| Have you ever dreamed of living overseas, but | | | | tourist (Living overseas, especially in Southeast Asia, |
| thought you didn't have enough money? Maybe you're | | | | teaches you to be flexible). |
| just out of college wanting to travel around the world | | | | If you don't need a job, you can do the same thing, but |
| before you start your career, but have limited funds. Is | | | | instead of taking a TEFL course, take a language |
| it possible to go after your dreams? Can you really | | | | course, an art course, cooking course, diving course, |
| see the world with only a few thousand dollars? | | | | whatever you've always wanted to learn. Just learn it |
| Yes, it's possible. I did, and if I did, anybody can. | | | | overseas. |
| Work around the world, study around the world, or do | | | | The schools will either have housing or will help you |
| both. This is also a great way for the cowardly | | | | with housing and will be far cheaper than hotels. You |
| dreamer, like me. I had no idea how to move to new | | | | might live with a local family, have your own room, |
| country, get settled, and find work on my own. Are | | | | apartment, or live in a dorm. I stayed for two months |
| you wondering how to find the right place to live and | | | | next to the TEFL school at the local "Mansion" for just |
| work once you're in a new country by yourself? | | | | a little over $200.00 in Phuket. In Guanajuato, Mexico I |
| Here's the secret: you don't. You get your friends to | | | | stayed in a private home with breakfast, lunch and |
| help you, friends you don't even know until after you | | | | evening snack for $250.00 (2002 and 2003 prices). |
| arrive. | | | | Often the school will pick you up at the airport. They'll |
| I found this way by accident. I wanted to teach English | | | | help you get settled and show you great places to go |
| in Viet-Nam, but needed a TEFL certificate to teach. | | | | during your free time. It's in their interests to make it |
| TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign | | | | pleasant and enjoyable for you. As you go through |
| Language. It's the basic requirement to teach English | | | | your course, you'll have time to get to know the place, |
| overseas. Even though I had been a Spanish teacher | | | | find friends, both local and expatriate, who will help you |
| in Hawaii, I knew I had no idea where to begin teaching | | | | find permanent housing and work. |
| English, much less how to explain English grammar. At | | | | If you're interested in taking a TEFL course, make sure |
| the time, there were no TEFL courses taught in | | | | to take the 120 hours course for six weeks. That will |
| Viet-Nam so, I chose a six weeks TEFL course in | | | | give you time to process the grammar AND enjoy the |
| Phuket, Thailand. | | | | local culture. If I had taken the course for four weeks, I |
| During those six weeks, I made friends, got to know | | | | would have had to study all the time. No matter what, |
| Phuket, and applied for a job at the local university on | | | | make sure it's 120 hours. |
| a whim on the very day I left for Viet-Nam. To my | | | | This is how I found a way to live in Thailand three |
| surprise they hired me on the spot! This worked out | | | | times, as well as study Spanish in Mexico and Spain. |
| great but would have been impossible to do on my | | | | I had a blast and recommend this adventure for |
| own. I ended up going back to Phuket to teach | | | | anyone who is thinking about it. While I no longer teach, |
| Academic English at Prince of Songkla University. Two | | | | because the pay just isn't enough for the lifestyle I |
| years later, they asked me while I was in Mexico to | | | | want (I'm over chickens and goats on buses) and I |
| come back to teach Spanish! That was even better! I | | | | especially despise "jobs," I now have other ways to |
| never ended up teaching in Viet-Nam, but I did go as a | | | | travel abroad and in far better style. |