I've been thinking about teaching English in China or somewhere else. Or, I may just pickup and move. Are there any expats out there? How did you handle the move? What's involved? How easy was the paperwork? What about moving when you have kids? I know I'm asking a lot, but I'd appreciate any input. Thanks!
Are there any expats out there?
(12 posts) (6 voices)
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Hi WM2 - I'm sure that there is a lot involved, and although I've traveled a lot, I don't have any experience with living abroad, but hopefully some of our other forum members, who are or have been expats, will jump in.
I do know that if you want to teach English in another country, you'll likely need (or at least it will help greatly in getting a job) an TEFL certificate (which stands for "Teaching English as a Foreign Language"), also sometimes referred to as ESL.
With a TEFL there are many job opportunities around the world, but don't expect them to pay really well, not likely well enough to support a family, so it would be wise to have another income source, or be sure to choose a country with a very low cost of living.
Good luck!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hey WriterMom2,
Living and worling abroad for a few years is really great and if you get the chance you should do it! But if you're thinking of actually moving (as opposed to just travelling around a bit/backpacking) there is no such thing as 'just picking up and move'.
There is a lot involved with moving between countries. I was an expat for 4 years and the moving (and organising everything around it) cost me three months on the way over and the same on the way back (even though I moved back to my home country).
And I was lucky that as a citizen of an EU member country, moving to another EU member country, I didn't need to deal with visas and working permits etc. I also spoke the language (I went from the Netherlands to the UK), so no problem there either.
Even so there were a lot of decisions to make. Was I going to take all my stuff with me, or did I put some in storage? Did I give up the rent on my appartment or was I going to sublet? Was I going to try and find a job before I moved or busk it and see what happened on the other site? Would my diploma's and qualifications mean the same in the other country? Etc. etc.I don't know where you live, but the first thing to do is find out about visas and working permits. No use in moving country, only to find out you're not allowed to work.
What Trisha said about the TEFL is true. If you really want to teach English abroad it's best to do a course. A friend of mine thought he would be able to go abroad and teach English without qualifications, but he had to go back home and do a course before they let him teach.So the key is to find out what you want to do, then find out what you need to organise to make it happen, then find out if you still want to do it, then go for it.
Good luck!
Maria
Posted 1 year ago # -
WriterMom2
MemberThanks for the information. I know it's involved, but if I can teach English or something like that, my hope is that the company will take care of work visas and stuff like that. I have my passport and so does my son. I just have to figure out where it is I want to go
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hi WriterMom2, I'm an expat living in China. I don't teach English now, but I have previously. It is fairly easy to come here and teach if you meet the requirements. Usually they are to be younger than 60, have a bachelor's degree and, for some schools, a TESL/TEFL certificate. You can expect to make a livable wage (for China) with housing and round-trip air ticket included. The only hurdle I foresee there is that if you bring your child with you, you will want to have an international/bilingual school for the child. Those can be found only in the bigger cities and are likely to be very expensive. The school will arrange for your work visa.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. You can also search Google, there is a lot of info out there on teaching English in China. Check out Dave's ESL Cafe forums.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hey WriterMom, I found read this interesting post about teaching English today! Maybe it's something for you.
http://www.wanderingearl.com/how-to-fund-your-travels-with-creativity/comment-page-1/#comment-1554
Posted 1 year ago # -
Wow Maria that is an excellent post about teaching English! I think that there are a LOT of people that would learn a language better in an unstructured-format setting like that. Sometimes "teachers" get so hung up on following a lesson plan that they don't take into account various learning styles.
I'm a big believer in NOT waiting until you're financially well-off enough to travel - I tell folks all the time to save enough to get you by for a short period, with the intention of finding some work wherever you go. Sometimes you have to be creative, and really dig down to draw on skills you may not be aware of, but if you're enthusiastic it generally works out well.
All that said, it's also wise to have a backup "emergency" credit card, for when you need a little bit to get you from job to job
Posted 1 year ago # -
I totally agree with you Trisha. It always good to have some money for emergencies, but if you wait until you have saved up all the money you think you will need, you will probably never set off.
On my second trip I did a lot of work for board and lodgings. That was loads of fun. I met the locals and didn't have to spent much. I did make sure beforehand to my tourist visa allowed work like that. Didn't want to run the risk of being deported.
Posted 1 year ago #
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