I teach ESL (English as a Second Language) and by teaching one can learn a lot. It all started in 2017 and I’ve been abroad on and off for the last six years. I’ve taught in Thailand, Vietnam, China and even online. Becoming an ESL teacher wasn’t always a part of my plan, but one thing lead to another and here I am; I actually talk about that a bit more here.

Regardless of how I ended up abroad, I can honestly say that I have loved every second of being an ESL teacher. While it has its challenges and it’s certainly not for everyone, I have found it to open doors of possibilities and you may be pleasantly surprised by the impact it could have. I did not anticipate the many ways teaching would give back to me and because of this, I want to encourage others to teach ESL. Among its many benefits, I believe that teaching ESL offers you a deeper experience and an inside look at the country you’re living in.

A classroom of cultural exchange

If you’re interested in going abroad, go. Regardless of how long it’s for, 10 days, 2 weeks or 2 months, whatever it is-only good can come from opening yourself up to new experiences and new cultures. Now if you are looking for ways to immerse yourself a bit further and for longer periods of time, I encourage you to consider teaching. 

Traveling, backpacking, going on holiday - these all offer you a chance to experience a new place, there’s no doubt about that. You’ll likely interact with locals when you’re out to eat at a restaurant or even haggle a good price at a street market. This is great and more than enough for some, but it is still only a glimpse, only a taste of the local culture. 

When you’re in the classroom with 15-30 students, it’s not just them who are learning. You’re there to teach English of course, but culture is embedded in our language and as you teach one thing, inadvertently, they will learn the other. The best part of this is that it's not just them who are learning, you, the teacher, will learn from your students. A cultural exchange takes place in the classroom, as they learn from you and you learn more about the country you’re living in. Your students will teach you through their behavior, their ideas and questions.

They are a reflection of the societal norms and beliefs held in their country; what they are taught at home or in society will emerge in the classroom. I’ve experienced this through my Thai students’ accepting attitudes toward death, rooted in beliefs of reincarnation and even when a close family member passed away. I’ve learned more in a conversation with a Vietnamese student about how much ‘his country hates my country’ as a result of the lingering pain caused by the Vietnam War. I’ve enjoyed the humor in our contrasting norms when my Chinese preschool students insisted that rice and noodles are the best and only breakfast food, unable to understand the concept of granola or toast being consumed in the morning. These are only a handful of examples and my years spent in the classroom have granted me a myriad of memories full of these types of exchanges. What the children share with you will highlight parts of a culture that you otherwise may not have seen and if you have, then they will take your hand and pull you in for a closer look.

We are products of our environment, especially at a young age and because of this, teaching in a classroom will enable deeper interaction with the local culture.

More time

Traveling for long periods of time will reward you with more genuine insights into a country’s culture. While I know not everyone has the time to travel slowly or for months at a time, I have found that having at least one month in a place is needed to gain a feel for and develop some basic understanding of that place.

Again I’m saying at least one month because let’s be honest, you can do and see a lot in just a 2-week vacation but it would be just that, a vacation. 2 weeks, even a month, is simply not enough time for anyone to have an in-depth look at a new and foreign place. A country and its culture consist of many aspects and complexities, which are not always so easily revealed. Like people and most things in life, time sheds away layers and under those layers is the heart of what makes it tick. You simply need more time and I’m sure it is no surprise that the longer you spend in one place, the more you explore, experience and understand. 

Being an ESL Teacher means that you are employed and with that, you will gain longer visa status. With a long visa and an income while you’re away, this enables you to spend years at a time abroad. You are more than just a visitor with a deadline or roundtrip flight ticket. Instead, you show up, you stay and you leave when you’re ready. This offers you a greater chance to make a home in this new country; you create a routine, go to work and ultimately, build a life there.

Community of like-minded people

When we invest our time and energy in one place, our lives there will grow and flourish. As a result of time put in, you build deeper connections with those around you. This forms a community with the locals and those from all over the world. 

The expat communities abroad offer a unique opportunity to connect and build long-lasting friendships. When abroad, making friends happens fast and the term ‘fast friends’ is seriously felt. I’ve built genuine friendships out of strangers that I spent merely a day with and there’s a reason. It’s easy and nearly effortless because for the most part, we’re all in the same boat. Everyone is open-minded, accepting and eager to create new friendships and connections. When you meet others abroad, you can assume that you have quite a bit in common from the get-go. After all, not everyone is here doing what we are, so it's safe to assume that to some degree, you’re both like-minded people, kindred spirits. 

When you’re away from home, the community you build ends up as your primary support system. They’re there, right there with you. These are the people who help you when you need it, when you’re ill, frustrated or even homesick. New and oftentimes on your own, it can feel lonely or daunting when you first arrive in an unfamiliar place. This support system could make or break your journey abroad. It is crucial to find this sense of belonging for when we feel connected to a place and to others, we don’t want to leave. 

In this environment, the people you spend your time with become your family away from home. This family is one that you choose and often, it is diverse with people from all over the world. Culturally rich and interesting, a friendship with someone from another country creates a space for further cultural exchange and learning. People from varying backgrounds come together and share their own norms, slang and ways of thinking. As a result of spending time together, you, in a way, rub off on one another; whether that looks like an American saying ‘cheers’ instead of ‘thank you’ or an English bloke saying ‘howzit’ and calling a barbecue a ‘braai’ due to his friends’ South African influence. As further proof, it’s happened here, just now, as I’m writing this- I, an American, using ‘bloke’ so casually in a sentence would never have happened if I hadn’t traveled abroad and made life-long friends from all over the UK.

The experiences and adventures shared with these friends will form an incredibly profound and unique bond. Suddenly you now have a reason to visit a far away country you otherwise hadn’t considered and when you get there, you’ll have a friend to be with. This community enhances and deepens your journey abroad.

With each new friend, you learn a little more and with that, your reach and connection to the world expand a bit wider, a bit deeper.

Find out for yourself

These are just a few of the reasons why I feel being an ESL teacher has gifted me a deeper experience abroad. I know that what works for me may not work for others, but this is what my journey has taught me. If you’re feeling inspired and even a little bit curious, maybe you can try it out for yourself. I went abroad with a company called TEFL Heaven and doing a program with them is a great way to get started in the world of ESL.

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