Packing for Taiwan

Items to bring with you

In choosing to teach English abroad for a year, you are making a choice to live in a foreign country. You should not try to re-create every aspect of your daily life in your home country - not only is it impossible, but even if you succeeded what would be the point in moving to a foreign country?

The most important thing to bring with you is a positive attitude and a willingness to adapt your lifestyle to a new and foreign environment. Don’t be one of those sad saps who sits in a foreign bar crying in your beer and lamenting the lack of Doritos in Taiwan- remember it is you who is making the choice to live in a country where squid tentacles, not Doritos is the snack food of choice.

We do not suggest you bring everything on the list below or you will have exceeded you baggage limitation already- however you may want to choose some items that will remind you of home and make the transition to life in Taiwan easier. No matter how much you like Taiwan you will experience moments of homesickness and have “I hate Taiwan” days, and for those special occasions it is nice to have your favorite book and a can of chicken noodle soup on hand. However even if you brought nothing from this list with you will be fine- Taiwanese lived for thousands of years without deodorant and peanut butter.

Western Foodstuffs To Pack For Taiwan

Western cooking spices
- lemon pepper, Montreal steak spice, oxo cubes, french onion, dukka
Coffee (Saltspring Organic Fair Trade is my favorite)
Honey
Oatmeal and other hot breakfast cereals-
Dried soup mixes -a nice comfort food to have when you are feeling sick, blue or hung over.
Mexican style spices
Walnuts, brazil nuts, and other exotics can be next to impossible to find.
smoked salmon - I love this to eat and it makes a perfect gift for friends and families in Taiwan or really anywhere in Asia. Buy bulk wholesale smoked salmon online at www.salmonexpert.com

Baking Supplies

Don’t expect your apartment to have an oven. However, if you are lucky enough to have access to an oven and you plan on doing some baking bring baking supplies with you, i.e. baking powder, cream of tartar, etc.

Western Medicines and Pharmaceutical Products in Taiwan

Advil
Tylenol
Midol
Pepto-Bismol
Tums
Neo-Citran

Important Note:If you take prescription medications check with the representative working on your placement.

Clothes to Bring to Taiwan

Clothes tend to be cheaper in Taiwan than in western countries. If you happen to be bigger or taller than typical sized Taiwanese people, you may want to bring most of your clothes with you. Western brand name clothes- Levi’s, GAP, Polo, etc will be more expensive in Taiwan than back home, but imitation Polo, Levi’s and GAP clothes will be far cheaper in Taiwan. Natural fiber clothes can be more difficult to locate in Taiwan.

The rule of thumb is comfortable casual- as long as you aren’t wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and your clothes aren’t dirty or wrinkled, you will be fine. It is important to note, however, that Taiwanese are image conscious, and you will be treated with far more respect if you dress nicely – pretty much a standard statement anywhere.

Teaching Materials to Bring to Taiwan

Your school will be stocked with textbooks, games and other materials to supplement your classes with, and your students will be expected to bring notebooks, pens, pencils and erasers with them to class. Don’t worry about having to stock your school with enough teaching supplies to last 50 kids for a year.

If you wish to bring some teaching stuff with you, a good idea is to bring several packages of stickers with you that have English words on them – “great”, “good job” etc. Not only is this an effective way to reinforce vocabulary, but they make great rewards for good behavior, doing homework on time, etc. Use rewards judiciously or else all of your students will expect rewards all the time.

Western games such as Twister, Monopoly or Monopoly Jr., and Boggle are great ‘fun time’ activities. Western holiday theme materials also make for great lesson plans- check the teacher’s lounge on our website for more ideas.

We have heaps of teaching ideas and text books and teaching materials recommended by teachers for teachers in our Teacher Bookstore section of the site.

Female Teachers’ Packing List

Tampons
Cosmetics
Bras
Swimming suit
Shoes
Birth Control Pills
- Birth control pills are available in Taiwan. You should see a doctor to get a prescription. 150-250 NT once you have your ARC card.
Condoms
- These are a good thing to have whether active or not. Asian condoms tend to break easily and are different sizes.

Miscellaneous Items to Pack

A copy of your vital documents:
- Bring photocopies of your passport, degree, transcripts and photo ID in case you lose your passport or other documents and need to replace them.
Pictures from home:
- Bring a couple of photo albums with you with photos of your friends and family. Condensed versions of your photo albums are fine- don’t bore yourself and your class to tears with ten consecutive shots of Aunt Millie. This is a great way to combat homesickness, and you can also get a lot of mileage out of them in the classroom- your students will be endlessly curious about life in your home country.
Books:
- Penguin classics are available in English in major bookstores, but contemporary literature in English is hard to find. Bring some of your favorite books with you or order them from Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com
Condoms:
- Bring a few boxes of condoms with you when you go- even if you don’t plan on being sexually active you will probably meet another westerner who is. Recently western brand name condoms have become more available, especially Benetton- love sees no color.
Posters:
- A few posters from home can help your apartment in Taiwan feel like home.
Movies or TV Shows from Home:

How Much Money Should I Bring With Me?

Bring around USD $500-800 to get you through your first month.

Teaching Jobs in Taiwan

APPLY NOW - Teach in a Taiwan Public School with a great company that will protect your interests and maximize every aspect of your experience.

We also offer jobs in Taiwan private language schools every month. Check out our Taiwan teaching jobs for all teaching jobs in Taiwan that we currently offer.

Find out more about teaching English in Taiwan in our Taiwan Country Info section

TEACHER APPLICATION FORM

Footprints Job Board - All Jobs