As per Taiwan government law, these include the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
[3] After one year of employment and completion of the full training program, Hess employees earn a TEFL certificate, but it is not affiliated with any outside official educational body.
Like most employers in Taiwan, Hess aids new teachers to join the national healthcare program and contributes part of the costs on a monthly basis.
The Tree House series uses 8 primary characters that interact, grow and change along with the children in the classes.
These reading components comprise the core of the ESL program but modules such as Science, Art and Mathematics have also been incorporated.
Hess has published supplements to their primary curriculum, including storybooks for children, English learning CDs and DVDs, and activity books containing classroom games and projects.
Each training session past the first focuses on an aspect of teaching, designed to help build on the NST's growing experience.
In addition to the required sessions, Hess conducts mandatory extra training for new material, such as when levels 13–16 were added to the Step Ahead curriculum.
While Americans and Canadians make up more than 50% of Hess teachers, a significant number of the NSTs are native speakers from South Africa.
Costs new teachers should plan for include an apartment deposit, the first months rent, a scooter, and household appliances, among others.
Once past initial training, NSTs meet the branch manager where they will be working, the Alien Residence Certificate (ARC) is processed.
The Taiwan immigration office holds the NSTs passport during this time and changes the visitor visa to an ARC.
Taiwan residence visa requirements state that the holder of a canceled ARC has 14 days to leave the country upon termination of employment.
Initial training is held four times a year to coincide with the three-month terms that Hess schools cycle through: one in March, one in July, one in August, and the last in November.
This is not a constant rule, however: in between the three-month cycles, there can be smaller groups of hired NSTs are given initial trainings that are much briefer, sometimes being as short as 4 days.
These styles include the four and five step methods, student-centered learning, and the use of activities and games to heighten student energy.
Hess has study abroad programs in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and these can last up to four weeks.