Of all the professions out there, around the world teaching is considered to be among the most noble. Everyone understands in our bones the value of learning, and language is the medium through which people connect.
If you’re wondering how to teach English in Korea or in other exciting and exotic countries, there are companies which help you get all set up. Let’s take a deeper look at why teaching ESL in a foreign country is so personally and professionally rewarding.
Language for Culture and Work
English is spoken all around the world, and being shut out of this language closes you off to cultural and professional opportunities. From watching Hollywood movies to listening to the Beatles, there are things you just can’t understand the same way if you don’t know how to speak English.
Beyond cultural pleasures, knowing how to speak, read, write and understand English opens people up to higher paying jobs. Teaching ESL in a foreign country allows students to expand their cultural horizons and advance their careers.
Language for Personal Interactions
Culture can be understood in terms of art — literature, cinema, music — but in a basic but very profound sense culture is interacting with people from around the world: travel. Learning English allows non-native speakers to more easily travel or move permanently to some of the world’s great cities — New York, London, and more.
There are many world-renowned cities where English isn’t the native language, such as Paris, where you can still absolutely get by on English — knowing English opens up the world to you. If you don’t speak English, you’ll still have a great time visiting England, but the trip absolutely changes when you can fully interact with the people all around you.
Student Progress Means Everything
Talking about learning in the abstract is one thing, but when you develop a relationship with students and watch them evolve in a discipline you’re passionate about, you’ll feel your heart strings being pulled!
Guiding somebody’s personal growth is a major revelation, and watching your students gradually evolve as students of the English language will give you a satisfaction that’s difficult to put into words.
Travel Opportunities
The final rewarding thing about teaching ESL abroad has nothing to do with teaching or even the English language — simply put, there are incredible opportunities to travel you may never get again. When you live in North America, Asia is a very long and expensive flight away. But that’s different if you live somewhere like South Korea — a world of possibilities is suddenly within reach.
There’s nothing wrong with taking some time for your own rewarding experiences after working hard as an ESL teacher. Seize the chance to travel while the opportunity is still golden.
Being an ESL teacher is an incredibly satisfying experience, one you can’t really get from anything else. Just make sure that you get the right support by engaging a travel recruitment company that helps you sort out travel logistics, adjust to life in a new country, and gets you prepared for teaching in a classroom. That way all you’ll have to do is focus on teaching and travel, and all these rewarding experiences outlined above can be yours.
