Teaching English abroad can be a life-changing experience for numerous reasons, with the opportunity to grow and develop being a big part of the allure of the profession. From finding your feet in a new culture to improving your language skills, this is a role in which change is inevitable.
Curious as to what you can expect from teaching English abroad? Let’s explore the various ways you can transform your life with the decision to head abroad to teach English.
Global perspective
Moving abroad to teach English is an opportunity to immerse yourself in new cultures and learn about the world’s diverse customs, traditions and perspectives. Not only does this foster tolerance and empathy, but you’ll have a richer understanding of the world.
One of the best ways to ensure this is your experience while teaching abroad is to talk to your students. Use your lessons as an exchange of information – while you help them perfect their grammar and pronunciation, they can share their insights about their home.
Try to avoid socialising exclusively in an expat bubble. While having people around you who speak your language can be reassuring, it can also prevent you from becoming familiar with the country you’ve moved to and its customs.
Personal Growth
Teaching English is a profession that demands expertise, independence and confidence. You will often be responsible for classes of students – be they adults, teenagers or young learners. Knowing the English language like the back of your hand and the best teaching methods to support your lessons is therefore fundamental.
This personal growth starts then with studying. You can begin this before leaving your country by undertaking your TEFL qualification either online or in person. When you finally arrive at your destination of choice, you can start adapting your lesson approach to suit your students’ needs.
Remember that growth and failure can go hand in hand. Not every lesson will go as planned; it’s just a case of learning what works and doesn’t, like every good teacher.
Language Acquisition
Teaching English abroad means living abroad, which makes learning the local language crucial for two reasons. The first is that it will allow you to excel in your job. You’ll be able to identify whether mistakes are made because of direct translation and communicate clearly with your colleagues.
Secondly, you’ll need to navigate your daily life, whether you’re shopping or sightseeing. Having a basic grasp of the local language will give you the freedom and flexibility to explore the country you find yourself in without having to depend on anyone else.
Beyond English teaching, working knowledge of another language is often viewed as an extremely attractive skill to employers and could give you a competitive edge. This is especially the case if you’d like to work in an international or multinational company in the future.
Professional Development
As an English teacher abroad, you will need to develop and make use of a variety of transferable skills. These include cross-cultural communication skills as well as organisation, time management and leadership in your role as a teacher.
This diverse skill set could eventually open doors to numerous career opportunities. As well as working your way up into higher teaching positions, you could also sidestep into other fields such as translation or even international relations.
Alternatively, you could add to your monthly teaching salary by choosing to write about your experience abroad and your top teaching tips. There are various ways to monetise your writing online. Check out creativewritingnews.com for ideas.
Creating Meaningful Connections
Meaningful connections and relationships aren’t easy to find. However, when you’re pushed outside of your comfort zone and find yourself working alongside fellow teachers abroad in the same boat, these may be the exact types of relationships you form.
These don’t necessarily have to be connections you look for but rather ones you invest in. By sharing resources or helping fellow teachers with lesson planning, you can help create a supportive work environment and potentially even lifelong friendships.
This is also the case with building relationships in the local community. Doing this isn’t as hard as you may think. It can be as simple as having a favourite cafe or restaurant and getting to know the staff. By leaning into your experience abroad and getting to know the locals, you could, in turn, discover a sense of belonging.
Overcoming Challenges
No doubt teaching English abroad has its challenges. Not only will you have to face language barriers and cultural differences, but you may also have to manage homesickness, especially if you opt for a country that’s more than a few hours by plane away.
While this may seem daunting, the reality of overcoming these obstacles fosters resilience and problem-solving skills. Pushing yourself to try new experiences ultimately becomes a way to empower yourself. You demonstrate your ability to navigate unfamiliar situations and even thrive in them.
Nurturing a Lifelong Passion for Travel
Teaching English abroad is both a career opportunity and an opportunity for travel and exploration. Living in a different country means you get to explore it with the eyes of a local instead of a tourist.
As you develop your local knowledge, you’ll learn where the best local spots are, what time of year you should visit certain destinations and how to avoid tourist traps. This can be more sustainable for the local community, and you’ll be able to truly appreciate countries for what they have to offer.
This approach to travel is something you can also implement on future trips, regardless of whether you move to a new country or not. Instead of exploring the world as a tourist, you’ll appreciate it as a traveller in search of the authentic taste of new cultures.
Finally on How Teaching English Abroad Can Change Your Life
Overall, teaching English abroad will enrich your life in various ways. Whether you’re looking to step out of your comfort zone or simply develop professionally, it is a career choice that promises growth – whatever that may look like for you.
If this is something that you’d like to experience first-hand, you can learn more with TEFL.Org’s article on the best countries to teach English abroad.