YOUR PRAYER TEAM

You should build a team of intercessors and prayer warriors before your departure. They will lift you up because they go to the throne on your behalf and have God's heart for you. The intentional and consistent intercession will increase the effectiveness of the ministry to which we are called. They also act as watchmen on the walls, serve as guards on the alert, as gatekeepers and agents of preservation.  As a result, they create a shield around you, as well as providing you with both physical and spiritual strength.  In reality, you are in ministry together. One operates in the visible realm; the others operate in the invisible realm.  Combining both, you carry out God's purposes for His Kingdom!

International Teacher Placement Service (ITPS) provides all the necessary training for the team members.  two weeks training will also offer team bonding and friendship building environment, the team members will be praying, working and sharing their life together for the coming one-year assignment.

A team of 10-50 teachers will be formed and trained together for a month in southern California prior to taking off to Taiwan, China, Japan or Russia. Team members will be assigned to the schools in the same area where possible.

The TEFL Basics for Teaching Abroad Program will consist of eight days, 45 hours of classroom instruction, including an in-depth program orientation, will be delivered, with classes held from approximately 9:00am to 12:00pm and from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.  This intensive course will focus on the skills, basic knowledge, and methodologies needed to teach English abroad.  The TEFL Basics Program is designed to prepare participants for conditions working abroad and for success in a variety of teaching environments.  Sessions include:

4      Grammar Terminology (6 hours)

This session provides participants with an overview of American Standard English grammatical terms, including verb tenses and moods, parts of speech, and specialized terms. A working knowledge of these terms is essential to successfully teach English in foreign countries.

4    Pronunciation and Oral Skills Development (6 hours)

This course allows participants to explore the goals, objectives, and techniques of teaching oral language skills, including fluency, accuracy and comprehensibility.

4    Developing and Using EFL Games (6 hours)

This course introduces participants to developing and using games as an effective teaching tool for all levels of learners. Participants will be given games as well as be instructed on their use.

4    EFL Methodology & Techniques (6 hours)

This course provides techniques for teaching English in specific language skill areas such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, vocabulary development and grammar, with emphasis placed on communicative teaching techniques and theories.

4    Lesson Planning (6 hours)

This course provides participants with a framework for developing lessons with clear objectives which match the needs, interests, and abilities of their students. Participants will share sample lessons and engage in micro-teaching activities.

4    Classroom Management (6 hours)

In this session, participants develop the essential skills of classroom management including long-term planning, instructor-student relations, and basic pedagogy. Participants will learn how to monitor daily progress, motivate students, maximize participation, and foster a favorable learning environment using cooperative learning groups.

4    Resources for Teaching Abroad (6 hours)

In this session, the participants will learn how to make effective use of a variety of educational and TEFL related websites and other materials to enhance teaching.

There are different types of visas that you should be aware of:

Port of Entry Visa
The visa can be obtained at the Taipei CKS Airport in Taiwan. It is good for traveling in Taiwan for a maximum of 2 weeks. If you plan to stay for a year or longer please do not apply for this visa, the extensions will not be granted and it cannot be transferred to other visa status without leaving the country.

Visitor Visa
This visa can only be applied for at the Taipei Representative Office in US or Canada. In most cases a return airfare ticket is required. This visa is usually valid for 30 or 60 days beginning the date you enter Taiwan. Some visas can be extended twice for a maximum of 6 months, but most are non-extendable. Since May 1, 1997, the law has been changed to allow an English teacher to change a Visitor Visa into a Resident Visa without leaving Taiwan. However there is no guarantee that a Resident Visa will be granted until the medical examinations are passed.

Resident Visa
This visa is obtainable once your approval letter from the Ministry of Education has come through. This can be done in US/Canada or in Taiwan if you have the proper documentation. Once you have the Resident Visa stamped in your passport, you can apply for your Alien Resident Certificate (ARC). The ARC allows you to stay in Taiwan for a year and work legally at the school that is stated on your ARC. The ARC is renewable every year indefinitely without leaving the country if you are intended to work with the same employer.

ITPS will work with school for a Resident Visa and Working Permit and give assistance for the visa process. Every effort will be made to help you apply for and receive your Resident Visa soon after your arrival in Taiwan. Details of the visa process and the documents required will be sent to you once you have been accepted. The law does not allow foreign teachers to be employed and worked for a company other than the one that sponsors the Resident Visa. 

