Teaching in order to move abroad

July 12, 2009 6:31 AM

I'm curious about teaching English overseas and if anyone has done this and is willing to share their experiences with me.

Such as, why did you move abroad to teach English? How long did you do it for? Where did you do it? Would you recommend it? What did you wish you'd been told before considering it?

posted by Unred to travel & transportation (11 comments total)

I still do it. I know people who've been in the profession (and it is a profession, full of incredibly qualified, amazingly talented professional teachers and educators) for 20 years, and people who are just starting out. All ages, all backgrounds, all levels of education and achievement. Literally - RAF veterans from the Falklands War who finished school at 16, people who've just earned their BA in music appreciation, local teachers with 30 years of experience and four master's degrees, all in the same office, all teaching using similar techniques and strategies, all with happy students learning the language. It's wonderful, really, and there is an insane amount of cross-pollination and teamwork because everyone comes from such different backgrounds.

I would recommend looking into it more if you're looking for something to help you go toward a goal, and you see teaching English overseas as part of that; that's why I'm in it. But I know a lot of people who came into it looking for something to help them get away from the problems they have at home - a history of not tying up loose ends, bad relationships, problems with the law even. They can run into trouble: alcoholism, depression, loneliness. Many times the time abroad knocks some sense into them and they end up happier, healthier, more together people, but that is by no means a rule.

You have to be honest with yourself: why is this a good option for you? What are the negatives of essentially ending your life at home and terminating a lot (not all, but a lot) of your relationships? I don't have time to keep in touch with everyone, though technology has made that easier. And I certainly don't earn enough for annual trips back home, though many teachers do, especially in places like South Korea or Japan.

Culturally, at the same time that you have to embrace your otherness and your foreignness and deal with locals wondering how you've been here a year and can't write a simple letter or order a pizza in the local language, you aren't "immersed" in the local culture and language because when you're at work, everything you use and teach with, and all your conversations, are in English, even with absolute beginners.

And what's your "language awareness" like? Though you get trained to answer questions like this, and you've usually got a textbook or coursework you're using, could you explain what the difference between an adjective and an adverb is? Why can we say both "I've got a dog" and "I have a dog" and they mean the same thing, but "I got a dog" and "I have a dog" are different? And have you studied any foreign languages yourself? My colleagues who have find the parts of lessons where we're clarifying why we use certain vocabulary or grammatical structures a lot easier than my colleagues who haven't.

I talked a bit more about the details of my job and how I got trained up to do it in this post. Hope you find the answers you're looking for!
posted by mdonley at 7:08 AM on July 12 [4 favorites]

There are many of us on Metafilter who have done and are doing this. However, to be honest, your questions are a bit too vague to get especially useful answers e.g.

Would you recommend it? What did you wish you'd been told before considering it?

In this case, 'it' can be anything from a few months as a classroom assistant to decades as a professor in a big-name University. 'It' can be voluntary in the developing world or highly-paid in an oil state or a tiger economy. 'It' can be teaching a CEO one-to-one, a lecture hall of 100 university students or a dozen or so kindergarten-aged children. 'It' can be working for a gangster, an NGO, an international chain or being self-employed. 'It' can be working in a country that is not that different from one's own or an entirely foreign culture.

So the only answer I can give is 'it depends'. But I'd love to give a more specific answer if you can give a timeframe, a geographical suggestion and/or your goals.
posted by Busy Old Fool at 7:09 AM on July 12

Speaking from experience, the one thing I'd warn you about is that, depending on where you go, it can be quite easy to become pigeon-holed. As an example, Japan, where I teach and live, there aren't nearly as many opportunities for further self-improvement or career advancement. That's not to say that there aren't any, obviously many people have come to Japan (or Korea, or Taiwan, and so on)and gone from teaching English to a number of different fields.

More specifically, what can do depends on what skills you've got. If you come to Japan, and you fancy getting a Masters degree to expand you're skills, well, most courses available in Japan, for foreigners, are either MBA or MATESOL. Online degrees are, of course, available in different fields, but actual classroom courses, or degrees that require the hands-on content, not so much. A good friend is pursuing certification through Microsoft to get into corporate tech work, which pays a good deal, but then again, his Japanese is excellent.

Basically, if you're thinking of coming over for a short time, that can be good, but at the same time, think of your long-term goals. In the time that you spend here, are you sacrificing things that could be helping you back home? If, say, you return after two or three years, to work in nearly any field, what qualifications will you have to do anything other than entry level work, for likely less than you made in, say, Japan? Will you be okay with starting a career back home from scratch, two or three years behind all your friends?

