Recommended After Studying in Cebu, Philippines! A Thorough Guide to Non-English-Speaking Working Holiday Countries [Taiwan / 2025 Edition]

After building your English foundation and practical skills by studying in Cebu, what should you aim for next? English-speaking working holiday countries and Europe are not your only options. **A country that is close to Japan in distance and culture, yet gives you genuine “overseas experience”**: that country is Taiwan.

• Friendly, pro-Japan people
• High demand for Japanese and English speakers in the job market
• In urban areas used to foreigners (Taipei, Kaohsiung), you can find work with English alone
• Visa applications are very smooth, with an overwhelming quota of 10,000 people per year

This article carefully explains the following as a 2025 edition:

• Details of Taiwan’s working holiday visa system and how to apply
• The advantages of choosing Taiwan after studying in Cebu (language, culture and daily life)
• Types of jobs available in English and Japanese, and the skills required
• Living environments and job trends in cities such as Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung
• Career paths after the working holiday, including settling in Taiwan or studying abroad again

A country where “overseas” is not “far away” but “an extension of yourself.” Taiwan is the next step that turns the international outlook sparked in Cebu into growth, “effortlessly yet for certain.”

Taiwan: The Easiest Working Holiday Destination to Take On in Asia

Taiwan’s working holiday visa system is very open to Japanese citizens. It is a very realistic and attractive country both as an “intermediate step” before going to an English-speaking country and for those who want to “work abroad using English and Japanese.”

Basic Information Summary (2025 Edition)

Overview of the Application Steps

• **Fill in the application form on the official website of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan**
• Submit a copy of your passport, ID photo, proof of funds and a statement of purpose (in Japanese or English)
• Apply by mail or in person (at the embassy or at representative offices such as those in Osaka, Yokohama and Fukuoka)
• Visa issuance notice in about 1 week to 10 days, then move on to travel preparation

Features of the Taiwan Working Holiday

• **Jobs for Japanese and English speakers are concentrated in urban areas**
• Some jobs let you start even if you cannot speak Chinese (Taiwanese Mandarin)
• Many people attend a language school during the working holiday and pick up Chinese gradually
• If you have studied English, you are valued locally for handling foreign customers and as a translation or interpreting assistant

Comparison with Working Holidays in Other Countries

“Isn’t Taiwan a Chinese-speaking country? Won’t English alone be impossible?” This is exactly what we want people who think this way to know: **Taiwan is a country where you can work, live and grow with “just English and Japanese.”**

Here we explain why you, having built your English in Cebu, should choose Taiwan next.

✅ Reason 1: Many workplaces where English and Japanese make you work-ready right away

Taiwan is a tourism-driven country with deep economic and cultural exchange with Japan, so jobs like the following are plentiful:

• **English + Japanese service staff** at hotels, hostels and tourist information centers
• Customer service at Japanese restaurants and cafes (many shops have menus in Japanese and English)
• **Japanese-English interpreting, translation and customer support** at local Taiwanese companies and tourist facilities
• **English tutors and English conversation partners** for students and children

✅ Taiwan is a country where some workplaces are fine with English alone, and being able to speak Japanese is an added strength.

✅ Reason 2: The “practical English” you learned in Cebu pays off directly

In Taiwan, you often speak English with people for whom English is not a native language. For that reason, **“English that gets understood” and “English adapted to your listener”** is valued more than native-level English.

• The English ability you built in Cebu, “being used to speaking”
• English expressions for small talk, shopping and customer service
• The “ability to communicate in simple English” you learned from Filipino teachers

✅ These skills are valued in Taiwan as “ready-to-use” on the job.

✅ Reason 3: A “comfortable balance” of culture, safety and standard of living

Taiwan’s appeal is that “it is overseas, yet gives almost the same sense of security as Japan.”

• **Very safe, with no worries about going out at night** (also suitable for women walking alone)
• A similar food culture, with **plenty of inexpensive dishes that suit Japanese tastes**
• Many people are pro-Japan, and exchange with young people studying Japanese is active
• With many English-learning and language exchange events, international encounters are part of daily life

✅ For people who have gotten used to Asian culture through dorm life in Cebu, Taiwan is the country where you can fit in most smoothly and easily.

On a Taiwan working holiday, **there are many workplaces, mainly in urban areas, where English and Japanese are put to use**. Many jobs can be taken on even without Chinese, making it an ideal environment to “use your English from Cebu and gain work experience.”

