Not a teacher? Not a problem. Teaching English abroad is a viable option for open-minded individuals of any background. And even if you don’t want to continue teaching ESL when you return home, don’t cheat yourself out of the life you could build abroad. If living and teaching in another country is an extended travel opportunity for you rather than a lifetime career move, you’re no less eligible than anyone else. And when you’re ready to move on, your international work experience will help you progress along any career path.
Your long-term career doesn’t have to be in the field of education for teaching abroad to be a wise professional choice. Hailey is a travel enthusiast and part-time journalist. Her favorite travel destination is Costa Rica for its abundance of nature and beaches. And today she’s bringing us a fresh perspective on the often overlooked benefits of teaching abroad. Hailey has not taught yet during her travels but she’s considering teaching English as a foreign language somewhere far beyond the realm of her regular flight path. Keep reading for her thoughts on the collateral benefits of teaching abroad.
“Why would I teach English abroad if I don’t even want to be a teacher?” It’s a reasonable question. Of course, teaching English abroad is an excellent and obvious opportunity for classroom teachers. But what about the rest of us? Leaving your current job to travel and teach may sound risky to someone in medicine, business or law. But as it turns out, teaching English abroad helps you develop transferable skills that can be applied to any future career goals. In a strained economy in which it is becoming more and more necessary to set yourself apart, possessing these skills will scale up your resume.
Learning Another Language
Knowing a foreign language isn’t required to teach ESL abroad. If your second language is pig latin, don’t let that deter you from getting TEFL certified. However, immersion is the best way to learn another language. So it is more than likely that you’ll return home with at least basic proficiency in a foreign tongue. And having a language other than English under your belt is bound to bring your application to the top of the stack.
We are living in a global economy and having business partners that are not English speakers is more common than it used to be. So whether your heart is set on a tropical Latin American city or the fast-paced lifestyle of Beijing or Hong Kong, a second language will open doors for you in a number of fields. In the world of business, working knowledge of another language allows you to expand into international markets. And for those living in cosmopolitan cities, your new knowledge may help you communicate better with clients in your own neighborhood. If you’re from the southwestern United States for example, living and learning in Central or Latin America could make you more marketable overnight.
On paper and in person, knowing the language of those you are in business with demonstrates respect. The effort is appreciated because it makes communication more personalized and efficient. This is especially true in the medical field. Having the ability to converse with a patient in their preferred language creates a safer space for discussing sensitive medical information. But in any field, proficiency in another language differentiates you because you can communicate with a larger client base.
Cross-Cultural Insight
But effective and considerate communication is not only about having a common language. That’s only the beginning. Cross-cultural skills are an essential part of international communication. Like knowing how to speak another language, becoming aware of the nuances of another culture is a sign of respect. Being able to consider the perspective of someone outside of your own culture can prevent countless misunderstandings. As an individual, it also makes you more open-minded.
So whether you are trying to understand the trends of an international market, meeting with foreign partners or simply checking in an English learner for an appointment, being able to empathize with different perspectives will help you to communicate more thoughtfully. Ultimately, developing social awareness across cultural borders will broaden your worldview. And cross-cultural skills are necessary for upward movement in an increasingly global working world.
Problem Solving
Besides gaining the ability to communicate with people from other cultures in their own language, you will also learn to face foreign challenges. Living in a different environment forces you to think differently from time to time. Can’t read the street signs yet? Not sure about your new city’s banking system? When you move somewhere new, you learn to solve problems in ways that work for you. And when your environment is not familiar, you often have to think outside of your established routines.
You don’t need to be working with foreigners for this experience to be valuable. Your strengthened communication and problem-solving skills will help you be a more flexible and compassionate co-worker in the office back at home as well. Standing in front of a full class and demonstrating something in a new language will diversify your public speaking skills and force you to approach problems in new ways. Effective communication is at the core of any position but particularly those in leadership.
Independence
Good leaders also tend to be self-sufficient. Traveling alone in itself takes a lot of self-confidence. Teaching and living in a foreign country shows you so much of your own capabilities. It’s a living breathing demonstration that you have a solid sense of independence. You have proven that you are capable of making your goals realities. And though a teaching position will grant you financial stability, working out the details of your new life will be left to your own initiative.
Besides securing a teaching job in the first place, moving to a new country means organizing every aspect of settling into a new city and a new culture. You’ll have to select a safe neighborhood, find reasonable accommodation, develop new eating and exercising routines and hopefully find a social community! Accomplishing all the little things that come with any move requires a sturdy sense of self-reliance. This is only amplified by language barriers and cultural idiosyncrasies.
And although this can be intimidating, you will reap the rewards of learning to adjust on your own in a new country. Independence strengthens any career prospects. People willing to make difficult decisions and instigate change before situations necessitate it are more effective leaders. These skills may not be hard skills that you can write on a resume but it’s the faculty that results from a broader sense of life experience that will make you stand out in your next workplace.
Responding Resourcefully
People are living and working longer which only makes work harder to find in an already competitive job market. Therefore, it is likely that you will change careers at least once during your lifetime. This high potential for change makes it more important than ever to be adaptable and resourceful when it comes to your career. Market yourself well: what are your transferable skills? Having lived abroad instantly illustrates your ability to be flexible and acclimate to new environments.
Being able to adjust quickly to new sectors will increase your chances of upward mobility in any field. If you demonstrate a responsiveness to constantly changing needs and an ability to make quick decisions, your employer will recognize you as a valuable asset to any team. And teaching English in another country will inevitably equip you with these skills. To work and live abroad successfully, especially if you are living in a country with limited resources, you will learn to work with what you’re given.
And you will be adjusting to a new work environment and personal life simultaneously. So if you want to stop relying on your familiarity with Excel spreadsheets and hone your interpersonal skills, don’t be scared to spend a few months or years working outside your current field. Though education may not fit in with your goals at first glance, you will develop qualifications abroad that will stimulate your career for years to come. Inside and outside of the classroom, teaching abroad is a shrewd addition to any resume.