If you’re interested in getting your certification and teaching English abroad, you may be concerned about your success. Even with the best training, your personality will have a huge impact on your enjoyment of the work of teaching. Additionally, your ability to go with the flow will make your life in a new country more enjoyable overall. In this article, I will be sharing 5 signs of teaching English abroad that fits your personality.
5 Signs Teaching English Abroad Fits Your Personality
Let’s find below 5 signs teaching English abroad fits your personality
1. Curious
Living in a place you’ve never lived will give you many options as to how you will spend your free time. Consider checking out local cuisines and customs. Food is often tied to the history of a region. If you have been working full-time and had a side hustle going too in your home country, you may suddenly find that you have time to dine. What does that look like in your new nation?
You may be teaching in a large city. Are there parks where you can stretch your legs? Which museums are full of tourists and what areas are full of locals? Where do local families buy their groceries? What are the traditional beverages, snacks, and breakfast foods? Find out what the locals do and join in when possible!
2. Flexible
Whether you head overseas as a new college graduate or get your TEFL certification to start your encore career, stay flexible about these things:
- Leaving your current home
- Getting overseas with your possessions
- Getting settled in your new home
Take care of the basics. If you own a home and plan to rent it out, work with a reputable rental manager to handle any repairs or maintenance on the property. Do your best to arrange the banking situation so that your rent payment goes directly towards your remaining mortgage.
Whether you live in a home or an apartment, your move overseas will need to be minimal. Store the possessions you can’t bear to give up, but do be ready to downsize before you head to that first job. You may find that by traveling light, you can build a life of endless flexibility, low on stuff but full of experiences.
3. Respectful
One of the best ways to be respectful in your new nation is to be willing to learn from everyone. Yes, you have expertise in English. However, your students can teach you a lot about the best local hangouts, community amenities, and cultural factors. Local politics may well have an impact on your daily life; opinions on local politics can get heated. Will the leaders of your host country do things exactly as they do in your home country? Of course not!
Be ready to keep learning. Dig into the history of your host country to better understand what is going on now and why. History and biases can often be found in the information about battles and wars of the past. You can also learn more about the history of a region by checking out the architecture of the region.
You could be shocked by what individuals in your host nation have learned about your home country’s attitudes, prejudices, and “truths.” International news programs in your host country may have shared data about polarized ends of the spectrum, but the day-to-day understanding of your home country. Be ready to share your opinion without adding to the polarization whenever possible. You are an ambassador for your home country as a respected professional in your host country.
4. Adaptable
Before you start seriously looking for a teaching job, carefully consider what it is that you need out of the job. For example, if you really need to build up savings while working and traveling, you may want to teach in the United Arab Emirates. While the money can be very good and the cost of living will be low, the cultural experience may be too big a change.
If you are looking for a richer travel experience and just need to make enough to live well, you may be much happier in Thailand. Vietnam offers extensive teaching options as well, while Taiwan may offer a more western infrastructure while letting you immerse yourself in an ancient culture that is totally new to you.
Careful consideration of what you need out of your English teaching job will increase your chance of having a positive experience. Get your certification, boost your savings and downsize your life in your home country so you have more travel options when you get overseas. You may be able to find a teaching job that offers housing as well as a salary, which will obviously reduce any financial worries.
5. Embrace Change
Immersing yourself in a new culture will require you to shed, as much as is possible, your preconceived notions of what makes life possible. If you really think you must have a 1,200-square-foot house, moving into a studio apartment in your host country may be too much of a change. Moving into your new home and resisting the change because of amenities or size will make you miserable.
Be ready to change up these things:
- Schedule: You may not have access to a supermarket; stopping at the food market may need to become a daily habit.
- Wardrobe: Is there a dry cleaner in your neighborhood? You may need to pack clothes you can hand wash or easily get to the laundromat.
- Diet: If you’re a vegetarian, as an example, you can probably still find plenty of food, but you will probably develop new favorites!
If you don’t speak the language of your new host country, you may need to ask for help in finding the basics. While your employer will certainly provide you with a guide to local amenities, you may need help checking out at the grocery or drugstore.
Take away
The chance to teach English overseas means that you can get paid to travel. This travel can be slow and immersive; an ideal way to learn about the culture and politics of a region. Imagine what you can learn in just a year as a teacher in a new nation. All in all, teaching English abroad makes a difference. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this article on signs teaching English abroad fits your personality!
Guest Article by Eve Anderson
More Interesting Articles
- Chairperson Role Description that Leads a Company Front
- Most Satisfying Jobs List – What Makes the Most Meaningful Career?
- Describe Yourself as a Leader – 3 ways to Establish Yourself as a Leader
- Email for Internship – 11 Professional Rules to Follow
- Interview Question Tell Me About a Time – 50 Best Samples
- Minimum Wage Policy Guide Determines Minimum Wage Budget Plan
- Networking Skills that Every Professional Needs to Have
- Features of e-Commerce – How to Cope with Future Digital Markets?
- Examples of Threats – Why Great Companies Handle Them on Top
- Sources of Competitive Advantage for Sustainable Companies
- Problem Solving Skills Examples – Handle Tactfully in the Workplace or Interview
- Purpose of SWOT Analysis – How SWOT Goals and Objectives are Achieved
- Career Vision Examples – How to Develop a Vision Statement
- Promotion Request Letter – How to Write with Confidence that Doesn’t Fail
- Reference Letter for Student – How Long Should a Letter of Recommendation Be?
- Types of Innovation – Examples of Innovative Solutions to Problems
- What is the Decision Making Process that Shapes Great Companies
- Unethical Behavior in Business – Distasteful Practices that Ruin Culture
- Importance of Interpersonal Skills – Definition | Resume | Organizational Behavior
- Effective Decision Making Examples – Scenarios in Management and Business