✅ Jobs You Can Do with English + Japanese (No Chinese to Beginner Level)

1. Hotel, Hostel and Guesthouse Staff

• **Main duties**: Check-in, English guidance for foreign tourists, light cleaning and administrative support
• **Language requirements**: English B1 to B2 (everyday conversation + explanation), native Japanese; Chinese A1 or below is acceptable
• **Example locations**: Tourist areas such as around Taipei Station, Ximending, in front of Taichung Station, and in Kaohsiung city

✅ You can sometimes be hired on the spot just for having English ability. Japanese people who “speak brightly and clearly” make a particularly good impression.

2. Japanese Teaching Assistant / Conversation Partner

• **Main duties**: Assisting Japanese classes, serving as a conversation practice partner, introducing culture, supporting events
• **Language requirements**: Native Japanese, English around B1 (if the students are English speakers), Chinese not required to A2
• **Who can apply**: No Japanese teaching experience needed; many openings from language schools and private classes

✅ The experience of being on the teaching side also leads to your future career. Your experience as someone “taught” English in Cebu can be put to use here.

3. Support at Taiwan Branches of Japanese Companies (Short-Term)

• **Main duties**: Translation, social media updates, customer support (Japanese/English), etc.
• **Language requirements**: Native Japanese, English B2 or above, Chinese A2 to B1 (some workplaces do not require it)
• **Employment type**: Mainly internships or short-term part-time contracts

✅ At companies that straddle Japan and Taiwan, a “Japanese person who can use English” is highly valued.

✅ Workplaces That Open Up If You Can Speak Chinese (Taiwanese Mandarin)

4. Convenience Stores, Cafes and Local Restaurants

• **Duties**: Cash register, customer service, cleaning, etc.
• **Language requirements**: Chinese A2 to B1, English around A2 (when serving foreign customers)
• **Benefit**: An environment where your Chinese improves rapidly through real life

✅ If you want to prioritize language acquisition, it is worth trying this in the second half of your working holiday.

5. Tour Guide, Interpreting Support and Event Operations

• **Duties**: Guiding foreign visitors, assisting cultural experience events, interpreting and translating materials, etc.
• **Language requirements**: English B2 or above, Chinese B1 or above (+ native Japanese)
• **Recruitment period**: Concentrated around spring break, summer break and just before Lunar New Year

✅ An intermediate-to-advanced position for those who want to “prove their Cebu to Taiwan language progress through work.”

Chart by Language Level (Approximate)

• Many workplaces let you start with just English and Japanese, so it is easy to get going
• Chinese can come later. You can absorb it little by little as you live there
• There are jobs only a Japanese person can do, and jobs that are valuable precisely because you are an English learner

The atmosphere and types of work differ greatly from city to city in Taiwan. Here we compare four places, Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung and regional cities, from a working holiday maker’s perspective, covering “which cities let you use English and Japanese?” and “how comfortable is life there?”

Taipei | A big city with everything. Many workplaces where English alone is enough

• **Features**: The center of politics, economy and education. Many foreigners and a multinational atmosphere
• **Estimated cost of living**: NT$30,000 to NT$40,000/month (rent NT$10,000 to 20,000)
• **Job trends**: Tourism, hotels, restaurants, Japanese companies, language classes, social media-related work, etc.
• **Language environment**: Japanese: excellent, English: excellent, Chinese: fair (you can live there even at beginner level)

✅ The best city if you are an English speaker back from Cebu and want to gain experience “using it on the job.”

Taichung | Appealing for its moderate big-city feel and low prices

• **Features**: A city with a mild climate and good transport links, and high satisfaction with daily life
• **Estimated cost of living**: NT$25,000 to NT$35,000/month (rent NT$8,000 to 15,000)
• **Job trends**: Education (Japanese teachers), cafes, shared offices, event operations
• **Language environment**: Japanese: good, English: good, Chinese: good (simple expressions are enough)

✅ Competition is less intense than in big cities, so it suits “people who want to work while living a calm life.”

Kaohsiung | Appealing for its relaxed port-town atmosphere and nature

• **Features**: The largest city in the south. Warm, near the sea, with friendly people
• **Estimated cost of living**: NT$22,000 to NT$32,000/month (rent NT$6,000 to 12,000)
• **Job trends**: Tourism, restaurants, education, language salons, event staff
• **Language environment**: Japanese: good, English: fair, Chinese: good (more necessary the more local the setting)

✅ Recommended for people who want to keep living costs down or work surrounded by nature.

Regional Cities (Tainan, Hualien, Chiayi, etc.)

