The Pros And Cons Of Teaching English Abroad

Are you thinking of making your teaching profession an enjoyable and beneficial career? If you are, then one of the ways you can achieve this is by teaching abroad. Before you start over analyzing things, below are the advantages and drawbacks of considering such a move.

Pros Teaching English Abroad

1. You can afford to travel

Free travel is perhaps the most significant incentive to teaching abroad; in that, you earn a reasonable sum so much so that you have surplus to care for your travels. For instance, working a foreign teacher in Korea can see you earn enough to dine our four night a week, party on the weekends and save enough to tour more than twelve different destinations in Asia.

2. You get out of your comfort zone

The move to a new city opens up new opportunities and gets you out of your comfort zone. You get to experience new foods, make new friends, enjoy a new culture as well as sights and sounds. All these will make you have a better understanding and appreciation of life as you also make lifelong memories that you can reflect about in your old age.

3. You learn a new language

One of most notable joys of moving to another country to teach English is the chance to learn a new language. Things are more manageable for you since you are living and mingling with the locals thus you are fully immersed in their dialect. At times, the desire to learn a particular language can influence the decision of where one would want to teach. If you have an interest in learning Chinese, you are bound to pick moving to China to teach English as opposed to getting a similar opportunity to teach in another place, say France.

4. You will make a decent living

Are you feeling strapped for cash and burdened by unpaid debts? Why not consider teaching abroad? Depending on the country, it is possible to have a starting salary of $25,000 or higher. For instance, that starting salary for teaching in some of the Middle East countries such as Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia can be $60,000 or more. You can also enjoy a great life if you decide to teach in somewhere such as New Zealand according from this post from Tradewind.

5. You can start a side job

Most of the teachers teaching abroad enjoy having a lot of free time on their hands. It is time that they can use to start a side hassle or even learn a new skill. For instance, a teacher can start a vlog and grow an online audience by using the platform to highlight some of the exciting things other countries do not know about the people of the host nation and their cultures. It is even possible to start a small travel agency helping other people visiting or coming to work where you are to have an easy time settling in.

The Downside Of Teaching English Abroad

1.You may become homesick

Having to stay goodbye to your close colleagues and family is not easy, more so if it is your first time to be away from them and going to be thousands of miles away. You may find yourself missing some of the foods back at home and the fun times shared with your family and friends. But then again, this is a sacrifice you expect and be willing to take.

2. It’s not sustainable long-term

Opting to teach English abroad may not be a wise career move on the long-term basis more so if teaching is not your passion or you do not plan for it to be your only profession. You may be moving to the new country to teach English under a one-year contract before going back home; that is a year of life with family and friends that will have passed you by.

3. Culture Shock is real

Expect that much of what you will find to be new, different, and a bit challenging. You may find yourself in some uncomfortable situations given the cultural and language barriers as well as the dietary change among other issues. Your body may not respond well to the change in climate, and thus you may have to see a doctor who will give you medication that may not sit well with you. All these are what’s known as culture shock, and you should try your best to handle it.

4. Getting sick is worse

Traveling to a new country means having to face new environments as you expose yourself to various things and eat various new foods; all this can make you feel sick.  Seeing a foreign doctor will most likely be the only recourse, but not one that you may enjoy. At times, you will have to bring some medications with you, but this may also fail to offer any significant solutions.

5. You might feel lonely

If you are an introvert, then you may end up feeling isolated and alone. Trying to step out to approach and interact with the locals and the students can help you settle in and assimilate without too many difficulties. In short, consider teaching English abroad if you are excellent interpersonal relation skills.