When should I go teach abroad?

A question that I often hear from people who are considering to take a TEFL program like the one we offer here at UVic, is "when is the right time for me to teach abroad"? Unfortunately (and fortunately) there isn't one best answer that I can give to this question. In my opinion, there isn't one specific time when people should go abroad, but instead I feel like you can really go teach abroad at anytime in your life.

In my case, the first time I went abroad to Ghana to teach English, I was in the middle of my Bachelor of Arts degree and thought that teaching abroad would be an exciting adventure that could also help me to gain acceptance in the Education program I was going to apply to. The second time I went abroad I had finished my Bachelor of Education degree and taught in public schools for a couple years. I decided that I wasn't ready to be tied to one job for a long time, and instead I wanted to see the world. I also have a goal one day to teach English again in a totally different part of the world...possibly when I reach retirement age. As you can see from my experience, there wasn't one specific time which was right for me, and there may be more opportunities to go abroad in the future. Likewise, in my travels and teaching career, I have met people of all ages and from all backgrounds teaching English in foreign countries.

In the next part of this blog entry, I'll highlight some benefits of going abroad at certain times of your life. As mentioned earlier, for different people the right time to go varies from person to person, however I'm hoping that my advice may help your decision.

During College / University
Although it may be hard to find paying jobs teaching English abroad before you finish your degree, there are many volunteer opportunities out there. Traveling at this time of your life will definitely open your mind, and contribute to your education. Traveling to Ghana to volunteer teach, is still the most defining moment in my life as far as how I see the world, and definitely taught me to be far more grateful for everything in my life.


After College / University
If you're like me, then you probably will leave university or college with a student loan looming over your head. Many opportunities abroad will give you the chance to substantially chip away at that loan, if you can spend your money wisely. Teaching abroad at this time can also provide you with meaningful work experience that can help you find a job later in life.

Middle of Your Career
No matter how much you love your job right now, all of us at some point need a break or change. Teaching abroad can provide that needed change in your life or a brand new perspective and clarity before returning to your career. Teaching abroad may also offer a career change in itself. When I was in Korea, I met so many people who had had completely different jobs before teaching that they totally hated. In teaching abroad, they were able to try something new and excited, and eventually decided this was something they wanted to do for the rest of their lives.

Retirement 
I also had the pleasure to meet so many retirees will traveling abroad. For so many people, family consideration, careers, financial concerns all limited their chances to travel and see the world. Teaching English as a foreign language has given them that opportunity to finally pursue their own dreams, while supplementing the income they lost when they retired.


As you can hopefully see from reading this blog entry, there is no correct time to go teach abroad. If this is something you are really interested in doing, then go and do it. If you have taught abroad, let me know when you went and how you decided it was the right time for you.


https://www.facebook.com/uvictefl

https://continuingstudies.uvic.ca/education-learning-and-development/topics/teaching-english-as-a-foreign-language

Comments

  1. Had a wonderful insight reading this article on Education Loan. If you want to have more such insights and in dept information than you can continue to - Education Loan India

    ReplyDelete
  2. BE SMART AND BECOME RICH IN LESS THAN 3DAYS....It all depends on how fast 
    you can be to get the new PROGRAMMED blank ATM card that is capable of
    hacking into any ATM machine,anywhere in the world. I got to know about 
    this BLANK ATM CARD when I was searching for job online about a month 
    ago..It has really changed my life for good and now I can say I'm rich and 
    I can never be poor again. The least money I get in a day with it is about 
    $50,000.(fifty thousand USD) Every now and then I keeping pumping money 
    into my account. Though is illegal,there is no risk of being caught 
    ,because it has been programmed in such a way that it is not traceable,it 
    also has a technique that makes it impossible for the CCTVs to detect 
    you..For details on how to get yours today, email the hackers on : (
    atmmachinehackers1@gmail.com ). Tell your 
    loved once too, and start to live large. That's the simple testimony of how 
    my life changed for good...Love you all ...the email address again is ;
    atmmachinehackers1@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I can't believe that this man is so real, how can I thank you enough, I can't fail to testify about the good things you have been doing for me and now you still went ahead and do same for my friend, please everyone if you have anything disturbing you please your solution is hear with Dr.osupalagba the great spiritualist who can solve any problem in a twinkle of an eye. No matter the problems, whether spiritual problem, you want to get your ex back, promotion in your workplace, spiritual cleansing, fruit of the womb, mental illnesses, protection for gun, protection for cutlass, protection for bottle, protection for snake and scorpion bites and cure. Are you a victim of any of the above listed setbacks, you can contact Dr.osupalagbavia Email: osupalagba.temple@gmail.com


