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Many teachers are getting frustrated with their current positions. A Gallup poll showed that 44% of US teachers are either “always” or “very often” feeling burnt out. (Gallup) This has caused many teachers to consider quitting their careers, but there is a second option: teaching abroad.
Teaching abroad in another country holds many benefits for teachers whether they are happy in their current schools or feeling completely burnt out by a negative school culture at home. This article will answer some common questions about teaching abroad and go over some of the research on the impacts of teaching abroad on a teacher’s professional career.
Is Teaching Abroad a Good Career Choice?
Yes! There are many benefits to teaching abroad such as gaining new experiences and perspectives on the world and on teaching, boosting the power of a resume by showing flexibility and multicultural awareness, and oftentimes, a pay raise.
Teaching abroad is often done on a one or two year contract basis. This can be great for teachers to gain some experience on a fixed term and then be able to decide what their next steps should be; perhaps returning home, staying for another contract term, or moving to another new country for an additional new set of experiences and benefits.
New Experiences and Perspectives
Teaching abroad holds all of the benefits of living in a foreign country but allows the teacher to not have a gap in their resume and continue to make money while seeing the world. Teachers will get to see how other cultures handle issues, what their school cultures are like, and gain new tools and approaches for classroom practices.
Travel holds many benefits, but actually living long term in another culture is an entirely deeper experience that will impact a person for the rest of their life. Gaining a broader cultural understanding can also help to fight biases and misinterpretations of how the world works abroad due to how the media portrays other countries.
Resume Booster
In addition to all of these benefits, teaching abroad looks great on a resume. Schools love to see that a teacher has a broad base of experience and is flexible in working with a variety of types of students. Multicultural awareness and sensitivity is very valuable in almost any school as students in a classroom rarely all come from a single background.
This will make the teacher more competitive in future markets if they choose to continue changing schools. However, many teachers that try teaching abroad find that they actually prefer teaching in other countries outside of their home country.
Great Pay and Standard of Living
One of the reasons for this is the high pay compared with the standard of living that many countries have for their teachers. This is especially true in many places in Asia and the Middle East where international teachers can live significantly more comfortably than if they were to remain teaching at a local school on the domestic teacher’s pay rate.
Regardless of where the teacher is originally from, international teachers often get a higher pay than domestic teachers. Fair or unfair, this is often the case. While not always true, teachers should have a look around at the market and there is almost guaranteed to be somewhere they could go that will give them a better quality of life.
What this means will vary person to person. The highest wages are in the Middle East in oil wealthy countries such as The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Some teachers may find the cultural restrictions and high cost of living in these places means that their quality of life is not as high as they are hoping for. Many teachers will still do a two year contract in these places as pay is often tax free, accommodation and flights are provided and so thousands and thousands can be saved before returning home with enough money to invest in a house.
East Asia also gives reasonably high wages and has a different culture that may be more suitable for some. Work standards and formality are high, but this means that the countries often work very efficiently, especially in places like Japan and South Korea. Asian countries also tend to have more of a collectivist and community based culture which means people tend to be kinder and less confrontational.
Europe and Oceania offer lower wages than many places in Asia and cost of living is comparably higher than most locations, but fantastic infrastructure, safe societies, and modern amenities may be more of a draw than a high paycheck for many. What constitutes a high quality of living will be highly personal.
The United States and Canada have a lower pay rate for teachers, but international teachers can still often make a good living and experience freedom and acceptance that differs from their more restrictive home countries. Infrastructure is poor outside of major cities however, and teachers will have to consider many additional expenses such as a car and in the case of the United States high healthcare costs which may or may not be subsidized by the school like they would be by the government almost anywhere else.
South America and Africa will be more varied and depend on the specific country the school is located in. While many may have negative perceptions of the safety or standard of living in many of the countries in these continents, international teachers are often able to live safely and well in gated communities. Additionally, many countries actually have a much higher standard of living than the media may portray and teachers may find themselves surprised at how good life is there compared to how it is portrayed online.
What if I have Children?
One of the most common concerns that teachers have when considering a major move is how it will affect their children. While it can be sad for children, especially older children to lose connection with their friends, there are also many benefits for them living abroad as well.
In addition to all the benefits of new experiences and cultural enrichment they will get just like their parents, research shows that they are also more likely to soak up the local language as well.
