Hess Education Canada Ltd.

I really enjoyed my initial training  it was thorough, professional and fantastic. Although I had worked with young people before, I was a little nervous about teaching an academic subject. There is a lot of information to take in, but I felt like I was learning a lot and was eager to put it into practice. I initially felt quite apprehensive about getting up in front of my peers and doing a teaching demo, but they got easier each time and I felt more than confident by the time I had to go to my branch and do it for real. The information was presented to us in different ways so that it was fun, interactive and informative all at the same time. I learned a great deal of skills and felt confident about teaching a class and becoming a teacher in Taiwan

When I first came to Taiwan, my social wings started fluttering and just couldn't stop! I jumped right into as many things as my work schedule would allow. Taiwan has an incredible landscape that begs to be explored by foot, bike or even boat. My first year was filled with trips all around Taiwan to various mountains for hiking, as many beaches as my poor fair skin could take and even Dragon Boat racing. Nothing beats being the only foreigner white water kayaking down a mountain river with a group of Taiwanese  and while language was sometimes a MAJOR barrier, you wouldn't believe how effective body language is when you're stuck in rapids! Whether you're working full-time or just part-time, you can definitely get out and see all that Taiwan, and Asia for that matter, has to offer  and travelling within Taiwan is so cheap and easy to do. For those of you who are looking for a chilled existence in Taiwan and want to work the minimum hours while experiencing life in Asia, have no fear! Flights run daily to Hong Kong, Philippines and Japan for very reasonable prices - Asia has some of the best beaches in the world and it's awesome when you can say you flew there for only CAD $100 (approx US $80)! Regardless if you're an adventure-monger or are just looking for a good night out, Taiwan has literally got something for everybody. You just have to jump into it

When I first arrived in Taiwan, I was employed by another company where I received virtually no training, had few materials and with non-existent support. To be honest, after my year, was ready to hot-foot it back home. However, a friend encouraged me to sign up with Hess  and what a truly wise move that was! From the get go, Hess provided a most comprehensive training program that continued during the entire 1st year and I was overwhelmed by the ongoing feedback and support. Even though I started at Hess Native Speaking Teacher, I was soon promoted to a Head Teacher position, which meant managing all the foreign teachers at my local branch, as well as a couple of other branches in the surrounding area. As a result of my hard work, I was also privileged for the opportunity to work in the Training and Development Department which involved moving into the main office in Taipei, and training western and Taiwanese teachers not only nationally, but also in our first training program in China. This international experience will certainly open doors for me in my chosen career and whilst my time in Taiwan has often been challenging, it has also been immensely rewarding, truly memorable and certainly life-changing. It has continued to provide me with SO many opportunities; a chance to try new things, and continuously develop skills that will help with whatever career I choose to embark upon

I first started teaching my class 3 years ago. They were absolute beginners when they started, scared of the big hairy foreign teacher and even having trouble with the basics but watching them grow and develop not just their English language skills but their confidence, personality and life skills has been one of the great pleasures of my life. Class now is just like hanging out with my friends. We openly discuss all issues, share experiences and generally have a lot of fun. When I reflect back on my time with them, I am amazed at their willingness to learn and at what they have been able to pick up from our time together

When I took the Hess TEFL training, I had no formal experience teaching English. I was one of those English speakers who could tell you that something was grammatically incorrect, but I had no idea why besides 'it just sounded wrong.' I remember being in training feeling like I was on information overload, there was so much I needed to learn and training only lasted a week. After my week training with Hess, I still felt confused, but I had gained so many skills. I didnt really realize how much I had learned until I taught my first few classes. Suddenly all those hours of training started to make sense ... I know that had I entered the classroom without the training, I would have been lost and it would have taken me at least ten times more work to get to where I am know in my teaching career. It has been almost seven years since I did my TEFL training with Hess ... In fact I now do some training myself and I always try to compare myself to my trainers to make sure I am maintaining the high quality training I was fortunate enough to get. I was inspired by the passion of my trainers, and this taught me to be the best teacher I can be. Now, I am a parent myself and I feel confident that those same skills I learned in my TEFL training have made me a more effective parent. If you have a genuine interest in becoming a teacher, you need to make sure you get the training to prepare yourself for the classroom. Being a teacher is more responsibility than most jobs as you have the power to teach, to inspire and to develop young minds. There is nothing we can do that is more important that that!

My name is Penny Cavanagh. In Calgary, Canada I was a retail manager for about 7 years and did some classical singing. I am currently 25 years old and have been working for Hess for just over 2 years. My first 10 months were in Hualien and the remainder in Taipei and Singapore. I have had an incredible experience in Taiwan. I am a shy person but I am also adventurous. I have had the opportunity to teach English with Hess as well as work at main office as a project coordinator and in Singapore as a summer camp support coordinator. This year I took on the challenge of becoming a Head Teacher. Teaching overseas is overwhelmingly good for you, heart and soul. You have a chance to teach wonderful kids, travel inexpensively, meet terrific people, and test yourself to the limit living in a different culture. The most valuable and portable things I own are my experience and education. I haven't just taken a bite out of my debt; I paid it all off  about 8,000 Canadian in my first year. In my second year, I saved 10,000 after I paid off my return ticket and my college tuition and books of 2,500. I feel great about how much better my finances are now and I haven't had to scrimp. I have traveled to lots of places like Hong Kong, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and around the island. I have even taken up the very Taiwanese past time of shopping to no ill effect! I have probably read about 150 books and had time to enter a short story writing contest and will do it again this year.