Life After ESL: Foreign Teachers Returning Home
By Jackie Bolen
()
About this ebook
Are you going home after teaching abroad but are feeling stressed out about it?
Life After ESL is the book for those who've been teaching English abroad but are planning to return to their home countries. If you want to make this transition in the smoothest way possible, you'll need to read Life After ESL for some solid advice to get you off on the right foot!
In order to offer this advice, I surveyed 55 people about their experiences going home, post-teaching abroad in order to find out what they are doing for work and also what advice they could offer to those thinking about doing the same thing. They had some excellent advice as well as a wealth of information to share.
Life After ESL has tons of practical tips that you can use as you make your transition home. These tips include things like how much money is recommended, skills you've gained while teaching abroad, work options, advice for returning to school, and how to become a certified teacher in your home country, to name only a few.
If you're tired of teaching abroad, want to return home, but aren't quite sure what to do for work or how to make this transition, "Life After ESL: Foreign Teachers Returning Home" is the book you need to pick up today!
Read more from Jackie Bolen
Business English Vocabulary Builder: Idioms, Phrases, and Expressions in American English Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5IELTS Speaking Vocabulary Builder Band 7 & 8: Master Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, Collocations, & Slang Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/567 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary, Writing Prompts & More: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/51005 ESL Conversation Questions: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/539 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/571 Ways to Practice English Reading: Tips for ESL/EFL Learners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5ESL Reading Activities For Kids (6-13): Practical Ideas for the Classroom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/539 ESL Vocabulary Activities: For Kids (7+) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/571 ESL Interactive Games, Activities & Teaching Tips: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/539 ESL Warm-Ups: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/547 ESL Conversation Topics with Questions, Vocabulary & Writing Prompts: For Beginner-Intermediate Teenagers & Adults Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPhrasal Verbs for the IELTS Speaking Test, Band 7-8+: Master IELTS Speaking Vocabulary Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/599 English Dialogues for Beginners: Easy English Conversations & Questions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Daily Life English Expressions to Know: Speak English Like a Native Speaker Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Big Book of Phrasal Verbs in Use: Dialogues, Definitions & Practice for ESL/EFL Students Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5ESL Reading Activities for Teenagers and Adults: Practical Ideas for the Classroom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5American English Slang: Dialogues, Phrases, Words & Expressions for English Learners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/539 ESL Review Games and Activities: For Kids (6-13) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beginner English for Everyone: Easy Words, Phrases & Expressions for Self-Study Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5IELTS Speaking Vocabulary Builder (Band 5-6): Master Phrases and Expressions for the IELTS Speaking Exam Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/549 ESL Writing Activities & Games: For Teachers of Kids and Teenagers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5CELPIP Vocabulary Builder, Levels 10-12: Ace the CELPIP Exam with this Vocabulary Workbook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to Life After ESL
Related ebooks
Tips for Teaching ESL/EFL to Teenagers, University Students & Adults: A Practical Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings39 Awesome 1-1 ESL Activities: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIntermediate English Discussion Topics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings39 ESL Review Games and Activities: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsESL Activities for Teenagers and Adults Collection: Writing Activities, Reading Activities, & Interactive Games Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTeaching ESL/EFL to Children Collection: Speaking Activities, Review Games, & No-Prep Ideas for English Lessons Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings49 ESL Writing Activities & Games: For Teachers of Kids and Teenagers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Keeping Sane: English Teaching Strategies for ESL Teachers: Teaching ESL, #9 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5English Rocks! 101 ESL Games, Activities, and Lesson Plans: Teaching ESL, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/549 ESL Conversation Games & Activities: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners: Adult Education and Workforce Development Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings71 Ways to Practice English Listening: Tips for ESL/EFL Learners Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsESL Writing Activities, Games & Teaching Tips: Practical Ideas for the Classroom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/571 ESL Interactive Games, Activities & Teaching Tips: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5ESL Games and Activities for Kids Collection: Fun Reading & Writing Activities, and TEFL Warm-Ups Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFifty Ways to Teach Vocabulary: Tips for ESL/EFL Teachers Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/539 ESL Warm-Ups: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fifty Ways to Teach Pronunciation: Tips for ESL/EFL Teachers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5ESL Reading Activities for Teenagers and Adults: Practical Ideas for the Classroom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/579 ESL Activities, Games & Teaching Tips for Big Classes (20+ Students): For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beyond Repeat After Me: Teaching Pronunciation to English Learners Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsESL Classroom Games: 180 Educational Games and Activities for Teaching ESL/EFL Students Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5From English Teacher to Learner Coach Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Teaching English: 10 Proven Ways to Make Shy Students Talk Now: Teaching ESL, #5 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Introduction to Teaching Overseas Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/549 ESL Listening Activities for Kids (6-13): Practical Ideas for the Classroom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5ESL Classroom Management Tips and Tricks: For Teachers of Students Ages 6-12 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/539 ESL Review Games and Activities: For Kids (6-13) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
ESL For You
