7 Reasons to Teach Abroad Before You Die
Forget finding true love, climbing Everest and/or saving the world heres why
teaching English abroad should be number one on your bucket list!
1. Youll get paid to travel
Weve all been there nose pressed up against the window, dreaming of somewhere a little less grey and drizzly, but alas, that pesky bank balance says no. The good news is that
TEFL is a great alternative to remortgaging your house, selling your body on the street and/or begging your parents (delete as applicable) to fund your adventures abroad it might not be a free ride (youll still need to get a bit of change together for your
TEFL course and flights), but because youll be earning while youre
teaching abroad, youll soon be able to make back that initial outlay and still have some change left over to explore the country youre living in.
2. Youll meet new people
Lets be honest now you can never really have enough friends (unless youre some kind of global superstar with an entourage that would put P Diddy to shame then youre probably sorted). And TEFLs a fantastic way to make friends from all over the world who you wouldnt have met had you stayed at home fellow teachers, students, other expats, neighbours.
Hey, you might even meet the love of your life, like Robert Clarke did.
3. Youll really experience another culture
A lot of people go travelling to experience another culture, but just end up sightseeing and lounging around in youth hostels with the same kind of people they hang out with back home. Not so with
TEFL because youll be living and working with local people, you wont be on the outside taking snapshots to post on Facebook, youll be part of the picture yourself.
4. Youll gather a lifetimes worth of awesome stories
i-to-is
China interns have been teaching for just over a month. Between them theyve encountered
students who snack on teaching resources,
tackled exploding toilets and even
appeared on the Chinese version of the X Factor. So, if you feel your life needs a bit of extra spice,
TEFL could be just the seasoning you need!
5. Youll get valuable work experience
Silliness aside,
teaching English abroad can be pretty handy in the long-run. Youll boost your leadership, organisational and communication skills, plus get loads of lovely work experience to put on your CV. So, when you get home, you wont just be another bum whos spent the last year or two loafing around the world.
6. Youll give something back
Because employers across the world put such a premium on good spoken English, youll really be giving your students a boost in life by helping them improve their English. Plus, as most
TEFL jobs last from 6 months to a year, youll (hopefully!) be able to see your students flourish under your tuition, safe in the knowledge that youll be helping their chances in life.
7. Youll have the chance to learn a new language
You dont have to speak another language to
teach English abroad, but its certainly a great opportunity if you do want to brush up on your existing language skills, or even get to grips with a totally new language. Try a language swap, or wangle free language lessons as part of your contract.
Whats your reason for teaching English abroad? Share it below!
