What feels like a very long time ago now, I was living in the Midwestern United States – just off of Lake Erie to be exact – and I remember very clearly the moment I decided I was going to be moving and teaching abroad.
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Yes – I had just finished a multi-year commitment and my lease was up and I had no intention of living there long-term to begin with; all good reasons to move on. But what did me in was a snowstorm. Not a few snowflakes; not a light dusting on the ground; no. A FULL ON SNOWSTORM at the end of May. As in, the month before summer officially begins.
While I may sound dramatic, this was the last straw for something that had already been brewing inside of me for a while. Snowstorm aside – I had an acute knowledge that it was time for me to explore abroad.
I am certainly not alone in the desire for a life of adventure. There are countless expats who take jobs all around the globe in an effort to earn a living while exploring somewhere new and exciting. One of the most common jobs expats take abroad is teaching – in any genre – as education is an industry that will always have demand.
Below I have gathered ten amazing bloggers who were willing to share their individual stories about teaching abroad in ten different countries around the world. Read on to learn where they went, why they went, and what they taught. And yes – I will also be sharing my own story below, which I’ve not yet chronicled on This Rare Earth.
Teaching Abroad All Over the World – 10 Bloggers Share
Teaching English in Costa Rica (My Story)
My first experience actually living abroad rather than as a traveler was set in the beautiful country of Costa Rica. (Remember that snowstorm I mentioned? Choosing a tropical and sunny place was not a mistake).
My students belonged to a wide range of ages – from Kindergartners to senior citizens, as Speaking English was (and is) useful for all ages. I taught in a classroom setting as well as offered one-on-one tutoring to anyone who needed or wanted it.
Before stepping foot inside the classroom, I did in fact earn a TEFL Certification. That training helped me greatly as far as knowing how to walk in cold-turkey and teach. In the classroom next door to me was another girl who had earned her certification with me, and though the two of us did speak Spanish, most of the other expat teachers did not, interestingly.
How they managed that was: if a teacher did NOT speak Spanish, they would teach the higher level English students while the two of us who could speak Spanish could teach all ages (meaning, we could explain a concept in Spanish if a new English learner wasn’t understanding).
There is one story that I think back to often, and before I left the USA I simply couldn’t have understood the importance. In fact, if we are being honest, my decision to leave the USA was internally driven. Meaning, I really didn’t comprehend what doing this could provide for others.
I had a student in his twenties who had moved from Nicaragua to Costa Rica to take these English classes. English is the official business language throughout much of Central America, so it is a skill sought by adults as well. This particular student struggled bit in some areas, and I gladly stayed afterwards to help him several times.
About a month into the class, he opened up to me about his life at home. His father and brother had died due to gun violence – it was frankly a terrible story, but I will leave it vague for his family’s privacy – and he was trying to learn English to provide a better life for his mom and remaining siblings. I will never forget him or his story, and that HE taught ME the value of what I was giving to them – something I very much took for granted as a native English speaker, and something so much bigger than I could comprehend during that last snowstorm.
Teaching Business Studies in Dubai
Initially when looking for jobs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), I was surprised to see the extent to which certificates are looked into before you can get a visa. A degree in the subject you want to teach is required. Additionally, a teaching qualification or certificate in that subject is required. For example, a Business Studies teacher would need a Business related degree and a teaching qualification for the age group and subject. I am currently halfway through my 2 year contract in Dubai, with 4 years of teaching experience prior.
In the UAE, public schools are only available for children of Emirati origin and expats must enroll in private schools. Considering, approximately 85% of the population is expat, that calls for lots of schools. I found it interesting that there is so much competition amongst schools, fighting to enroll as many students as they can. Whereas back in the UK, schools would only have students from the local area.
Overall, teaching is a bit easier in the UAE as the behaviour of students is significantly better than public school systems in the UK. Not having to focus too much attention on behaviour management makes teaching a more pleasurable experience, with a lot more energy going into making every lesson productive.
The hardest part about teaching abroad in the UAE for me was the heat. Yes, nothing to do with the school, but instead the climate. With temperatures around 65°F /20°C for two months and close to 120°F/50°C for the rest, it is very hard to get used to. The heat does hinder productivity and can take the edge off the experience. Schools are nice and cool, but during duty and commuting, it can be slightly demotivating.
