How to Teach English Abroad

Video Transcript

"Hi this is Laura Turner and today we are going to talk about how to English abroad. There are, there is a huge demand actually for people to teach English abroad in foreign countries. So first of all, you need to figure out what country do you want to teach in and of course what language interests you and what language are you taking right now. Most people that I know who taught English abroad took classes in the language that they were going to, of the country that they were going to teach in in college. So, for example, if you want to teach in France you are going to be taking your French classes so that you can get an idea of what you need to know by the time you get there. So, number one, it is a good idea to know some of the language before you go over to that country. You do not necessarily need to know the entire language or feel completely comfortable with everything about it, because once you settle in the new country you are going to automatically become more acclimated to speaking that language, and to learning things about it that you could not learn in the classroom. So do not stress out if you do not know everything there is to know about French or German or, you know, Korean. Next, you are going to want to sign up to go and to be chosen to be one of these teachers, either through your language department or your university or through an outside source, and there are plenty if you just know where to look for them. You can look for them online if you need to. But of course, if you are in school your teachers are going to be able to help you find the right way to go about applying for these jobs. Next, of course, find the time and the energy and the will to live in another country for six plus months, for anywhere up to, you know, a couple years if you can deal with it. Decide, you know, why do you want to go to that country, what else are going to do while you are there, what kind of stuff do you need to take with you, how much money is it going to cost for you to go there, and, you know, are you going actually like being away from home that long. And finally, while you are there, you know, try to, of course, see some of the sites, but really concentrate on your teaching and on learning language, and once you emerge from that country you will be, probably pretty fluent in a language that you once only knew just a little bit about. So good luck."