If You Going to Preach it to The World Than You Got To Teach

Part 3 Why Learn English – 5 Reasons you Teach English Abroad

1) Traveling

If you love traveling, tasting new foods, exploring different cultures, and life experience, then teaching abroad is one of the best and easiest ways to do that, whilst earning money at the same time! Plus, in Korea and many other countries, you often get a decent amount of vacation so you can travel to surrounding countries.

2) Personal Growth 

There’s no doubt that a decision to make the move to another country is scary. You are leaving behind everything that is familiar to you, your friends, and maybe even everything that represents who you are. However when those things are no longer in your life, you are given the opportunity to redefine yourself. The stresses and successes of teaching children and living in a new country will surely help refine who you are. I personally have used my overseas experience to; educate myself more than ever, read a lot of books, learn a new language, and  explore spirituality. What would you do with such an experience?

3) Your Future

As unsure as I was graduating from college, I have since come to find comfort in that uncertainty. If living in the moment is the only way to truly see what is, then one must learn to become comfortable with uncertainty. Whilst living overseas, I have made friends and decisions that will likely become an incredibly important part of my future successes. I do not always know necessarily how they will, but I know that as long as I decide to use everything I learn now, then I will certainly end up somewhere where those skills are useful, if not crucial.

4) Life Perspective

There were so many positive aspects to America which I took for granted in my life, and yet, at the same time, there were so many negative things I completely ignored. Since I have been here, living in a different culture has allowed me to look back on my own

country and life from a different perspective. I never realized how incredibly blessed I was to be born speaking English until now, for instance, and I am so thankful that I understand that. Being here has also helped me realize the value of family and close friends – who truly cares and who doesn’t. If you value life experience, then I'd encourage you to consider adding an experience such as this, to your life resume.

5) Making a Difference

This may sound a bit cliché, but let me tell you a quick story. A few months ago, I had gotten to know one of the students from my mentoring class on a somewhat personal level. One day, I noticed that she seemed a little blue. So, after class, I asked her to come by my office if she wanted to talk. Sure enough, she did, and after sitting with her for a

couple of hours, she managed to tell me the news. Two weeks prior, her mother had taken her and her younger sister away from their verbally abusive father and moved in with another man. A week after that, they found out that he had killed himself as a result. Since suicide is a taboo issue for discussion in Korea, she didn’t feel like she could tell anyone, not even her best friend. But since I didn’t fit into that category, she felt comfortable telling me. We talked for quite a while and many tears later she resolved to be more open with some of her close friends and family. She has since decided to follow her heart and pursue art as a career. Maybe it’s just being at the right place at the right time, maybe not. You never know whose life you can make an impact on, simply by being a positive outsider.

By Elizabeth Koukladas

www.bearlainternationalstudies.com