So, you’ve had your leaving do, your rucksack’s packed, you’ve checked your passport about 5billion times. You are officially, absolutely, ready… ready for new adventures, ready for new challenges, ready to teach English abroad!
To make sure you have the best time possible once you arrive in-country, check out these tips for making the most of your TEFL adventure… take a look and make sure you keep us posted with how you get on!
1) Keep an open mind
It’s easy to think that the whole world is now a homogenized chain of McDonalds and Starbucks from Beijing to Buenos Aires. It’s not… foreign countries are just that: foreign! During my time in China I came across things that seemed strange (ballroom dancing in city squares), uncomfortable (total strangers approaching me to practice their English) and just plain wrong (chicken feet, eww). Unless you’re teaching in your home country, you will too.
So, to stop you going barmy and barricading yourself inside the nearest bastion of Western culture (usually a McDonalds), it’s important to keep an open mind. Remember that you’re there to experience an entirely new culture and way of doing things, not to impose your beliefs on your new home.
2) Do some TEFL training
Because of the insatiable demand for English teachers around the world, it’s absolutely possible to find a TEFL job with no training whatsoever. I did this... and can safely say that it didn’t have a happy ending for me, or my students.
Just because you speak English, it doesn’t mean you can teach it. For example, do you know what the present perfect is? Would you know how to teach it? I didn’t! Even the most basic of TEFL courses will give you a decent understanding of essential things like classroom management, grammar and lesson planning – which will all make your time in the classroom infinitely more rewarding. Plus, more TEFL training usually equals more money and better working conditions. It’s a no-brainer!
3) Never turn down an invitation
You’re going to be the new, exotic, cool kid in town… as such, you will probably be inundated with invitations for everything from karaoke to weddings. If you’re suffering from culture shock when you first arrive it’s tempting to shut yourself in your room and spend hours on end on Skype. Don’t do it! Get yourself out there… it can be absolutely terrifying (e.g. going to a party on your own in a city you don’t know), but I can assure you that people will go out of their way to make you feel welcome. And if it’s an absolute disaster you’ll at least have a funny story to tell!
Don't be shy, get yourself out there!
4) Go with the flow…
Life as an English teacher is amazing, but it can also be infuriating. Timetables change, contracts change, expectations change… you can have the world promised in your contract, only to turn up to find a tiny apartment with dodgy plumbing. That’s a worst case scenario, and many teachers don’t have any mishaps at all. But, it’s important to have low expectations before you arrive and go with the flow once you do get in-country. Don’t stress the little things, and if things get really irritating, skip to number five…
5) Shout up!
Your school has invested a lot of money in hiring you and they’ll been keen to keep you happy so you finish your contract. They’re not mind readers though, so if you’re ever unhappy with anything, from your accommodation to your hours, say something ASAP (and not just to your mum, she can’t do anything about it… your school can)!
And if there’s a problem that can’t be resolved to your satisfaction, remember that TEFL jobs are like fish… there are plenty more in the sea!
What’s your advice for making the most of your TEFL adventure?
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I've been teaching in China for two weeks now，and luckily my apartment has a Western-style toilet。 The school only has squat ones， but I've not dared to try out that particular adventure yet！
Luckily I live two minutes from the school，and have a three-hour lunch break，so I tend to nip home after eating at school to relieve myself！
Hey,
Glad they came in handy! With accommodation, really don't worry too much, but do be prepared for a squat loo/wet room set up. Once you get over that it's all fine! Remember too that you'll be spending so much time out there and enjoying yourself that you won't have much time in your accommodation anyway!
Best of luck in China - keep us posted with how you get on :)
Hi Honor's thank you so much for these wonderfull tips .I am soon going to china and going to keep this all in my mind.i am just worried about the accomodation .Am going to work for Helen Global Foreign Language School.Any other experience if you had please share.thanks again.
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