A common misconception is that the younger a child is the easier it is for them to learn, but the research shows that adolescents are actually far more capable of learning local languages due to their stronger cognitive abilities, but younger children are simply more enthusiastic and often feel less embarrassment when learning. (Myles)
In either case, spending a year or two teaching on a fixed contract abroad will not only be a boon to the teacher, but also give their children a huge step up in international experience and language abilities. They will be able to return home with a better understanding of the world and a much stronger resume to apply for university or work with their increased skills and experiences.
Teachers or their children who are worried about losing touch with friends and family should not discount the power of technologies like video chat and social media to stay in touch. While certainly not the same depth of connection, these tools can keep relationships alive and help people feel connected to home, even while thousands of miles away.
Does Teaching Abroad Make You a Better Teacher?
New research released this year actually sought to answer this question by looking at the effect of teaching abroad short term on pedagogy when the teachers returned to their home institutions. The research was conducted on teachers who completed teach-abroad programs at the Office of International Programs at Boston College and the Global Studies Center of Smith College. (Gozik, and Hovey)
According to the researchers, the teachers who had taught abroad brought back four specific benefits to their home institutions.
- Improved cultural and intercultural learning.
- Development of research interests and professional networks.
- A deeper knowledge of students.
- A sense of rejuvenation for teaching.
Other recent research shows that schools around the world are becoming more multicultural and so teachers need to prepare for this by having a better understanding of other cultures. (Serin) Teaching abroad provides a unique opportunity to not only understand other cultures better, but understand the importance of multiculturalism in the specific context important for teachers.
Another way teachers benefit from changing schools and teaching abroad is getting to work with professionals from around the globe. Students can teach teachers a lot about multicultural approaches, but fellow teachers can also give fantastic insights and pedagogy that might have never been considered due to traditional teaching standards at home.
Teachers who teach abroad will get to know what makes certain students different based on their cultures, and what aspects are the same no matter the country. This helps teachers to understand what is normal and a result of simple human nature and what might be a unique challenge for students from specific backgrounds.
This new knowledge and understanding can often cut through the repetitive challenges that many teachers face year after year in their home schools. While they might not always be able to fix the institutional problems their home school’s face, teachers who take a break to teach abroad come back to teaching at home with a renewed sense of purpose, power, and perhaps a sense of gladness to return home to familiarity.
Can I Only Do English Teaching Abroad?
No, international teachers can teach a variety of subjects and do not have to drop their specialization to teach abroad. Many schools, such as International Schools or Country Specific Schools look for teachers to teach other international communities like ambassadors children while they are away from home.
English teaching is the most common and easiest to get into, however. Teachers can often use teaching English abroad as a great first step to a further teaching career abroad or in their home country.
English teaching is also not the only language taught abroad of course. Many countries have specific language schools for students to learn many global languages such as Spanish, French, or Mandarin. Teachers of other languages should not feel that they have no opportunities abroad and need only search Google for schools that teach their mother tongue in their target country and apply.
Below are the types of schools that teachers might consider along with some benefits and drawbacks to each type of school.
Teaching Abroad at Language Teaching Schools
English, and other language teaching schools are often the first thought for many teachers considering teaching abroad. Many countries do not require strict teaching credentials and those that do will often offer accreditation along with training for the job.
Jobs for language teaching schools are often posted on a wide variety of places like job boards such as Teachaway or Dave’s ESL Cafe. There are many many different job boards however, and the best thing to do is simply search in your native tongue for “____ teaching jobs abroad”.
Teachers that do want to teach in more competitive markets can take fairly inexpensive courses to give them credentials such as TESOL or CELTA certificates for English or their equivalents for other languages. Having one of these credentials will definitely make a resume stand out and only require a month to six weeks to complete.
Benefits of Language Teaching Schools
Language schools offer a lot of flexibility in the type of teaching and the hours that the teacher would like to do. Language schools actually encompass a large number of types of schools that teach languages at traditional schools or on separate campuses.
Some language teaching schools work like after school programs. This is especially common in Japan and South Korea where students will come to language programs after school to help them get ahead.
Other language teaching schools are more like language summer camps where students spend their summers doing activities and learning languages from native speakers. This is especially common in Europe. Teachers who choose these types of programs may not even remain in one country and can see a variety of locations and teach many different students to get a broad base of cultural experience.
Additionally, not all language teaching schools are for children. Many language teaching schools are specifically designed for adults in the business or scientific world. Teachers who want to have students who are very dedicated and well behaved may love teaching adults who are actually paying for their courses rather than being forced to come by their parents.
