Did you already ace your interview with an English teaching company? Or are you researching to be an English teacher abroad? Or are you just curious about it?
Teaching abroad can be a scary thing, especially if you've never been abroad.
Have no fear!
Taking the time to research is essential for you to make an informed and clear decision to teach abroad.
1. Culture Shock and Fatigue
Culture shock is when you feel disoriented when you experience a new culture. Culture fatigue is when you feel overwhelmed adapting to a new culture, environment, or language.
Unfortunately, you have to deal with both of these...I know, take a deep breath...
BUT you can do one thing to make it all easier for yourself: RESEARCH!
Use social media to watch vlogs.
Find people on Instagram or TikTok who are living and teaching abroad.
Look up things that aren't culturally acceptable to do in your new country.
Research will make this new change feel manageable. You won't be about to know it all, but at least you'll feel a bit more prepared.
How else was I supposed to know it's impolite to talk on the train, you can't walk and eat, or that there aren't that many trash cans around public areas in Japan? Taking time to look into the culture you'll live in will benefit you in the long run.
2. Point of Contact
Your point of contact is a teacher at the school you'll work at who speaks your language. They'll support you with navigating the country or city you're living in.
Try to get as much important information so you can get about your new area. If there is public transportation, ask which train or bus you should take. Ask which restaurants you should visit, the nearest grocery store, cafes, and anything you're interested in that you'd want to know.
Another thing you should do with your contact is ask them to write down important addresses for you in the country's language.
Have them write things like:
Your housing address
Your school or workplace address
The nearest grocery store
Important phone numbers
This will help if you need to ask for directions or take a taxi and can't speak the language.
Consider talking to them about your company or school. ⭐️
Not all companies are good — having someone to discuss it with is important. This can be when you first arrive to see the environment and your colleagues are like, or after a few months, to get advice.
Quiz 🧐
After two weeks of teaching abroad, you start to feel very tired, miss home, and are frustrated that daily tasks (like shopping or using transportation) feel confusing. What’s the best step to take?
A. Keep all your feelings to yourself so you don’t bother anyone.
B. Talk with your program point of contact, who can give advice and support for adjusting to the new culture.
C. Book a flight home immediately, because culture shock never gets better.
D. Ignore your feelings and hope they go away on their own.
Quiz
Which is the best option?
3. Housing
Not all teaching programs offer housing. And unfortunately, not all places are willing to rent to foreigners. A big part of the issue is that they don't want to lose money on someone who they believe won't be there long. So you'll have to find a place willing to rent to you.
You could get a real estate agent to help you search for housing within your budget, city, and for a foreigner. An agent can also help with knowing what is needed to rent. For example, to rent a new place in Korea, you need Key Money, a month's rent to reserve the apartment (like a deposit).
Always read your contract through carefully. ⭐️
Information about housing, pay, accommodations, and location is provided. If you have questions, contact the recruiter or your point of contact.
These programs offer free housing or a housing stipend as part of their benefits package:
4. Money
There's a lot to consider when deciding how much to save for your new adventure. If you search on Google, you'll get different answers. Some say between $1,000-$3,000, others say they saved $10,000.
Something you can do to help you decide what you should save is researching the cost of living in the country before you go. Look at how much the typical person spendson food, housing (if not provided), transportation, and other needs.
There isn't a right answer. You can talk to others in the program you're applying to and see what they saved.
Please, please, please take money in cash in the country's currency! ⭐️
I say this from personal experience. Even if you talk to your bank ahead of time and you're allowed to use your card abroad (which you can do by the way), transferring money can be a challenge when you're abroad. Once there, you can talk to your point of contact to help you set up a bank account.
BUT MAKE SURE to have a decent amount of cash on hand. You never know what's going to happen once you're there.
5. Technology
Something that's important to consider that isn't always talked about is your phone service. In my experience, our current phones aren't always compatible with specific countries' phone services.
You'll have to unlock your phone in your country so you can use it abroad. But even then, it doesn't guarantee it'll work.
Some have gotten a mobile hotspot from their providers to take abroad, but the signal and battery life of the hotspot aren't always the best. You can get a used phone, or someone in your program can help you get a phone once you're in the country.
Another option is that most companies abroad will let you get a service plan that's just internet. In my experience, using communication apps like WhatsApp, KakaoTalk, Line, and WeChat is common, and they only need an internet service to work. Plus, these plans are usually the cheapest.
This is what I did, and I never had any issues. It was super easy to set up, but if you're not fluent in the language, I recommend taking a friend or your point of contact to help you when needed.
Quiz 🧐
You arrive in Spain to start teaching. Your phone from home is locked, so it won’t work with a local SIM card. You want to stay connected for maps, messaging, and teaching resources. What is your best option?
A. Get a portable hotspot or international phone plan.
B. Wait until you return home to use your phone again.
C. Use only free Wi-Fi in cafés and never have service outside.
D. Buy a second phone, even if it’s very expensive, without checking other options
Quiz
Which is the best option?
6. Medical Needs
Look into clinics that have English-speaking providers. Even if you learn the native language of that country, you'll have a conversational level of fluency. Explaining medical or mental health needs can be challenging.
If you're on a specific medication, I recommend seeing if you can easily get it abroad and researching its cost. You can even ask your provider if you can get your medication while you're abroad before you leave.
Look into online services or telehealth options for mental health.
7. Promotions & Career Progress
When it comes to teaching abroad, that is a factor you must consider. Oftentimes, and this can be based on the country and how they see English teachers, you might be considered an assistant.
This means your pay doesn't really increase even with years of experience. If you have a teaching degree or experience, they may consider a bit of higher pay, but that's not always the case.
You could look into private schools or companies that could pay you more, but that can vary. If you'd love to stay in that country longer than the first year, then this is something to consider.
Take Action
These are the questions to think about as you plan to teach English abroad:
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