Teaching abroad? Rewarding and challenging aspects

As Western economies suffer from slow and often jobless recovery more and more Western graduates might consider looking for jobs overseas.

I decided to teach English in China in 2002 when I took a gap year after my first degree. I had a great time but am aware that teaching abroad is not for everyone.

In my capacity as man aging Director of Teach in China it is my goal to prepare our applicants and give them a realistic idea of what life in China is all about. it's rewarding in many ways, but also challenging.

These are some of the things to keep in mind if you're considering working abroad based on my own experiences as a teacher in China and drawing on the experiences of people I have sent with my company:

You are integrated in life in China:
Teaching in China is a good way to really integrate yourself in every day life in China. You will live close to the school and live life like a local. You will eat at local restaurants, commute and make Chinese friends. At the school you will have some foreign colleagues, but also socialise with Chinese staff as well as students. From the moment you arrive you will get to know a lot of people and get an idea what life in China is like. Some teachers learn a lot of Mandarin, others not a word. Either way you can live your life in China because at the school you work at the staff and students will speak English. However to have a richer and more integrated life it's good to try and learn some Mandarin. I have heard stories about teachers joining gyms, dance clubs and martial arts clubs because they were able to have basic conversations with people.

You gain valuable work experience:
You will develop many skills that are transferable to other types of work than teaching. You will lead a class of students and develop a good public presence and leadership skills; you get text books and teaching materials to work with but you plan the pace of the class and make sure all materials are covered, so planning and time management is important; you need to develop a good relationship with your students and do your best to understand their values. This means that you will be in good stead working in culturally diverse environments in the future.
One of the issues that sometimes come up at schools is that the materials schools use may be somewhat outdated or incomplete. This presents a real test for Western teachers in terms of communication with their Chinese bosses. There are different ways of broaching this topic in a way that is constructive and ensures a good long-term relationship with your bosses. Likewise you learn how to motivate and deal with students from a very different culture and with different interests than students in Western countries.

Change your students' lives
Students in your classes will all have studied English before they work directly with you. Some of them will speak more advanced English than others, but they will all have a basic understanding. It is however likely that the students have worked with a Chinese English teacher rather than a native speaker of English. The students in China are very keen to learn English from a native speaker and will want to really make the most of their time with you. Many students are planning to attend universities in English speaking countries in the future, and you can help them get there. You can make a real contribution to their lives as many of them are studying English for economic reasons. The more they learn the more likely they can get ahead in their careers and go abroad, so you will be an important influence on their lives.

These experiences make work in China very rewarding, but there will be tough days as well. Mostly they have to do with a sense of isolation at times.

Isolation:
At state schools t