Why be a TEFL teacher?

Over the years, I have worked with many different people of whom have various different reasons for choosing TEFL. Here are some of my findings….

• to travel – see what’s out there!  Is it the same as that book you read/movie you saw?
• to experience living in a different culture – not just seeing monuments, but making friends,
• getting a different view on life, changing and/or challenging your opinions/values etc…
• to have adventures
• because sometimes, being in the classroom is the best forum for engaging with the people of a country
• to give you a chance to live in a country and learn a language
• to do the everyday mundane things that people in that country do
• to experience what it’s like to see poverty everyday and gain perspective
• to pursue a hobby/passion eg Salsa dancing in Spain, learn how to cook the perfect pasta dishes etc
• to do things you can’t in Britain (eg. wear sunglasses in winter!)
• to meet people from different walks of life not just from that country (in Japan I worked with Italian, Chinese, Argentineans, Spanish, French, Australians, Canadians, Japanese, Americans, Germans,   New Zealanders….and a few Brits!)
• to stop being in the 9-5 rat race
• to say I did something different! (and for memories when you are sat in your rocking chair)
• to break that British mould of ‘we must stay at home in the village we were raised in!’
• who can afford to move out of home nowadays?  Go abroad, cut the apron strings, be selfish – care about no one but ‘me me me’!
• cheaper tax in many countries than the UK (in some countries you don’t get taxed!)
• to brighten up your CV
• to have those moments where only ‘wow’ will suffice!!
• to represent your country – sometimes you are the first foreigner your students have met!
• to spice up your life!  To give you a rollercoaster of emotions – shock, intrigue, laughter, amazement, tears, contentment, feeling out of place…but strangely at home to name but a few!
• because it’s social and heaps of fun
• to push you to be tolerant and adaptable
• to get away from your cares and get a new identity – to find out who you really are without your constricts
• because it’s a great job to have where you can always fall back on it – there’s always English teaching jobs!
• to get away from university debt!  (although sadly we aren’t as fortunate as the Aussies who apparently get their uni debts scrapped if they are out of the country for more than 8 years!!  This is maybe an urban myth!)
• to make a difference in those countries that really count
• to take time out while you figure things out
• it can be cheaper than your native country
• to find ‘the one’ (many people travel a long way for this!)
• to get away from a difficult break-up
• because you’re fed up of teaching children who don’t want to learn in the UK

The list is endless – what’s your main reason?!

• Travel Adventure Teaching English Italy France Archaeology Cultures
• I wana teach abroad!
• 120-hour TEFL Course
• adventure
• ab