On the way to work, you take a mindful morning stroll through one of many ornate temples that decorate every town in Taiwan. You make your way to your school with a warm matcha latte and finally arrive at your class full of excited students shuffling to their seats, eager for a fun lesson with you.

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Of all the places in the world to teach, why Taiwan?

Taiwan is consistently ranked as one of the best places for expats to live and one of the best places to teach English abroad. Taiwan is a unique and exciting place for many reasons, including great food, beautiful nature, and excellent public transportation. Below are 12 of the top reasons why foreigners are happy to live in and teach English in Taiwan.

1. Taiwanese are welcoming

People in Taiwan are frequently described as nice, warm, polite, and friendly. Locals are generally welcoming of and interested in foreigners and are more than happy to include them in their hobbies and culture.

Overall, the Taiwanese population is relatively harmonious. Of course there are disagreements like in any other culture, but the Taiwanese treat each other with politeness and respect and feel a strong sense of belonging to Taiwan.

***Camping course during winter break, BigByte students and staff are about to start their own fire to cook a delicious meal.***

2. Taiwan has a unique and rich culture

With various indigenous populations and a history of being colonized by the Netherlands, Spain, and Japan, Taiwan has a fascinating history and combination of cultural influences.

12 Reasons to Teach English Abroad in Taiwan — ***Taiwan’s eclectic influences are expressed in its architecture—for instance, the Five-Cassia Tower (五桂樓) in Taichung. Photo by Satashimori - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,*** ***link***

There are many exciting traditional festivals (or holidays) to experience in Taiwan. Wander a luminous street lit by creative and colorful lanterns during the Lantern Festival. Watch people race down the river in intricately-designed canoes during the Dragon Boat Festival. Or witness a massive procession carrying the Taoist sea goddess, Mazu, during an epic nine-day journey called the Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage.

***Dajia Mazu pilgrimage. Photo by Chienhsuantsung - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,*** ***link***

There are also many exciting modern festivals and events, such as the Taipei International Flora Exposition, the Taichung Jazz Festival, and the Taiwan International Balloon Festival. With so much going on, there is no excuse to be bored in Taiwan!

3. The food is wonderful

***Bubble milk tea (aka boba or pearl milk tea) was invented in Taiwan.***

A unique blend of Chinese, Japanese, and indigenous cooking, Taiwanese cuisine offers much to explore. One night might be a meal of stinky tofu, sweet potato balls, and brown sugar boba along vibrant night market streets laced with delightful little shops. The next night might be a fancier meal of mouth-watering xiao long bao and fine Oolong tea at Din Tai Fung.

***Din Tai Fung chefs making xiao long bao, a famous type of steamed bun or dumpling. Photo by Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <**link**>, via Wikimedia Commons***

While the plethora of new foods may be exciting to some; it may be intimidating to others. Do not fear— Taiwan is modern and globalized. With Western staples such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Subway, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and KFC, there are many comfort foods for Westerners to fall back on as their palate adjusts to new flavors.

4. It’s easy to travel to other countries

Located at the base of East Asia, Taiwan is an excellent hub from which to travel to many Asian countries. China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, and the Philippines are all no more than a few hours away! Several budget airlines offer affordable travel from Taiwan to many destinations in Asia.

5. Taiwan’s nature is breathtaking

Travel within Taiwan is also very affordable and efficient. Public transportation routes lead to many tourist attractions and national parks of ineffable beauty. With roughly two-thirds of the land area covered in mountains, Taiwan is a hiker’s paradise. Several hiking trails are easily accessible from almost anywhere in the country.

***Yu Shan (aka Jade Mountain), Taiwan’s tallest mountain, was nominated to be one of the new 7 Wonders of the World in 2010. (Photo By Grantabc99 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,*** ***link***

A land filled with tropical evergreen forests, serene beaches, towering mountains, and natural hot springs—all connected by a robust public transportation system—Taiwan is an ideal place for the explorer.

6. Convenience is king

Speaking of public transport, Taiwan is an incredibly convenient country. With an extensive system of buses, trains, and rentable city bikes, Taiwan’s public transportation is among the best in the world. On the Taipei MRT (mass rapid transit), train rides start at 20NT ($0.65US) and can go up to 65NT ($2.12US) for farther trips. Furthermore, Taiwan has the second highest concentration of convenience stores in the world. These stores allow customers to not only buy food but also to send and receive packages, pay phone bills, print documents, buy train tickets, and so much more.

***There are over 11,270 convenience stores in Taiwan, 7-Eleven being the most popular.***

7. Taiwan has first-rate healthcare

Another major convenience of Taiwan is the healthcare system. Taiwan provides all of its residents, including foreigners, with affordable universal healthcare. There is an abundance of clinics with relatively short wait times. A standard visit to the doctor is usually $150NT which is about $4.9US. Plus, most doctors speak English, as many of them were trained in the US or elsewhere in the West.

8. Taiwan is English-friendly

In general, Taiwan is very English-friendly, especially in the bigger cities. Many signs are in both Chinese and English (occasionally with hilarious translations!) Public transportation almost universally has signs and announcements in English. In addition to doctors, most people who work in service industries like hotels and restaurants can speak enough English to communicate with English speakers. These days, many Taiwanese students study English from elementary school all the way through college, so especially younger people and residents of major cities know a fair amount of English.

In 2020, Taiwan announced the goal to become bilingual by 2030, with Mandarin Chinese and English as its official languages. While many have doubts about the feasibility of this goal, it shows that Taiwan is only getting more and more English-friendly (and has a huge demand for English teachers!).

9. Academic excellence is the norm

In the 2018 worldwide PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) study of the academic performance of 79 countries, Taiwan ranked 5th in mathematics, 11th in science, and 17th in reading. Education is a top priority in Taiwan. It is seen as one of the primary ways to achieve success. Parents teach their children from a young age to work hard and pursue academic achievement. This academic culture creates a fantastic student body in almost all schools in Taiwan.

10. Teaching is a respected profession in Taiwan

Because education is highly valued, so are the educators. Teaching is a prestigious profession in Taiwan. That means teachers are usually compensated well with competitive salaries. Any reputable school pays their teachers more than enough to live comfortably in Taiwan. Furthermore, parents generally regard native English speakers with bachelor’s degrees as experts in their field.

11. Taiwan is safe

Taiwan is consistently ranked among the safest countries in the world. In 2023, Taiwan was ranked by Numbeo as the third safest country. Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, was rated the 4th safest city by RankingRoyals out of 424 major cities worldwide. Crime rates are very low in Taiwan, so residents can go about their days with a general sense of trust in one another.

12. Taiwan is one of the freest countries in Asia

Taiwan earned a freedom score of 94 out of 100 regarding political rights and civil liberties. Taiwan has a multi-party democratic government with free and fair elections. Residents of Taiwan enjoy freedom of speech and religion among other basic human freedoms. Taiwan was the first Asian country (and still the only one) to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide in 2019.

There are many reasons why Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for expats and ESL teachers. The welcoming people, excellent global location, high quality of life, and exceptional academic environment make Taiwan an ideal place to begin the adventure of teaching English abroad.

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“Thank you teacher!” your students say as they waltz out of class. You return home and prepare for an adventure-filled weekend. You’re a bit petered out from a fun-packed week within your classroom walls. But now it’s Saturday and you’re on top of the world, sipping on high mountain tea, entranced by the serene sunset over a sea of clouds. Life is good.

Why Teach In Taiwan?