Share Your Native Language In A Foreign Land: Teaching ESL

An immigrant makes a U.S. breakfast, aided by instructional materials from the YMCA, 1918. - via Wikipedia

If you have a love for travel, teaching and language, you may want to consider traveling abroad and using your passions to teach English in another country, or English as a second language (ESL). Although this line of work is not right for just anyone, it can be a chance of a lifetime for others. It is a great opportunity to experience other cultures and languages first hand while actually earning a living.

Do you have what it takes?

Traveling and working abroad does take a unique set of skills and personality traits. As romantic as the idea may sound to some, it does involve quite a bit of preparation and fortitude to accomplish. Here are some things to consider before jumping on the teaching ESL train:

Organization skills.

These are an absolute must before deciding to pick up and journey across the world for a new job. Most people who decide to do this line of work have to be able to prepare for the traveling, lodging, class schedule and everything around it by themselves. This means being meticulously organized! In many cases, there will not be anyone there to help you once you get there and if you have not planned for every detail, and have a back-up plan as well, it could be a disaster.

Flexibility.

Even with the best organization skills, there are bound to be changes in plans and you must be able to roll with the punches. You will be across the globe and if things are not exactly what you expected, it is not as easy as just quitting and going home. Being flexible and enjoying a challenge is a must.

Enjoying diversity.

Obviously if you are even considering this as a career move, you must love and embrace diversity and other cultures. This is no trip to an ethnic part of a large city or even a vacation to another country. You will be living and working as a part of a different culture, not for a few days, but months and possibly years on end. If you are ready and excited to try a new style of living, possibly very different than your own, then this could be for you.

Self-sufficient.

You need to be independent and able to work with little or no supervision. This type of position tends to give you plenty of room to improvise and create your own learning environment, but you need to be able to stay on task without having someone managing your time. If you do better under a structured work environment, this may not be the career for you.

Patience.

As with all teaching, you must have patience in abundance. You are not only dealing with different levels of learning abilities and types of learning, you are teaching to a different culture that does not have the same background and experiences as you do. You will need to be understanding and patient with your students and find solutions to facilitate their learning.

How to get started

If you still think this may be a career for you, then the next step is your preliminary research on what you need to get a job teaching ESL overseas. Most ESL teaching jobs are obtained at schools in other countries and they will expect certain requirements are met. Here are some basic steps to get you started:

Get Certified.

You will want to consider getting certified through an ESL (English as Second Language), EFL (English as a Foreign Language) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course. Although not necessarily needed, especially if you already have teaching experience, some schools only hire certified teachers.

Get lingual.

If you do not already know any other languages, start learning! You do not necessarily need to be fluent in the native language to teach ESL, but knowing at least the basics should be on your to-do list. Start with the countries that you are most interested in going to. Remember, you will be living there as well, so wherever you go, you will want to know how to communicate within their culture.

Get connected.

Consider using an accredited recruiting agency or website to find job opportunities. Some are free and some have fees involved. Find ESL teaching groups or blogs and get advice from those already doing the job. They can point you in the right direction and you may even find a lead for openings where they are teaching.

ESL tips

You are on your way to teaching English abroad. There are still a few things to consider and take into account before you go. With all the training and preparedness ESL teachers must go through, there are some things that can be overlooked. Here are some of the biggest mistakes made by ESL teachers in foreign countries:

British and American English differences.

Make sure you are aware of what forms the school you will be working for uses. If they test in British English, you need to make sure you are preparing your students for those types of tests, not American English. You should be able to teach in either variant.

Educational differences.

Different cultures teach and learn differently. While you might think you are making learning “fun”, they may not understand why you are playing games when they are supposed to be learning. Do not assume what is expected or enjoyed in one country is the same elsewhere.

Offensive or prejudice material.

This seems an obvious mistake, but it happens often. When using videos or even books, consider the culture and content. What may seem like non-offensive material needs to be looked at with new eyes. Is there any sexual or violent content or ideas that are from an “American” point of view? It is easy to miss, when you are not considering it from another cultures vantage point

Lack of respect.

Remember you are visiting their country, not the other way around. A common complaint from students abroad of their ESL teachers is that they are ignorant and disrespectful of the culture. Learn as much as you can about what is acceptable behavior in their culture and try to learn their language. Be careful of a seemingly “superior” attitude. They are concerned with learning the language, not necessarily interested in moving or even visiting an English speaking country.

Embarking on a career in ESL can be fascinating and rewarding for the right individual. As long as you understand the fallbacks and are prepared for the journey, you can obtain valuable career and life skills through your experience. You have the chance to learn first hand about other cultures and gain new friends and colleagues from around the world, among many other advantages. If you crave adventure and variety in your teaching career, you can find both with teaching ESL abroad.

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