    Call/WhatsApp +2347051667586

    ReplyDelete
  4. DO YOU NEED A LOAN? SEEK NO MORE @ martinshackers22@gmail.com

    We have specially programmed ATMs that can be used to withdraw money at ATMs, shops and points of sale. We sell these cards to all our customers and interested buyers all over the world, the cards have a withdrawal limit every week.Which we are giving you 98.9% Work sure. Email: martinshackers22@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. IS IT POSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY GET BACK FUNDS LOST TO CRYPTOCURRENCY SCAM? ABSOLUTELY YES! BUT, YOU MUST CONTACT THE RIGHT AGENCY TO ACHIEVE THIS.

    DARK WEB ONLINE HACKERS is a financial regulator, private investigation and funds recovery body. We specialize in cases concerning cryptocurrency, FAKE investment schemes and recovery scam.

    Visit darkwebonlinehackers.com now to report your case or contact our support team via the contact information below to get started.

    dwchzone@gmail.com

    WhatsApp: +1 (803) 392-1735

    Stay Safe !

    ReplyDelete
  6. IS IT POSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY GET BACK FUNDS LOST TO CRYPTOCURRENCY SCAM? ABSOLUTELY YES! BUT, YOU MUST CONTACT THE RIGHT AGENCY TO ACHIEVE THIS.

    DARK WEB ONLINE HACKERS is a financial regulator, private investigation and funds recovery body. We specialize in cases concerning cryptocurrency, FAKE investment schemes and recovery scam.

    Visit darkwebonlinehackers.com now to report your case or contact our support team via the contact information below to get started.

    dwchzone@gmail.com

    WhatsApp: +1 (803) 392-1735

    Stay Safe !

    ReplyDelete
  7. Captain WebGenesis // To Find Missing Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies

    The top Cryptocurrency recovery specialist is what you require. Captain WebGenesis can help you avoid falling for cryptocurrency theft schemes. Scammers abound on the bitcoin investing platform, and even with the greatest of intentions to generate huge profits, people frequently lose money. Because these people are intelligent, nobody can outwit them or their clever schemes. To entice you to invest your hard-earned money, they usually offer contact agreements and place you in a group with people who have already made investments. After following the advice and investing my money, I found out a few days later that it had been stolen. I am grateful to Captain WebGenesis for his assistance in rescuing my Bitcoin from these online crooks.

    INFO ABOUT CONTACT: WhatSapp; +1-2-0-5-3-3-6-1-0-2-0.
    Mail Add Captainwebgenesis@ hackermail.com

    Website; https://Captainwebgenesis. com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do you need an appointment with the best Private investigators in the world???, Who can help you carry out hacking jobs, I was down and depressed when i could not get a job because of my bad credit score, Explaining my situation to a friend of mine i was introduced Premiumhackservices@gmail.com and they did not only help fix my credit score but they also helped me to apply for a loan which i got later and i used it to set my life up, you can also reach them on Whatsapp +14106350697, Do not worry your job will be done confidentially.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

These Acronyms are Making Me CRAZY: ESL, EFL, EAL, ELL, TEFL, TESL, TESOL, CELTA....

English Only Classrooms: Beneficial or Detrimental to English Language Learners?

Teaching English in Thailand - What you need to know

Teaching Children Vs. Teaching Adults

Teaching English in the Czech Republic

Tips for Teaching Korean Students

Teaching English to Absolute Beginners