The Ins And Outs Of Teaching English Abroad

By Author: Ti Ron Gibbs
Total Articles: 7
Comment this article

If you're considering teaching English abroad, you need to have a realistic picture of what you're signing up for.

Here's what you can expect - and what will be expected of you:

You've got to commit -- for awhile, anyway

When you agree to teach English overseas, you need to be willing to spend at least six months away from home. In fact, some teaching contracts will last for a year, or more. So, before you go through the process of getting certified, make sure you're willing and able to spend some time away from your family, friends, and responsibilities. Really take a close, hard look at what this means in your life. If you have a “significant other” and there’s a problem while you’re out of the U.S., you can’t go over to that person’s home and talk the problem through…you’re in another country, possibly on the other side of the world.

You can turn this into a career

The great thing about teaching English abroad is that it's flexible. If you want to go "one-and-done" (meaning that you make it through ...
... your first contract, then go home and live off of the experience for the rest of your life, and never do it again), that's fine. Or, you may be able to, and choose to renew your contract when it's up and stay in your current job for a much longer period. It’s your choice.

If that's not an option -- and you want to keep teaching -- you can move from teaching job to teaching job, even country to country. It’s your choice. Since there are so many people around the world who want to learn English, it's not terribly difficult to find new jobs!

You'll have help finding work

Even though this line of work is virtually economy-proof (unlike most other industries and professions!), you'll still need some help finding job opportunities. Luckily, as long as you get certified from a good school, they'll be ready, willing, and able to help you with whatever you need -- for as long as you need it. In fact, the really good schools have an entire team of career counselors on hand.
Plus, good schools will also have a strong alumni network. That way, you can literally have networking connections all over the world!

You may not wind up in a giant city

If you think that teaching English abroad means automatically living in the hustle and bustle of one of the world's most glamorous cities…think again. Sure, you may get to live in Tokyo, Paris, Buenos Aires, or the like. However, you may also wind up living in the suburbs of those cities (after all, people in the suburbs want to learn English, too!).

Either way, the experience will be one that you'll never forget. And, there can be some great benefits to living outside of the hustle and bustle -- like friendlier people, safer neighborhoods, and a more small-town feel that gets your more up close and personal with the local customs.

About the Author: Ti Ron Gibbs is CEO and President of TEFL institute. Teaching English abroad is what he did in China, Argentina, and Mexico. In addition, he has taught both online and onsite TEFL Programs in Chicago, Shanghai, New Delhi, and more. To become certified to teach English overseas, contact TEFL certification Institute.