When I first decided to teach abroad, I had no idea how transformative the experience would be. What began as a leap of faith turned into the adventure of a lifetime. From moments spent exploring unfamiliar roads to shared laughs with students and colleagues, every day in Thailand told a new ...
I’ve never been the type of girl who likes to go four-wheeling. Haven’t ever thought of it as something to enjoy on the weekend. But, for the past sixty days or so, Monday to Friday, that is exactly what I’ve done. The 20 minute ride from the village of MtoWaMbu to the Mungere school in the northern part of ...
I admit, I’m not usually what you’d call a sports fan, or at least not in the way that anyone in North America might think of it. I don’t follow any specific teams, nor do I follow any major professional sports. I’ve never attended a single professional game of baseball, basketball, or hockey (I know, I’m a terrible Canadian). ...
English teachers abroad can have a great impact on their students, and you might find yourself being asked to form or supervise an extracurricular English club. This is a great opportunity — for reasons you might overlook! For the students, of course, these clubs provide a fun and engaging environment to chat with a native English speaker, get extra help ...
Let’s time travel back to February 2021: I had just turned 25 and had quite literally a quarter-life crisis. The pandemic had undoubtedly put a pin in my previous plans of becoming a lawyer, and I was now a manager at the same job that I had been working at since I was 16 years old. I never wanted ...
For new ESL teachers on their way overseas, there’s a lot to think about – contracts, language and cultural differences, how to teach effectively and, of course, living arrangements. In Japan and Korea, this last one can work a little differently than in other countries, and so it seems worthy of a closer look. When moving to Korea or ...
If you are an English teacher from the United States, Korea is probably one of the best places you could go. The people are wonderful, the food is fantastic, the weather is moderate, and the scenery is excellent. Once you arrive here, you may find yourself in a big city or a rural county. If you are in a ...
One common question that often arises for teachers over the age of 50 who are considering embarking on the journey to teach English overseas is: are there teaching positions available for mature teachers? Although the idea of teaching English abroad often conjures up images of young, recent university graduates, there are many opportunities available in the ESL world for more ...
Getting a work visa to teach English overseas is, for many prospective teachers, a bit like going to the dentist – it’s not something we’re looking forward to with eager anticipation, but we know it’s important and has to be done. It’s also very common for a number of questions to arise when contemplating the topic of work visa ...
I was walking through the Eaton Center in downtown Toronto, Canada a few days ago when a store called Reiwatakiya caught my eye. It looked like a whimsical beauty store, and when I walked inside it, I saw – to ...