| TEFL, on paper, is perfect: an exciting career, a | | | | at a school in Inner Mongolia on i-to-i’s Teach in |
| chance to see the world, a life full of fresh faces, | | | | China Internship. |
| opportunities and experiences. But, in reality, life at | | | | 4. To get out of the rat race |
| home holds people back: jobs, cars, family, friends, | | | | Stressed? Join the 442,00 other people in Britain who |
| house, age, personal circumstances… so what is it | | | | suffer from serious work-related stress. There is |
| exactly that makes people put all that on hold, get | | | | another way though – TEFL is as far from the rat |
| TEFL certified and jet off into the sunset? We asked | | | | race as you can get, with every day throwing up new |
| some of our TEFL graduates what made them take | | | | opportunities, faces and challenges. |
| the plunge… | | | | Nazia Anwar, 26, from Lancashire, said: “I hate |
| 1. To fund travel | | | | repetition and mundane stuff and that described my |
| It’s a happy coincidence that the countries with the | | | | job. I had strains in my personal life too and was ready |
| highest demand for EFL teachers (China, Thailand, | | | | to break away and travel. I just had to find a way to |
| South Korea, Japan, Ecuador to name a few) are | | | | pay for it.” |
| some of the best places in the world to visit. TEFL | | | | Nazia headed out to teach English at a private |
| means you can travel without having to save up a | | | | language school in Turkey. Speaking about the benefits |
| small fortune before leaving, and you get the added | | | | of TEFL, she said “I've always been independent |
| bonus of experiencing more of a country than you | | | | but to achieve this has given me a different kind of |
| would as a tourist. | | | | confidence.” |
| Alice McBrearty, 26, from Aberdeen, said: “I made | | | | 5. To improve career chances |
| the biggest decision of my life on a cold, dark February | | | | Teaching English abroad is not only a fantastic |
| morning; stuck in the library doing an essay for the third | | | | opportunity to see the world, it can also help you to |
| year of my degree, I decided that instead of returning | | | | find work once you get home too. After a stint |
| to university after the summer to do an Honours year, I | | | | teaching English abroad you’ll be able to wow |
| would go on an adventure! | | | | prospective employers with your improved |
| “Yet with only part of my student loan left, I had | | | | interpersonal, leadership and communication skills! |
| little more than enough money to cover a return flight. | | | | Jozanda Parkinson, 26, from Preston, said: “I was a |
| Then I discovered that the high demand for English | | | | primary school teacher in my first year of teaching and |
| teachers in Thailand often encourages backpackers to | | | | was finding it difficult to find another job for when my |
| teach while, during or after they travel” | | | | training year finished. I wanted to work abroad, having |
| Alice spent six months combining teaching with seeing | | | | worked for a children's holiday company for 2 years in |
| Thailand’s highlights and says teaching English “is | | | | France before training to be a teacher. So I knew I |
| a great opportunity to work and save money while | | | | enjoyed that, but also wanted to do something that |
| getting to know the country and its people from the | | | | would help me in my career.” |
| inside, as a worker and not simply a tourist.” | | | | Jozanda is now teaching 6-7 year olds in Shanghai on |
| 2. To escape a dead-end job | | | | our Teach in China Internship. As well as getting a |
| According to research by VSO (Volunteer Services | | | | change of scenery, Jozanda thinks her experience will |
| Overseas), a massive 40% of British workers feel like | | | | stand her in good stead for the future: “I think |
| they’re stagnating professionally. During a recession | | | | teaching in China has given me valuable tools which I |
| it’s easy to think that you’re lucky to have any | | | | can use when I come back to teach in the UK, as well |
| job, even if you hate it, but you’re wrong to think | | | | as valuable life-skills adjusting to life in a non-western |
| that there aren’t any opportunities out there. With | | | | country!” |
| around 20,000 vacancies posted online every month, | | | | 6. To make a dream a reality |
| TEFL is the perfect escape route for anyone who | | | | Sometimes you spend your whole life thinking you |
| spends their days staring out of the window at work | | | | should be somewhere else, but fate (not to mention |
| wishing they were somewhere else! | | | | money, family, friends, jobs, houses etc) seems to hold |
| Robert Clarke, 22, said: “I had become bored with | | | | you back. If you’ve always wanted to travel, or |
| working in an office in central London, getting up every | | | | teach or both, don’t let life hold you back – take |
| morning to go to a dead-end job. I wanted to travel | | | | a deep breath and go for it! |
| and see the world! What better way than get paid at | | | | Alice Pepper, from Kent, said: “I've always wanted |
| the same time as seeing Asia!” | | | | to teach English abroad and in everything that I've |
| Robert’s now teaching 8-16 year olds near Jakarta | | | | done at the back of my mind I've always thought I |
| in Indonesia and describes living there as | | | | should be somewhere else, teaching. When I got |
| “fantastic”! | | | | the email from i-to-i regarding the China internship I |
| 3. To take on new challenges | | | | just knew I had to apply. It seemed so perfect for |
| If you’re after a challenge to take you out of your | | | | me, especially as I don't have a degree, to learn and |
| comfort zone, it doesn’t get much hairier than flying | | | | teach and get a lot of experience. I knew I needed to |
| half way around the world to stand in front of a class | | | | do this, instead of dreaming of doing it. That was my |
| of rowdy students! And by taking on and overcoming | | | | motivation, to make it real.” |
| a massive challenge abroad you’ll find everything at | | | | Alice is going to be heading out to China in February on |
| home afterwards feels like a doddle! | | | | the second round of Teach in China Internships, where |
| Kathleen Kane, 46, from Glasgow, said: “I decided | | | | she’ll earn £1,300 while racking up 300 hours of |
| to do the China Internship because I got to the time of | | | | teaching experience. She hopes “I can prove to |
| my life when I wanted to try something new and do | | | | myself that I am able to do this, and that I can make a |
| something out of my comfort zone. This program | | | | difference. To learn to live in another culture and be |
| seemed to give me the challenge I needed.” | | | | able to adapt mine.” |
| Kathleen is now teaching teenagers and young adults | | | | Want to join them? |