Teaching English Abroad
What to expect when going to work abroad - a brief overview of some countries
A career in TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is a perfect opportunity to see the world. It offers a perfect combination of work and travel and spending a year in a country will give you a much richer experience than just visiting it as a tourist. You will be able to get to know some locals, learn about their culture, cuisine and traditions first hand, and, of course do all the touristy stuff as well - visit places of interest, museums, enjoy adventures and experiences a country has to offer, from a Russian banya (sauna) to dune bashing and camel racing in Oman.The conditions offered by language schools in different countries may vary considerably, so a little research before applying for a position can save you headaches later on and a lot of time. A few main points to check up on would be:
- how the salary compares to the cost of living
- what taxes you will have to pay
- the type of accommodation provided (if any)
- language lessons if you are interested in learning the language of a country that is going to be your home for a year
- If the school will reimburse or partially reimburse your flight.
One of the best websites for looking for teaching positions abroad is https://www.tefl.com/ *
Working in Hungary
Hungary is a beautiful country with an extremely difficult language (one of the most difficult languages in the world). But don’t be disheartened by it - you can get by easily if you learn a few basic phrases, use gestures, and of course more and more Hungarians nowadays speak English.
Depending on the school, you can expect to be provided with shared accommodation. The salary is not very high so you won’t be able to save much, but it will allow you to live comfortably, explore the country and enjoy its fantastic cuisine. You must try the local speciality - goulash (gulyás) - something between beef soup and stew with loads of sweet paprika that gives it its characteristic deep red colour and fantastic taste! If you have a sweet tooth local coffee shops (cukrászda) are heavenly and they can easily compete with French patisseries.
There are tons of interesting things to do and places to visit in Hungary: thermal baths in Budapest, wine tasting in the Valley of the Beautiful Woman in the city of Eger, Lake Balaton (Central Europe’s largest lake), to name a few.
Working in China
Teaching in China is certainly different from teaching in any European country, but that’s part of the adventure, isn’t it?
You can expect a welcome dinner and quite a few free meals and trips organized by the school, but you will never know exactly what you are eating, or who you are meeting or why:), and if you are offered the opportunity to participate in a school trip, be prepared to act as an entertainer for the kids on the bus (you should probably have some songs and games up your sleeve).
Living conditions are also very different. Don’t be fooled by mild winters in the South of China - the weather is mild outside, but inside it’s freezing as there is no central heating in any of the buildings in South China. So you will be wearing a jacket/coat both at home and at work.
In addition to this, air pollution is a serious matter in the cities in China and you will not see the sun too often because of the smog.
Even if you are a Chinese food lover, be prepared to experience some adjustment to the local cuisine, possibly in the form of more frequent trips to the bathroom.
Make sure you visit a hot pot restaurant where you will be served a simmering pot of hot and often extremely spicy stock and an assortment of ingredients (from thinly sliced beef, to mushrooms, tofu and vegetables) that you can cook in it. It’s delicious, and another firm favourite all round is Chinese dumplings.
Working in Oman
Experiencing the desert is something everybody should do once in their lives and Oman is a great country for this. The recruiting company will make sure the process is as smooth and as comfortable for you as possible beginning from the visa application, organising your travel and providing accommodation.
The school will organise teachers’ trips to all government offices to finalize the documentation. All you will need to do is open a bank account and start getting paid an attractive tax free salary.
The locals are very friendly to foreigners and you might even be invited to a stranger’s house for dinner, but bear in mind that men and women don’t mix in Omani households - so if you are a man you will be in a room with men and children - women will just serve dinner and disappear.
If you are a couple and you are invited to a local wedding, be prepared to spend the evening apart - men and women celebrate separately.
Western females on their own are likely to experience some form of sexual harassment from the local men and will be accompanied by wolf whistles everywhere they go.
As a western woman you will not be expected to cover your hair or wear a long dress (abaya), but there are some rules: NO short sleeves, short skirts or skinny jeans.
There are restrictions on alcohol consumption - usually you can buy it in hotel bars, but for home consumption you will need to get a licence.
There is no public transport in Oman, so your options are either to use local taxis or to rent or buy a car. Most taxi drivers speak English, but some will try to fleece you if they see you are a foreigner, so it’s a good idea to agree on the price before getting into a taxi.
Even though there are a lot of co-ed colleges nowadays, men and women still sit in separate halves of the room and you cannot put them together for pair work. Cultural and religious traditions are very strong in this country.
For the month of Ramadan, the working day is shortened as the locals are fasting all day until sunset (not eating any food or drinking water) and as a sign of respect to their culture try not to be seen with food or water either at school or anywhere in public. You will also hardly find any restaurants and cinemas open during the day at Ramadan.
The country is stunningly beautiful and the sun and the sea provide plenty of opportunities to relax and enjoy life. Camping on the beach, in the mountains or in the desert, swimming, snorkelling and diving in the warm waters of the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian sea, visiting the colourful and fragrant souks (markets) or attending camel racing are just some of the activities you can choose from.
Working in Russia/Ukraine
Both countries have very similar culture, cuisine, language, traditions and climate. Both countries are big enough to have different climatic zones and you can expect anything from freezing snowy winters, to roasting summers by the sea. The choice is pretty wide.
Expect a fair amount of bureaucracy in both countries, but schools normally help to sort these matters out. Some schools offer accommodation, some don’t. Some accommodation can leave much to be desired - a flat can be too small or run-down and there might not even be a washing machine.
Local teachers and students alike are very friendly and will enjoy socialising after school. Locals are also extremely hospitable and if you are invited to someone’s house be prepared to be very well fed and to drink a lot of vodka. By the way it’s not common to arrive empty-handed to someone’s house if you are invited for a meal - bring a bottle of wine/a box of chocolates/a bouquet of flowers.
Moscow and Saint Petersburg would be my first choices to experience Russia and Kiev and Odessa in Ukraine.
Working in Portugal
Portugal is an amazing country with almost 300 days of sunshine a year. How can you not like the Atlantic ocean, fantastic sea food, delicious wine and fabulous cheeses? The Portuguese are real polyglots - like in Scandinavian countries most TV channels in Portugal broadcast content in the original language with Portuguese subtitles, so the Portuguese are exposed to English from an early age. You will find that most people in the service industry, as well as some doctors and shop assistants, bankers, and of course real estate agents - speak one or all of English, French and Spanish, besides their mother tongue. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?
The standard of living in Portugal is not very high, so you won’t be able to save much money working in Portugal, but you will have a comfortable lifestyle and will be able to enjoy all of the pleasures Portugal has to offer.
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These are some of the countries where I have been lucky enough to have lived and worked, and there are many more to explore. A useful tip for anybody opting to work abroad is to research the country well, expect some cultural and lifestyle differences, and be willing to adapt and enjoy your new experience.* You can read some of my articles on www.tefl.com/blog:
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