Russia  ----All foreigners entering Russia require a Visa. ITPS will help you obtain either visitor's visa or one-year term teacher's visa.

Taiwan --- you will only receive a 30 days visa at the port of entry. The following instruction will help you obtaining a Taiwan Visitor Visa:

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office In Los Angeles
3731 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 389-1215

Your application forms could be download from the website at WWW.tecola.org <
http://www.tecola.org/>, single entry costs US$100, multiple entry at US$120.

Visa Applications or Entry Permits for China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
 U.S. and Canadian citizens who possess a valid U.S./Canada passport and are going to Hong Kong for business or tourism may stay in Hong Kong for 90 days without a visa. If they plan to stay in Hong Kong for over three months, or if their purposes are for employment, study, training, residence, or visiting relatives, they must apply for a visa.
 
The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles covers Southern California, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico and American Pacific islands.  If you do not live in this area, please contact the Chinese Consulate General in your area http://www.chinaconsulatela.org/Home_gb/OtherOffice/otheroffice.html.
The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles is located at
            443 Shatto Place,
            Los Angeles, CA 90020.
            (213) 807-8018
You may take Freeway 101, exit Vermont Ave. and go south on Vermont, turn left at 4th Street, and then turn right at the next intersection (Shatto Place).  Our office is about 100 yards ahead on your right hand side.  Check Map http://www.chinaconsulatela.org/Home_gb/Aboutusgb/Our_Map/our_map.html
for details.

OFFICE     HOURS
(Monday through Friday except holidays) Visa Office  9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Visa Office (Live Answer between 2:00-4:30 pm)  213-807-8006
visachina@aol.com <mailto:visachina@aol.com>

(Orange County Travel inside 99 Ranch Market in Irvine, CA, (949) 559-4533
provides visa application services with a fee, please bring 2 passport photos
and a check of $60.)

Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO)
4201 Wisconsin Ave., N W
Washington, DC 20016-2137
TEL: (202) 895-1800     FAX: (202) 363-0999
Emergency: (202) 669-0180
Web Site: http://www.tecro.org

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta
Suite 1290, Two Midtown Planza
1349 West Peachtree St., NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
TEL: (404) 872-0123     FAX: (404) 873-3474
Emergency: (404) 358-3875
Web Site: http://www.teco.org

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston
99 Summer St., Suite 801
Boston, MA 02110
TEL: (617) 650-9252     FAX: (617) 737-1684
Emergency: (617) 650-9292

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago
Two Prudential Plaza, 57 & 58 Floor
180 N. Stetson Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601
TEL: (312) 616-0100     FAX: (312) 616-1486
Emergency: (312) 636-4758

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam
Suite 505, Bank of Guam Bldg.
111 Chalan Santo Papa Road
Hagatna, GU 96910
TEL: (671) 472-5865     FAX: (671) 472-5869
Emergency: (617) 688-8130

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu
2746 Pali Highway
Honolulu, HI 96817
TEL: (808) 595-6347     FAX: (808) 595-6542
Emergency: (808) 641-6217 (Pager)

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston
11 Greenway Plaza, Suite 2006
Houston, TX 77046
TEL: (713) 626-7445     FAX: (713) 626-1202
Emergency: (713) 412-6667

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Kansas City
3100 Broadway, Suite 800
Kansas City, MO 64111
TEL: (816) 531-1298, 531-1299     FAX: (816) 531-3066
Emergency: (816) 507-3947

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles
3731 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90010
TEL: (213) 389-1215     FAX: (213) 389-1676
Emergency: (213) 923-3591
Web Site: http://www.tecola.org

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami
2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Suite 610
Coral Gables, FL 33134
TEL: (305) 443-8917     FAX: (305) 444-4796
Emergency: (954) 645-2059 (Pager)
Web Site: http://www.tecomiami.org

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York
885 Second Ave., 47th Fl.
New York, NY 10017
TEL: (212) 317-7300     FAX: (212) 754-1549
Emergency: (917) 743-4546 (Holiday)     (212) 317-3700 (weekday)
Web Site: http://www.taipei.org

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco
555 Montgomery Street, Suite 501
San Francisco, CA 94111
TEL: (415) 362-7680     FAX: (415) 362-5382
Emergency: (415) 265-1351

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle
Westin Bluiding, Suite 2410
2001 Sixth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98121
TEL: (206) 441-4586     FAX: (206) 441-4320
Emergency: (206) 227-8861