Why We Are Grateful We Taught English Abroad

The holidays are a time of reflection. You think about your life, your choices, and your accomplishments. Families and businesses make plans and set intentions for the year ahead. Individuals might also take time to make amends and finish long forgotten tasks. For the 2019 holiday season TEFLPros decided to do a little reflection of our own. Here are our top 10 reasons why we’re grateful we taught English abroad. We hope you enjoy!

Teaching English abroad is truly a life changing decision. People come to the decision to teach abroad from very different places, but the end result is often the same – a pure and simple life altering experience.

With the new year upon us, we took some time reflecting as a team on our experiences abroad. Here are (a few) reasons why we are so grateful we taught overseas. 

Teaching English Abroad….

#1 Was just plain fun!

The students….the travel…the friends made – it was a wild ride, but a fun one.

#2 Allowed us to make a difference.

Ever need to feel like you’re contributing to the world? Hop into a classroom. The looks on your students’ faces alone will never make you doubt that you are helping to make the world a better place.

#3 Gave us perspective.

It is all too easy to stay within the cozy borders of your family, your city, and your native country. Moving abroad not only gives you perspective on the world, but it also gives you perspective on where you came from.

#4 Afforded us opportunities.

The skills we developed while overseas are very much the same skills employers across a wide scope of industries are looking for. No matter where life takes you, we are firm believers that TEFL can help you become who you need to be for the journey.

#5 Gave us new friendships.

Teaching English abroad gave us lasting friendships with people from all over the globe. And yes, that means we always have a good excuse to travel 😉

#6 Made us more self-confident.

There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you tackle your fears head on. Whether you doubt your ability to survive alone in a foreign land or you wonder if you can really be a good teacher – accomplishing big goals in your life makes you more confident in your own abilities and more comfortable in your own skin.

#7 Cultivated our sense of appreciation.

Looking at the world through the eyes of other cultures and other people can really help you appreciate what you have. Perhaps you were given a wonderful education or you were blessed with a very supportive family. Living abroad can help you appreciate those elements of your life and upbringing even more.

#8 Made us more self-sufficient.

Managing EVERYTHING yourself is tough. Then move your life thousands of miles away from your support network and you’ve got a crazy making situation at times. However, those moments of frustration often lead to breakthroughs where you see yourself grow and develop in amazing ways. We wouldn’t trade those for anything.

#9 Shifted our mindset about material possessions.

Living out of a suitcase, renting studio apartments, making do with dramatically less possessions all teach you the difference between wants and needs. We feel the impact that has had on us each and every day.

#10 Taught us to be travelers not tourists.

Yes, number ten is an oldie but a goodie. We love the mantra of “be a traveler not a tourist.” Teaching English abroad only served to reinforce this mindset in us. Travelers embrace new places, new people, and new traditions. Tourists tend to view them from afar without fully participating. We tend to think the former option is much more fun!

Happy Holidays to you and yours. May 2020 be filled with even more blessings than the year before!