there over 20 years and has his own English Language school. He loves the job, the culture, and the people.

 

[MacLeod]

It sounds like you want to do it to me .. in any event you already know whether you want to do it or not. So, take the relevant course of action.

Believe me you're better off doing it and having a great time or a dreadful time, rather than not doing it and never knowing one way or the other.

As for the social anxiety, use it. I had crippling social anxiety years ago. Couldn't talk to anyone except my family. That's one of the reasons why I joined this website. Probably the primary reason; I was able to make 'friends' for the first time in years. Anyway it annoyed me no end that I could be so brilliant in some respects but so hopeless in social situations. So I pushed myself hard, learnt everything I could about social anxiety, introversion, communication, psychology, leadership, teamwork, and I forced myself into very uncomfortable situations. I still avoid parties and certain social gatherings, but I'm a lot more effective now that I was in the past .. so much so that I've delivered the best presentations (public speaking) in my year at university this year .. twice. I'm pretty happy with that. IT guys are not known for their public speaking skills.

I apologise for the self love but as I'm sure you gathered I'm my favourite topic. I'm a bit of a bore really! But there it is. I hope you get something out of that.

I can certainly empathise with that, I have a somewaht shy personality, and at times looking back I think I wish I had done something which I didn't. But I know one of my flaws is that I tend to over analyse and expect the worse so I end up talking myself out of doing something. Or perhaps more accuratly my heart rules instead of my head. My head says do it my heart says don't. And I would say I'm usually ruled by me head.

But back to the OP, if you don't go you might find yourself regretting the decision later in your life.