Above all, I would certainly recommend working in the UAE for a couple years. It’s a great place to be and with tax free salaries, you can save a good amount before moving on to the next step in your career.
-Manpreet from YourVeganAdventure.com
Teaching English in China
I decided to go abroad to teach right after graduating with my education degree in 2018, because I didn’t want to get ‘stuck’ in a teaching position in Toronto. I felt that once I got in, I wouldn’t get out. It would be almost too easy to stay: to scoop up a French teaching position like all my friends, and bask in the satisfaction of securing a full-time teaching position before all our English-speaking counterparts. But deep down, I knew that if I didn’t go now, it would turn into never.
So, like anyone who wants to get out, I moved across the world. I got a job at a Canadian international high school in a small town just outside of Shanghai. I was primarily teaching grade 10 and 11 English, interspersed with Careers class and Physical Education (that was fun!). I was at that campus for two years, and now I’m making a shift to teaching elementary school at another campus on the northeast coast of China in September. Grade 6, here I come!
My international school is a little unusual because most of our students are Chinese – not international passport holders. I think the demographics were 97% Chinese, and 3% South Korean. Everybody says it, but it is true: classroom management is not the same issue as it is in Canada. Students falling asleep in class was the worst I had to deal with.
Teachers are very well regarded in society. Students usually call us ‘teacher’ instead of
using our last name, and I thought that was odd until I learned why. In Chinese, they use the term laoshi to address their teachers; it simply means ‘teacher’, but it is a respectful term.
One of the hardest things about working abroad in a small town is that your coworkers are your only friends. There is no community of foreigners in our town, so the only people we can hang out with is each other! It can be too much to constantly be around each other! If you can communicate with locals, of course that would help in making friends, but that’s not the case for me. (Although, I do enjoy talking – in my broken Chinese – to the friendly owners whose restaurants I eat in multiple times a week!)
If you’re on the fence about teaching abroad, my only question is: why not? Is it fear of the unknown? Is it a fear that you’re wasting your time by not putting down roots in your hometown? Well, try it for a year and see how it goes. The best part is that ‘a year’ is
actually only 10 months. I can almost guarantee that you will love the experience!
-Alexandra from The Adventure Classroom
Teaching Nursery School in Russia
After teaching in an inner-city New York City school for four years I needed a change. I started applying for teaching jobs at international schools abroad. When a British international school in Moscow, Russia offered me a position I decided to go for it! I was hired as a Nursery teacher ( 2 – 4 year olds). The school admitted about 50% Russian students to each class. The other 50% was made up of students from around the world. I had students from Argentina, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania.
Many people thought I was teaching English abroad, but I was actually teaching the academic subjects like I was doing in the USA. All the teachers in the school needed a certification/degree in teaching from a university. It would also be rare to be hired without several years of experience first. This is common for most international schools.
Living abroad in Russia was of course a challenge, but so was working in a British school. I was the only American teacher and was surprised by all the differences between British and American English. There were also a lot of differences in curriculum and teaching styles that I needed to get used to.
In the US I taught kindergarten through 2nd grade. It was a big change for me to start the year off with several two-year-olds and be asked to teach rigorous academic lessons! Many of the students were learning English and struggling to adjust to a new country so there were a lot of tears.
While there were many difficulties, it was also really nice to have so many resources at the school and work with teachers from around the world. Unlike my previous position I didn’t need to buy supplies out of pocket, I received time during the day to plan, had support staff and hardly any behavior issues. In addition there was an awesome salary and benefits package.
While one year in Moscow was enough for me, I am very grateful for the experience and encourage any licensed teacher to try working abroad in an international school!
-Elizabeth from The Fearless Foreigner
Teaching Horseback Riding in Australia
I lived in Australia for a year, and during the three months which I lived in Orange, NSW, I taught horseback riding and trained horses. My students were locals; both kids and adults, plus their horses. While I do not have a certificate to teach riding lessons (there isn’t any universal one), I have a lot of experience. I’d been riding myself for about 20 years at that point and had been teaching and training off and on for about 5-6 years.
