Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program for Americans

As one of twelve Fulbright English Teaching Assistants (ETA) in Taiwan, you would be a full-time TA to local English teachers in one or more public elementary schools in I-Lan County, Taiwan. You would be in school approximately 35 hours a week Monday through Friday, with an average of   22 class periods of 40 minutes each.   You would be free to pursue your own interests after school and on the weekends, but please note this is a teaching grant, not a research grant. Students range from grades one to six, between the ages of six and twelve.  Outside the classroom, other responsibilities may include creating and editing educational materials for English teaching and providing an American cultural perspective for the English curriculum. Every other week, ETAs meet with local co-teachers  to share their experiences with one another and to attend enrichment workshops.  There is extensive interaction between ETAs and local English teachers, who are both experienced and friendly.

Profile of past and current grantees can be viewed at here.

Click here to see the FETA FAQ

FETA FAQ

Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the ETA program.

1. Where will I be located?

At present, FSE has an arrangement with the Education Bureau in I-Lan* County in northern Taiwan, about one and a half hours away by train from Taipei, the capital city. Near both the mountains and the sea, I-Lan is known for its beauty, clean environment, and cultural activities. However, it is not Taipei, and if being in a bustling urban environment is important to you, I-Lan may not be suitable.

I-Lan County has a population of about half a million. I-Lan City, the county seat, is a compact town of about 100,000; Lotung, the other major  commercial center, has  a population of over 60,000. Most of the ETAs will be located near or in the cities of  I-Lan and Lotung.  but at least two  will be located in rural, aboriginal areas, approximately forty minutes from both cities.  Most English Teaching Assistants have found it easy to get around by motor scooter or bicycle, as there is little public transportation in I-Lan County.

Like most of Taiwan's counties, I-Lan is has experienced tremendous change in the past two decades.   The county is known for its emphasis on sustainable development.

I-Lan's annual International Children's Festival (summer), Green Festival (spring), and New Year’s Eve Festival have attracted many visitors from Taiwan and around the world. The county also hosts the Yi-Lan International Intercollegiate Regatta, a rowing competition that attracts teams from Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, Hamburg, and other famous European schools (early September). The National Traditional Arts Center, located near Dong-Shan River, is the location of the competition and is also a major attraction in its own right. If the Regatta is held again in 2007 (there is some doubt at this writing), you would be invited to join  the participants in some of their activities. See the following website for further information: http://www.ilc.edu.tw .

You may also participate in many of the activities sponsored by the Education Bureau and the Cultural Bureau, such as workshops, dance and music competitions, folk sports, and aboriginal arts.

The county is also well-known  for its natural cold springs, one of only three known  in the world, and for its popular hot springs. Therefore, I-Lan County has become a popular tourist spot for Taipei residents. The following website about the area may also be of interest to you:  http://www.necoast-nsa.gov.tw

2. What are the housing/eating arrangements?

You would be assigned an apartment, to be shared with other ETAs although each will have the privacy of his/her own room.  Your living arrangement and location would  also depend on where you are teaching.  If you choose to work in an aboriginal area, you would live with Taiwanese teachers and work with members of the Atayal tribe.**

You may either cook your own meals or eat out. Both western and Chinese food is widely available. In addition to restaurants and food stands providing local food at reasonable prices, there are numerous coffee shops, bakeries, KFCs, pizzerias, and McDonalds. Convenience stores are also located throughout the county and are open 24 hours.

3. What about the stipend and benefits?

The total monthly maintenance  of NT$40,480***  includes an NT$36,000 stipend,  NT$2,000 for baggage and NT$2,480 for incidental allowances. All benefits are exempt from Taiwan taxes, but are subject to U.S. taxes.  Living costs in I-lan are much cheaper than in Taipei, and the stipend is quite adequate for one person. No additional funding is provided for dependents.

You would also be covered by the State Department’s group medical insurance, and  by Taiwan's national health insurance. Round-trip economy airfare is also provided; your return date will remain open.  The monthly maintenance, Taiwan national health insurance, and round-trip air fare are all funded by I-lan County and managed by the Foundation for Scholarly Exchange (Fulbright Foundation) in Taipei.

4. How long is the school year? Will I have a chance to travel? How about winter holidays?

The school year usually begins in the first week of September, and is divided into two semesters of 18-20 weeks each. It ends in late June.

Between the two semesters is a three-week semester break, including the Lunar New Year, during which you would be free to travel. It usually begins around in the third week of January. In some years, because the Lunar New Year holiday starts rather late, the winter vacation may begin one week later than usual. We would let you know the exact dates when it is decided by the authorities.

According to U.S. State Dept. Fulbright regulations, a Fulbright grantee is allowed a two-week vacation outside the host country without a suspension of monetary benefits.  In the case of ETAs, vacations cannot be taken when school is in session and should accordingly be scheduled for the semester  break described above.

Many American holidays, such as Christmas, and Thanksgiving, are just regular school days in Taiwan, so you may look to local holidays as a substitute. The biggest holiday is the Lunar New Year festival, but there are other holidays such as the Moon Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Double Ten National Day, etc.

5. I would like to study Chinese at ICLP or National Taiwan Normal University. Will I be able to do that?

Both are located in Taipei, an hour and a half away from I-lan. Thus, it is impossible to take Chinese courses there. However, Fo-Guang University in I-Lan City offers a very flexible Chinese language program. Most of our ETAs have taken evening courses there and are almost uniformly enthusiastic about it.  The website for this program is at http://www.fgu.edu.tw/~chinlang/YearProgram_EN.htm It may also be possible to arrange for private tutoring in Chinese, and the chances to practice spoken Chinese, if you have some background in it, are abundant.
In addition to Chinese language instruction, Fo-Guang University offers courses in Tai-chi and calligraphy.

Please note that you would be assigned a host family, which would provide additional opportunities to practice using the language.

6. When should I arrive in Taiwan? Will there be any orientation provided?

We expect all ETAs to arrive on August 1 of the academic year.  The grant is for 11 months. There will be a 4-week orientation given in I-lan before the semester begins .  A separate  orientation for all  U.S. Fulbright grantees in Taiwan  is scheduled for September, and is held in Taipei. .

Before your arrival, you would be asked to become familiar with certain websites on English teaching, such as http://www.eslcafe.com , and you would also be sent a videotape introducing daily life in an elementary school in I-lan.   The students heard on this videotape were selected for their skill level and are reading from a script, so the video will not be representative of the average English abilities of elementary school students in I-lan County.,  However,  it does present a typical school day at an elementary  school in I-lan.

7. What about visa and travel arrangements?

FSE provides instructions and assistance after the selections of the candidates have been made and their participation confirmed.

8. What is the name of the school I will be assigned to? How can I contact other TAs?

Specific school assignments will not be determined until after the four-week orientation. After the final group of TAs is selected and confirmed, we will send out contact information so that you can begin to communicate with one another. 

* Variously spelled as I-lan, Ilan, Yi-lan, or Yilan, according to different romanization systems.

** A 2005-2006 ETA who is working in an aboriginal village has volunteered to answer questions you may have about this option. She is Katherine Mann, and her email address is Katherine.mann@gmail.com

***As of April 2006, the exchange rate is about NT$32.5=US$1.00.