Drawbacks to Language Teaching Schools
While language teaching schools are very flexible and unique experiences, they are also often the lowest paying positions. Due to their low requirements for credentials and their private business oriented models, they rarely if ever receive government funding and tend to pay teachers significantly less than other types of international schools.
Another drawback to language schools is that teachers will spend significantly less time with their students. In many language schools, teachers may only see a class once a week and go through hundreds of students.
This can lead to classes being much less personal and lesson plans being more “one size fits all” rather than being designed to help specific groups of learners achieve their goals. Teachers will be much less likely to see drastic results in their students’ achievement unless they pick the right school.
Teaching Abroad at International Schools
International schools are also a diverse group of schools that can be anything from bilingual schools, to specific nation schools like American, French or British, to globally focused international schools. These types of schools are often considered quite elite and so may have higher requirements for teachers to gain employment.
International school positions can also be found on a variety of job boards, but many of the best schools tend to put their positions on job boards that are behind paywalls such as Schrole and Search Associates. While this can be frustrating, these paid services also actively help to match teachers to appropriate positions and this can make finding the best fit easier than simply searching Google alone.
Teachers do not always need years of background experience and masters degrees to even consider applying, but they may need to consider doing paid internships or other beginner teacher friendly positions first to get their foot in the door. Sometimes, despite the lower pay these positions will offer, it can be nice to only have a one year contract to see whether the country and school culture are a fit.
Benefits of International Schools
Teachers who choose international schools are not stuck with only teaching their native language, but can teach any subject they have expertise in from social studies to computer science. This means that teachers can continue to teach the courses they love and often with significantly more freedom than they would be able to in their state schools back home.
Often attended by ambassadors’ children and the children of wealthy business people, international schools often cater to students from a high socioeconomic background. This certainly does not mean that there will be no problems, but rarely will there be the serious and constant behavioral issues that plague school in low income areas.
Parents are often very involved, sometimes to a fault, and students usually try much harder than the average student at a local school. Expectations can be high and stressful, but teachers are also often given significantly more freedom in their curriculums when compared with local schools that demand strict adherence to state standards.
Additionally, because of the higher socioeconomic status of the student population, teachers themselves are usually paid quite well and can live very comfortably in the country they reside. These schools also often provide many other benefits like additional healthcare coverage, bonuses, and can be very stable long term career options for many teachers.
Drawbacks to International Schools
As mentioned, international schools can often have extremely high standards. While this can be a good thing for having good education levels and motivated students, sometimes this high level of expectations can cause very high stress levels for students and teachers.
International schools usually try their best to be supportive to students and have mental health services, but are very data driven. Grades will play a major role in every aspect of a course and teachers often review the grades that their students received with their head of department at the end of the year or beginning of the following year to make improvements.
These types of schools can also often create a sort of cultural bubble where teachers can only interact with the country around them if they make a specific effort. Many teachers at international schools can live in a country for ten or more years and barely speak a word of the local language and all of their friends are simply other people in the international school community.
Conclusion
Teaching abroad is a fantastic career choice for almost every teacher. Whether the teacher is feeling frustrated and needing a change for a sense of renewed purpose, or they love their home institution and simply want to bring back some wisdom from abroad, taking a year or two to teach in a foreign country has immense value.
Teachers and their children can gain new, once in a lifetime experiences and improve their professional skills. In addition to that, teaching abroad can often be paid quite well and teachers may find that they are getting a pay raise, especially if they are willing to teach in the Middle East.
The benefits that teachers can bring back home are many, but some teachers may instead fall in love with their new home and decide to make a permanent career change. Whether at a language teaching school or a more formal international school, teaching abroad is a fantastic career with many benefits that every teacher should consider.
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References
Gallup, Inc. “K-12 Workers Have Highest Burnout Rate In U.S.”. Gallup.Com, 2022, https://news.gallup.com/poll/393500/workers-highest-burnout-rate.aspx.
Gozik, Nick, and Rebecca Hovey. “Faculty Gains Through Teaching Abroad: A Transformative Learning Approach”. Journal Of Transformative Learning, vol 9, no. 1, 2022, https://jotl.uco.edu/index.php/jotl/article/view/450. Accessed 16 Oct 2022.
Myles, F. (2017). Learning foreign languages in primary schools: is younger better? Languages, Society & Policy https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.9806
Serin, Hamdi (2017) The Effects of Teaching Abroad on Personal and Professional Development. International Journal of Social Sciences & Educational Studies, 4 (1). pp. 110-114. ISSN 24091294