I had a lot of fun teaching in Orange, but the biggest challenge was finding enough clients to build a proper business. I was a freelance instructor so I relied mostly on local sites and forums like Gumtree. The other challenge with being a freelancer is that you’re traveling around a lot. So, while you might be working all day long you’ll only end up getting paid for a few hours since there’s a lot of transportation time to take into account.
I love teaching, especially kids, about my passion. All of the students I had were riding their own horses – I didn’t have any to offer lessons on – so I was helping them to create a new relationship with the horses they already knew, and that tends to be really rewarding.
For example, I taught a family of three kids who each had their own pony. One of them was really bad about picking up his back feet to be cleaned. The child was pretty nervous about it and had basically stopped doing it. We worked on this before each lesson and he watched me do it, slowly gaining the confidence to do it himself – which was wonderful to see.
I think if you’ve got experience, setting yourself up as a freelance riding instructor is a great idea. You’ll need to be living somewhere that is horse rich – unless you want to provide your own horses, but that gets into a whole other beast entirely!
– Caitlin Boylan from The Country Jumper
Teaching English in Busan, South Korea
I’m Courtney from Chicago, IL. I taught English in Santa Marta, Colombia for a month (as a volunteer) and most recently Busan, South Korea for 8 months.
I spontaneously signed up to teach English in Santa Marta, Colombia while I was traveling around South America. That experience led me to get TEFL certified and apply to teach abroad in South Korea. In Korea, I was teaching kindergarten-aged Korean kids in the morning and elementary kids in the afternoon at a private academy. My goal was to teach for a year and save for travel.
My experiences in Colombia and Korea were very different. Education is the most important thing in Korea. There was a lot of pressure on the kids to do well starting at a young age. Colombia was much more relaxed and easy-going.
The kids were amazing and fun – I learned kids are kids no matter where you are in the world. The culture may be different, but most kids love games, gym time, and being silly. There were pros and cons to each school/country.
The best things about teaching abroad in South Korea were the kids and the city of Busan. I loved living in Busan! It’s a coastal city surrounded by beautiful beaches and mountains, and the beach was a 15-minute walk from my apartment. I loved hiking on the weekends and there were a lot of things to do and see.
My least favorite part of teaching was the work environment. While not every school is like this, things were strict at my academy. Work culture in general in Korea is intense. Parents had high expectations. Long story short: it was a high-pressure environment and felt draining some days. Although, I’m sure teachers everywhere feel this kind of pressure.
My tip would be if you feel the urge to teach abroad, do it! It’s a great learning experience and it’s a great way to see the world. Make sure to interview at multiple schools! Reach out to current teachers to make sure it’s the right fit for you.
-Courtney from Courtney the Explorer
Teaching English Abroad in Spain
I’ve been working as an English teacher in Spain for approximately three years and my
experience has been varied. I’m originally from the UK and had been looking at moving to Spain for some time.
My first job was in a small high school as an auxiliary teacher supporting the main English teachers, who were all Spanish natives. The school was in a small village with just a few hundred pupils, several of which I got to know well through running after-school workshops. After that I spent a year working in an academy, which allowed me to work with a greater mix of abilities and ages.
My classes in the academy were no bigger than eight students, with some just one-to-one. In comparison, the high school was generally over 30 pupils. I was now the main teacher and planned my own classes, using the course material provided. Levels ranged from beginner to advanced (high B2 in the CEFR language scale) and my students were young children, teenagers and adults.
For the past three years I’ve worked over the summer on an intensive oral course where students come from all over Spain for a week. Classes are no more than six students and organised by ability. Everyone who attends are university students aged at least 18.
Prior to gaining my first job I completed an online TEFL qualification which included several in-person teaching hours. This gave me a good start, with more experience gained through my various roles. Working with Spanish students in particular has allowed me to learn more about their country and culture and adapt my lessons to their way of thinking.
I prefer the residential course as, despite only working with each group for a week and the course being very intense, we develop a close bond with the students. It can get repetitive, starting again each week as we strive to learn about each new group, but it’s also a lot of fun. As it’s an oral based course the classes are very dynamic and conversational based,
meaning it’s more entertaining for the students and the teachers.
