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Feature photo by torres21 / Above photo by gwaar
If that isn’t reason enough to look into ESL work, here are eight hidden benefits to teaching English abroad.
1. The training is painless.
A TESL certificate can be attained through a 100 hour course, and most schools offer evening/weekend sessions or online courses. The fees start at about $500 USD, and many schools have services to help with the job hunt.
If you have some extra cash and want to start your travels immediately, larger ESL schools offer four week TESL training in exotic locations around Europe, Southeast Asia, or Central and South America.
2. You can be a student in your own classroom.
Regardless of age, the students you teach will be excited to see a foreigner take an interest in their culture. Most will gladly offer tips about local foods to eat, places to see, and things to try.
Young students can teach you a lot about pop culture or local slang, and simple conversations will give you insight into their family lives and customs. For just one example, check out Matador member Teresita’s blog, I Heart Our Global Pop Culture Icons.
Photo of Iraqi student by Army.mil
3. A year is a long time…
…to experience a whole calendar’s worth of festivals, holidays, cultural events, and seasonal foods. You’ll get much more insight than a single trip. Also, worldwide holidays like Chinese New Year or Christmas are a bit different in every country. You’ll get to experience a unique version of a familiar holiday.
4. It’s a crash course in cultural sensitivity.
Most expats reach the “Their society makes ZERO sense to me!” phase at some point. It’s a normal step in one’s adjustment to a new culture. Getting past this phase of culture shock means opening your mind to new and unfamiliar things. Whether the traffic laws are driving you crazy, or new acquaintances ask questions that seem invasive to you, be patient.
Photo of Korean students by watchsmart
You’ll come to appreciate the ways in which this foreign culture operates. Most often, you’ll note customs that strike you as far more practical than those in your native country.
5. You’ll get an instant network of local acquaintances.
Whether you’re teaching in a language centre or public school, you’ll be amongst colleagues who speak English. Regardless of their level of expertise, they’ll likely be keen to practice their English conversation skills with you. Not only will you have new friends, but your coworkers can help you navigate the area and its customs better than any guidebook.
6. You’ll be tapping into an excellent grapevine.
A lot of good ESL jobs, and general travel tips, are accumulated by word of mouth. By meeting other ESL teachers, you can get advice about new destinations or jobs from people who have been there, lived that.
Whether you wonder which South American country has the fewest work visa hassles, or you’re curious about how rainy Vietnam’s rainy season really is, other teacher-travelers can help.
Photo by dcJohn
7. Travel is simple with a great home base.
If you’re based in Thailand, you can visit Cambodia or Laos for under $50 USD. If you’re teaching in a European country and you’re close to an airport, a weekend in Prague or Berlin is a cheap RyanAir flight away. Once you’re set up in a foreign country, the journey to other exotic locales becomes much, much easier.
8. It’s a resume-booster, even if you don’t want to teach long-term.
You might worry that this job will look like a blip on your resume. Even if your teaching experience consisted of sing-alongs and barnyard animal flashcards, don’t underestimate the skills you developed along the way. Communicating across cultural barriers, using leadership skills to conduct classes, and picking up a new language (even just conversationally) are great assets.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Lots of Matador members are either teaching abroad now or have past ESL experience. Whether you want to teach in Istanbul or
Anne Merritt
Anne Merritt has lived in Canada, Europe, and Asia. She teaches ESL, writes, haggles, hikes, and wears sunscreen fanatically. Her work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, GoOverseas.com, and The Compass. Check out her blog.
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Hi there-
Depends where you want to go in the world but most places that hire you need an Associate degree with course a TEFL, or a Bachelors degree in ANY area.
This is the company I work for in Taiwan and is it great! They help you with the teaching curriculum because they have been around for 25 years and know how to train new people to become teachers. It is an amazing experience!
m fascinated by Chinese language..anybody have idea about best Chinese language instructor …could you please comment me below with instructor contact address!!!
I guess this post is almost three years old at this point, but each of the 8 points presented by Anna really spoke to me. I taught English in Taiwan for two years and had an amazing time! I’m back in the US now, but I still often think fondly of the time I spent there.
To add to the discussion, I really felt the networking opportunities was the most valued added part of the experience. The people I met there definitely had a direct impact on my present career and I know I wouldn’t be where I am today had I not taught English abroad.
These days with all the opportunities to teach abroad, it becomes really important to carefully research where it is you’ll be teaching. If you’re currently looking for a job, one of the first things you should do is talk directly with teachers currently at the school. They’re in the best position to tell you what the working conditions are like at the school.
Good luck!
Andrew
Andrew, I am currently looking into teaching English in China. How did you find the school where you taught?
I am looking to teach abroad, but have some debts at home (like school loans & car payments) Will it be difficult for me to survive teaching abroad? I am looking for a position that will cover the cost of my accomodations and health care. I am a 29 yr old professional in need of a change from the every day rat race. I want to make a differance and see the world. Working on getting my ESL certification after the first of the year. Thoughts?
If you want you can get a cheap online certificate for less than a few hundred dollars in some places. 120 hours with classroom training is considered much better as far as those go. Online ones aren’t often very respected.
I have a TESOL certification, but in my experience it wasn’t worth it. And in many places you don’t actually need one. I have written a bunch of articles about these if you’re considering one.
I’d say adolescent students around the world can you teach about pop culture. That will help create content and conversation in your classes as your students, especially middle schoolers+ will love to talk about that.
Is TEFL only for younger people? Would anyone recommend it for someone in their 50s looking for a new phase of life?
The best way to teach English abroad is to get your professional TEFL certification (it can be done in 4 weeks fulltime or 11 weeks part time online). Take a look at International TEFL Academy http://www.InternationalTEFLAcademy.com as they train over 1,200 new teachers a year to teach abroad.
Hi Erin. I’m new to this site and just read your post. I am 29 and have been teaching English in Japan for the past ten months. I was in a similar position as you. I needed a career change and had just finished an MA that was not related to my job and unsure of what to do next. I have TESOL certification and for one year taught ESL in the US. While working on my certification I was advised to look into programs in Asia or the Middle East. These locations pay the most money. As an adult with real bills and real responsibilities, I did exactly that. Japan is an expensive country but not really when you live in the countryside. I send make a transfer from my Japanese bank account to my American account every month and then pay my bills online. It can be done! Most programs require you to be a native speaker and have a BA/BS. TESOL isn’t often required and if you are interested in the field I would recommend skipping the certification all together and going for the MA.