Some say enlightening experience, others
say career suicide, but the truth is, teaching
English abroad is at once both rewarding and awful, lucrative and soul
destroying and while almost anyone (with a university degree and a smile) can
do it, it takes a certain kind of someone to thrive at it.
But by no means let this put you off; I’d
recommend teaching English abroad to anyone, particularly anyone looking to
travel in Asia for extended periods, and particularly anyone wanting to get the
hell out of their native lands for a few years without getting into a severe
amount of parental debt.
I’ve been teaching English in Asia – Taiwan to be exact – for just over six
months now, and here is what I’ve learnt…
1. You will get simultaneously insulted and complimented at every turn
Only in Asia can the kids be so mean and so
kind hearted at the same time. Just yesterday, I had a 12-year-old tell me how
beautiful I was, which was only slightly dampened by the fact that, the day
before, one of my classes had collectively informed me “Teacher, everyone thinks
you is really fat.”
Too taken aback to correct their English, I
watch as one of the native teachers comes around the corner to berate them. Finally, someone has my back I think.
“You are,
not you is!” she says before exiting. Thanks, a bunch.
If you’re a stone or two overweight in
Asia, prepare for the kids to openly mock you about it, specifically the kids
who are a little on the chubby side themselves. For instance, just last week,
after having to refute the claim that I was pregnant, one dumpy boy turned to
me with his eyes sparkling gleefully, “Really, Teacher? But it’s so big!!”
If you can shrug off the meanness however, and
remember they’re just stupid, dumb kids (however brutally honest), life teaching
English overseas gets a hell of a lot easier.
2. You will have to prove that you’re not an idiot
While most Asian employers will be nothing
but polite to your face (although I can’t speak personally for China here), a
part of me thinks that secretly they’re waiting for us to slip up and prove to
them how westerners are stupid capitalist dummies with no taste of the finer
things in life and zero efficiency (fair point, no?). Even if you have a
master’s degree from UCL and a decade of work experience at a western primary
school you will still have to prove that
this isn’t the case.
If you are teaching English abroad for the
money and the good times, (I mean, aren’t we all) then trying to gain respect
of your employer should extend to at least arriving on time and not skiving off
unless a really important beach
opportunity comes up. Trying to learn the local language is also a nice
gesture, to express that you’re not just there to rob hard-working Asians of
their money and their women (I’m looking at you white, American men)
From what I’ve learnt about teaching English
in Asia, I’d say you simply should expect to have to earn any respect you’re
given, rather than expect it handed to you on a gilded plate. Which, I guess,
is a reasonable request.
3. Your days of direct talk are over
Sometimes all you want is a bit of direct
criticism. Yes, it stings at first but once you get over yourself you realize it
can help you improve in your work immediately. Asian employers on the other
hand will conduct a half hour conversation with you and never really get to the
point, so you leave the meeting unsure if they’ve just complimented you or
disciplined you.
It took me a few months to realize that
“Aren’t you cold?” means “Wear more clothes you western hussy” and “you’ll
start teaching in a more Asian style soon” really means “be more authoritative
in your teaching, idiot”
But its okay, all this carefully worded,
kind-of criticism will make you really really good at reading subtext, which is
pretty useful in all aspects of life.
4. You are a games maestro, not a real teacher
There are days when I enter a class with a
full lesson plan (rare occasions, but still) only to be deafened by the chant
of “Bingo. Bingo. BINGO. Biiiiiiingggggoooo”. To your kids, you are a respite
from an intense and dispiriting Asian curriculum, with a sole purpose of
brightening their days of endless rote learning or providing a good solid
napping time, depending on your mood.
While it might sound counterintuitive, I
think it’s possible to care too much about the quality of your teaching.
Sometimes, when I just relax and play more games, both me and my kids find
ourselves infinitely happier. And, by extension, the parents are happy too,
meaning my boss is also, and I, by some miracle, keep getting paid.
In summation: No Cares in the World =
Happiness = More Money. Maybe teaching English in Asia isn’t so bad.
5. Teaching English abroad is exhausting
There are some mornings waking up in a
foreign country when I just think, I cannot face anyone today. Those mornings
tend to be comprised of epic snooze battles between me and my phone to see who
gives up first, after which I’ll feel terrible and lazy and as though I’ve
wasted my entire day off, which of course I have.
When you start teaching English in Asia, or
anywhere in the world, keeping the motivation for your other passions is an
ongoing struggle, but one you need to have if you want to pursue a different
career at some point down the line.
The annoying thing is, teaching English
abroad is exhausting (even if you work part time), and is a never ending cycle
of lesson plan submissions, misspelt flashcards and insult dodging. And, at the
end of a long day, often all you’ll have the energy to do is drink five pints
with a ragtag group of tired expats before heading to bed.
If you push yourself however, you’ll find
the motivation to explore your new home, meet new people, widen your horizons
and, ultimately, be more equipped to answer the question of what it is you want
from life.