-Stuart from Just Travelling Through
Teaching ELA in Vietnam
For a year and a half, I worked as a primary school teacher in Vietnam. I started off teaching English in Saigon, before transferring to Hanoi to take up a position as the English Language Arts teacher in a local private primary school.
Teaching in Vietnam was a weird and wonderful experience. There are many cultural differences between my background and the Vietnamese way of life. Every day, during the 2-hour lunch break, all students and teachers would have a mandatory nap time. After they ate, everyone would pull out sleeping mats and sleep on the floor for an hour. I mean, it makes sense as the Vietnamese are early-risers (I’m talking 5:30am mornings daily) but I found it super hard to get used to!
Vietnamese students, though undoubtedly unruly, were lovely and loving. In my experience, I saw that they love their teachers and become very attached to them. Over time, my students began to feel like family, which was pretty special.
As with everything, there were ups and downs. I have very fond memories of working in Vietnam (like running a Harry Potter-themed summer school!!). However, the hardest thing about this particular job was the lack of organization. Lack of organization was not unique to my school, and I know it’s pretty typical in Vietnam.
To be an ELA teacher in Vietnam, I think the requirements vary from school to school. I had a TESOL certificate and experience teaching ESL as well as an English Literature degree; however, I think the only certification my employer was interested in was the degree.
For any future ELA teachers in Vietnam, my advice would be to make sure you have a Teaching Assistant in your class. Your students’ language level can be deficient, and it can hamper the learning process if they have zero means of understanding you. Without a TA, your class can quickly turn into an ESL class!
-Amber from Amber’s Destinology
Library Instruction in Qatar
Many people have never heard of the small country of Qatar. It is located on the Arabian Gulf and only has one land border with one country of Saudi Arabia. For four years, I worked as a librarian in Qatar at an American based university. They had a satellite campus in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
The students at the university were from Qatar and many other regional countries. Even given the large recruitment area, the student body size was relatively small. While I didn’t teach daily, I gave library instruction to many classes throughout the year.
As with most library positions, you must have a library master’s degree to work there. Most of the professors had PhDs or were actively working towards them. There are several other American and European universities on the same campus, and we had a chance to interact with their faculty and staff.
For me, the hardest thing about teaching abroad was that the level of education in some of our feeder schools was not up to standards. Some students lacked basic research and critical thinking skills. Our school was focused on art and design, so many students were gifted with great artistic skills but might have never read a book for pleasure. However, they did love checking out books!
Since the school was so small, I developed great relationships with both students and fellow staff. It really felt like family, and I spent every Thanksgiving with colleagues and even went on vacation with some.
-Tiffany Schureman from A Girl and Her Passport
Teaching Elementary in Canada
The education system in Canada is like no other. Jobs are tough to land as teachers stay in the profession longer. Coming from the UK where burnout periods are just a matter of years for teachers, Toronto was almost a refreshing site to see.
The process for teaching in Canada is fairly strict and long winded. Schools are completely government controlled, with recruitment done centrally by school district boards, as opposed to schools choosing who they want. I had planned to arrive into Canada in September 2018, and start the process of becoming certified in Jan 2018.
If you have teaching qualifications from another country abroad, the process involves converting it to a local teaching license membership. This process takes 6-9 months to complete, with lots of documents going back and forth. It was definitely not a pleasant experience!
Once you have your license, you then need to keep an eye on the central job board and wait for an opening of supply teaching. There are a certain number of days you must complete on supply, before you are allowed to apply for a longer term supply role, and then a full time position. Depending on your specialism and the demand for it, this can take between 6 months in the best scenario, to many years in the worst. Many teachers that I have spoken to say it took them 12-14 months, and one teacher has been trying to land a supply job for 4 years.
There are a number of private schools around where jobs can sometimes become available. They too have a high turnover as staff often leave as soon as they get a public school position. However, due to there being an overpopulation of teachers, these private schools will pay significantly less than public.
-Manpreet from Hello Manpreet
I hope that this collection of experiences from talented bloggers all over the world will help you if you are thinking of teaching abroad – whether to gain teaching experience, or simply to live abroad. With examples from ten countries across many continents, feel free to use this post as a resource to learn about the ups and downs of landing a job abroad. Odds are it will be a great experience in one way or another!
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Are you thinking of teaching abroad? Let me know below!
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