That’s quite a statement, isn’t it?
But you better believe it’s true. Teaching English as a foreign language abroad is a sure way to introduce changes into your life which will no doubt change you for the better.
How? What are the benefits of teaching abroad? Let’s crack on and find out.
You’ll grow in confidence
Whether you like it or not you’ll become a leader. A teacher is automatically regarded as the leader in a classroom. This doesn’t mean you get to boss people around but it does mean you are the one calling the shots.
Your job is to guide your students along a specific (but flexible) lesson path towards meaningful learning, while maintaining a calm, relaxed atmosphere in the classroom. Think of it like juggling eggs while riding a bicycle - which is why you need a TEFL qualification to help you do it!
You become more worldly
You can’t get much more real-world experience than living for an extended period of time in a foreign country and culture.
TEFL gives you the gift of travel. But it also lets you immerse yourself in a different culture like nothing else can. You’ll be exposed to different cultures and customs, practices and beliefs, which increases cultural awareness. Even better, you’re able to contribute meaningfully to the community you are living in.
It makes you more self-aware
Self-concept clarity is a person’s ability to understand and communicate their beliefs. Travelling and living abroad is known to increase this concept. Being self-aware is an essential skill in this day and age. Being self-aware improves empathy, which makes you a better communicator - and a more thoughtful person.
Living abroad is known to test your limits. It proves your adaptability and flexibility, and increases your resilience by constantly pushing you out of your comfort zone. You’ll be tested in situations you’ve never experienced before. You’ll be forced to make your own decisions and you’ll only have yourself to rely on so you have no choice but to make a plan!
It makes you smarter
Living in a foreign environment has been shown to improve your problem-solving skills and enhance your creativity.
You’ll need to navigate cities without being able to read street signs, order food at a restaurant without being able to speak the language, work in a totally foreign environment.
Even better, you may learn another language! Being bilingual or multilingual is known to have huge cognitive benefits for the language learner, but it also opens up doors to experiences you might otherwise not have had.
You’re more employable
Teaching abroad looks great on your resume. Teaching gives you skills like time management, people skills, public speaking skills and a whole host of other skills which are transferable to different careers.
More and more employers - no matter the field - are looking for candidates with international working experience. With experience teaching abroad, your CV will stand out from the rest of the applications.
But you don’t have to take our word for it - get TEFL-certified, jump on a plane and see for yourself what it does for you!