• **Features**: Strong local culture, with a lifestyle that lets you experience history and nature
• **Estimated cost of living**: NT$18,000 to NT$28,000/month (rent NT$5,000 to 10,000)
• **Job trends**: Education, community event support, simple guiding at tourist sites, etc.
• **Language environment**: Japanese: fair, English: fair, Chinese: excellent (centered on the local language)

✅ Ideal for those who prioritize language acquisition and experiencing local culture. English alone makes it fairly difficult.

A working holiday in Taiwan is “a country where you can work in Asia with peace of mind,” and at the same time **a stay that can become a major turning point when thinking about your future career**. Here we introduce the paths many people choose after the working holiday, with concrete examples in three patterns.

✅ 1. Use it for job hunting or changing jobs after returning to Japan

Experience in Taiwan is highly valued in the following industries:

• **Travel, tourism and hotel industry** (strength in serving Taiwanese visitors to Japan)
• **Trade and logistics-related fields** (many dealings with Taiwanese companies)
• **IT / startup companies** (use of English + multicultural skills)
• **Education, English conversation and language school fields** (practical English experience is a strength)

✅ 2. Switch to a student visa / residence visa in Taiwan and extend your stay

Taiwan is **a country with flexible visas, where “extending your stay after a working holiday” is easy**.

• Attend a language school (Chinese center) and **switch to a student visa**
• Advance to university or vocational school (Chinese, or some English-language courses available)
• If you find an employer, **switching to a work visa (work permit) is also possible**

✅ Taipei and Taichung also have support centers for working holiday alumni, making it easy to gather information and get advice.

✅ 3. Step up to another country (second working holiday or global expansion)

• Once you have developed the ability to “use English” in Taiwan, **move on to the next English-speaking working holiday, such as Canada or Australia**
• Some go on to work abroad, start a business or freelance, using their business experience in Asia as a weapon
• The “step-by-step global growth” model of Cebu, then Taiwan, then English-speaking countries has been increasing in recent years

✅ Your experience in Taiwan is more than just a stay: it is a very valuable stage for developing a feel for living and working abroad.

Learn the English You Need to Survive Before Your Working Holiday: The Practical Course Is Back!

If, in addition to building your English in Cebu, you want to **raise your English ability for real-world use before your working holiday**, the [Around-the-World & Working Holiday English Course] offered by 3D ACADEMY is perfect for you.

This course is a **'Survival English' program** designed for English beginners about to leave on a working holiday and for people planning a round-the-world trip.

This course focuses on that kind of practicality and thoroughly trains **'conversational English that beginners need to survive abroad.'**

Course Appeal 1 | Learn 'Survival English' Through Images

In this course, 2 hours of the 4 hours of daily one-on-one lessons are devoted to **dedicated Survival English lessons**.

▶ Survival English 1 (Comic Format)

• Memorize phrases intuitively using illustrated materials
• Repeatedly practice real exchanges in story form
• Go beyond feeling like you have memorized it, to the point where English comes out reflexively

▶ Survival English 2 (By Situation)

• **100 situation-based conversations** covering airports, shopping, restrooms, asking directions, hospitals, and more
• Practice answering questions based on photos and images, responding in English
• Build quick-response skills with more realistic scenarios

Course Appeal 2 | Boost Your Hospitality Skills with Group-Learned 'Tourism English'

Group classes feature 'English for Tourism.' You will learn English expressions for settings such as hotels, restaurants, and tour guiding.

• Learn from both perspectives: handling situations as a customer and as staff
• Includes training in writing an English resume and answering interview questions
• Builds well-rounded English skills useful in tourism and customer service, **the most common workplaces for working holiday makers**

Course Appeal 3 | Regular Practical English (ESL) Classes and Elective Classes Also Available

• The remaining 2 hours of one-on-one lessons and 2 hours of group classes can be **freely customized, just like the ESL Course**
• **Optional classes** (casual discussion, yoga classes, etc.) in the morning, at noon, and in the evening are also open to join freely

Sample Daily Schedule

Course Fees (Includes Dormitory and Meals)

The Around-the-World & Working Holiday English Course Is Perfect for These People!

✅ People who want to brush up their English before traveling abroad ✅ Beginners who feel anxious about a working holiday ✅ People who want to use English in customer service or tourism ✅ People who want to put their English to use right after studying abroad ✅ People who value English that gets understood over grammar

Available again: from April 3, 2023 | Apply by the week!

You can join for as little as 1 week, so it is also recommended as **short, intensive English preparation just before a working holiday or trip**.