In other words, don't be like me. I've been here, I think, to long to go back, yet my Japanese isn't good enough to get me into non-teaching fields, even if I'm definitely thinking it might be time for a change.
posted by Ghidorah at 8:00 AM on July 12

I did it after college as a way to live in other countries (merely traveling wasn't as satisfying an experience). I don't regret it in the slightest. Taught for a business-oriented agency in Italy and on the JET Programme in Japan. There are previous threads on qualifications.
posted by idb at 8:08 AM on July 12

My brother did this for a year between after graduating college and before embarking on his teaching career here in the US. He really liked it and he's a more well-rounded person because of it. Unfortunately Nova, the company he worked for, abruptly went under shortly after he came home. Their employees were left with no housing (the housing was provided by Nova), no savings (most of their compensation was housing, so their paychecks were small), and no guaranteed way to come home. My brother didn't get his last paycheck, but we were just grateful that he got home. Make sure to do your research before you pick a company!
posted by christinetheslp at 9:26 AM on July 12

Such as, why did you move abroad to teach English?

It was 1992 and the pre-internet economy in the US sucked, I had taken Japanese for two years in college and had a longstanding interest in going there to live & work, I had found the infamous Jobs in Japan book which made it seem doable, plus a good friend had gone on in 1991 so I had a pretty good entre.

How long did you do it for? Two years, six months, eight days, five hours, 31 minutes.

Actually, about 2 1/2 years. I was grateful to the private school chain that hired me so for the first year I did not look for new work, but after that I started occasionally looking through the Monday Japan Times where the job listings were printed. The first year was sorta challenging, learning the ropes and developing routines and how to teach. The second year was comfortable and being "in the groove". Since the curriculum didn't change at this school, by the third year things were getting rather dull & boring.

Where did you do it?

Tokyo.

Would you recommend it?

Only to people who are willing to fold up their ego and save it. Teaching is a great way to develop public speaking and room presence, but the best teachers put their students, and to some extent their school's, interests first.

What did you wish you'd been told before considering it?

Teaching advanced discussion classes is a trillion times more interesting than teaching basic/remedial classes (although the more of the native's language you know the more interesting you can generally make the remedial class to both yourself and your students).
posted by @troy at 10:03 AM on July 12

These are some great answers! To clarify, although I'm quite happy with my life at the moment, I'm sort of stuck at being in a good enough career, in my early 30's but no long term relationship (which is fine) and suddenly I feel like I need a moment in my life that has some excitement. Just traveling for an expended period of time doesn't feel like my adventure thirst will be quenched. I have taken Spanish and Dutch in the past and am fascinated by language in general, although that isn't my career. I'm not looking to move long term anywhere (or anywhere that would need a long term ESL teacher) but a year away may just be what I need.
posted by Unred at 2:20 PM on July 12

I did this for several years in China. It was a great experience for me. I know a couple hundred other people who did it for between 2 weeks and 5 years. I think all but a handful say that it was a good experience for them. It was a good experience for China for most, but not all of them.

I'd check out Dave's ESL Cafe, they have forums for people all over the world to discuss their situations.
posted by bluejayk at 3:31 PM on July 12

Yes, go for it. I wanted to live in Mexico, I came to the conclusion teaching English would be my best option. I've been here for 6+ years now, and I ain't goin' back.

If you are doing well and are happy with yourself, a one or two year experience would be wonderful for you! I agree, it is so much more satisfying than traveling.

Living and working in another country means you have to deal with all kinds of wierd, unexpected, uncomfortable and even painful things - of course, combined with lots of new, interesting and stimulating things...

Perfect recipe for GROWTH.

Yes, if you are long term and not totally devoted to linguistics and language learning, the limited job options become a problem but whatever ... You gotta do what you gotta do!
posted by Locochona at 7:06 PM on July 12

Thanks for clarifying your interest. You're looking for excitement for about a year, but not looking to teach English as a career. That's not my area of speciality, but I can give you a few suggestions.

Think about whether you'll need a salary, because it sounds like a volunteer program might be more appropriate. In many countries, the schools worth working for will want someone with a qualification and/or experience. Avoid working for a bottom-rung employer just because you're doing this short-term. Look for a scheme that is designed for people like you and be upfront about your intentions.

(By the way, although it has some useful info, I'd be careful of Dave's ESL Cafe. The forums there are a hive of negativity and showcase the worst of ELT.)
posted by Busy Old Fool at 12:02 AM on July 13

(By the way, although it has some useful info, I'd be careful of Dave's ESL Cafe. The forums there are a hive of negativity and showcase the worst of ELT.)

Quoted for truth. Check out the job boards, but don't let the horrendous forums put you off.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 9:45 PM on July 14