Study and Teach at the same time

[Bell Bird]

Hi,

Do you think it's possible to study part-time whilst teaching full-time? I would like to learn Chinese when outside of my teaching hours. It would be quite a shame to spend 1 year overseas and not be able to speak the language then.

Comments appreciated.

Ta.

[gfell]

Hello Bell Bird,

It will depend how many hours is full-time in your situation.

If full-time means 40 hours per week from 9am til 5pm, then it will be very difficult to study on the side.

Typical Chinese learning programs in Taiwan are 2 hours per day Monday thru Friday. If you are teaching 25 hours per week, then it's manageable.

I would suggest to first settle into your full-time job and then fill the voids with Chinese tuition.

[Brian]

I agree with admin but would do things a bit differently.

I would block some time from my schedule for Chinese classes before I started looking for work. My recommendation is to take classes in the morning either between 8-10 or 10-12, and leave your afternoons and evenings free for teaching. Most of the legal work is at these times, and by keeping yourself busy studying in the mornings, you will be saving yourself from being tempted by kindergarten positions which aren't legal but can be tempting money wise.

Also, I would recommend going for a university program rather than a private school. The universities tend to be a bit tougher as far as testing and homework etc. and if you are anything like me (a lazy so and so ) then this extra pressure can help keep you on track.

Good luck with your studies. It's not as hard as it looks - trust me!