The Picture of Dorian Gray (The Original 1890 Uncensored Edition + The Expanded and Revised 1891 Edition) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Love to Help Me encanta ayudar (Spanish Children's Book): English Spanish Bilingual Collection Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Best Little Grammar Workbook Ever! Use Alone or with Its Companion Book, The Best Little Grammar Book Ever! Second Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Love My Mom Amo a mi mama (Bilingual Spanish Kids book): English Spanish Bilingual Collection Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dictionary of Root Words: Greek and Latin Roots Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Let's Learn Spanish: First Words for Everyone Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Webster's New World: American Idioms Handbook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Don Quixote: Bilingual Edition (English – Spanish) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Best Grammar Workbook Ever! Grammar, Punctuation, and Word Usage for Ages 10 Through 110 Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Dictionary of Prefixes and Suffixes: Useful English Affixes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Great Book of American Idioms: A Dictionary of American Idioms, Sayings, Expressions & Phrases Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Brothers Karamazov: Bilingual Edition (English – Russian) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings71 ESL Interactive Games, Activities & Teaching Tips: For Teenagers and Adults Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Advanced Writing Skills for Students of English Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Let’s Play, Mom! ¡Vamos a jugar, mamá!: English Spanish Bilingual Collection Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStrategies for Teaching English Language, Literature, and Content Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/51,000 Conversation Questions: Designed for Use in the ESL or EFL Classroom Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Heart of the Forest/ El corazón del bosque (An English/Spanish Dual Language Story) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American Classroom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Black Book of Speaking Fluent English: The Quickest Way to Improve Your Spoken English Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/549 ESL Writing Activities & Games: For Teachers of Kids and Teenagers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Highly Selective Dictionary of Golden Adjectives: For the Extraordinarily Literate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Accent Reduction For Professionals: How to Eliminate Your Accent to Sound More American Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for Life After ESL
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Life After ESL - Jackie Bolen
Copyright 2015 by Jackie Bolen
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher/author at the address below.
Jackie Bolen: [email protected]
Table of Contents
An Introduction to Life after ESL..............................................................................................4
About Jackie Bolen.......................................................................................................................6
The Survey-Straight Data..........................................................................................................8
Question #1: Experience Abroad........................................................................................8
Question #2: Preparation for Return Home.....................................................................9
Question #3: Current Working Situation..........................................................................9
Question #4: Mistakes when Returning Home.............................................................10
Question #5: Time Abroad Helpful to Get a Job in Home Country?........................11
Question #6: 3 Factors for Success.................................................................................11
Question #7: Best Advice...................................................................................................12
Life after ESL—13 Things you Need to Know.....................................................................14
1. A Large Pool of Money: Get One! ...............................................................................14
2. Make a Plan.......................................................................................................................22
3. Finding a Job Will Be Difficult .......................................................................................26
4. Doing a Master's: Not a Great Choice, Perhaps.......................................................27
5. Is Something with a Well-Defined Career Path a Better Plan?............................28
6. Humility:Start at the Bottom.........................................................................................30
7. Flexibility: Get Some!......................................................................................................34
8. Consider Location Carefully..........................................................................................36
The Cheapest and Most Expensive Places to Live, by Country ..........................36
9. Build your Network ASAP...............................................................................................39
10. Stay positive: Time Abroad is not a Waste of Time.............................................40
11. Reverse Culture Shock Does Happen......................................................................44
Worth a Read: Reverse Culture Shock.......................................................................46
12. Hit the Ground Running, or Not?...............................................................................48
13. Use your Time Abroad Well .......................................................................................50
Time for a Confession......................................................................................................50
Teaching English in your Home Country....................................................................50
Public Schools in your Home Country.........................................................................51
Something besides Education.......................................................................................51
Working for Yourself + Building Passive Income Streams....................................52
Starting your Own Business back Home....................................................................55
Some Words of Wisdom..................................................................................................55
Job/Educational Options to Consider....................................................................................56
Option #1: Certified Teacher in Public Schools............................................................56
One Story of Becoming a Certified Teacher in the USA.........................................57
Becoming a Certified Teacher, Requirements by Country....................................58
Option #2: ESL Teacher......................................................................................................60
Interview about the Canadian ESL Industry..............................................................63
Advice from an ESL Teacher Working in Hawaii......................................................67
Option #3: Temp Agencies ...............................................................................................68
Worth a Read: Temp Agencies.....................................................................................69
Option #4: Working with International Students.........................................................70
Option #5: Entry-Level Business or Customer Service Position..............................71
Worth a Read: Advice for Beginning a New Career................................................72
Option #6: Short-Term, Practical Educational Programs...........................................72
My Own Story: What to Do Post-Korea................................................................................74
Some Final Words......................................................................................................................77
High-Demand Jobs in 2020, by Country..............................................................................78
Canada.....................................................................................................................................78
United States..........................................................................................................................78
The United Kingdom.............................................................................................................79
Australia .................................................................................................................................80
New Zealand..........................................................................................................................80
South Africa............................................................................................................................80
Worth a Read: Life After ESL..................................................................................................82
An Introduction to Life after ESL
A few months before I started writing this book, there was a question in an advice column in The Guardian that went viral in the English teaching world. It was about a teacher who had taught in Taiwan for 17 years, returned home with no plan or qualifications and I guess thought his best plan was to ask a random columnist for advice (I spent 17 years abroad as a TEFL teacher—what do I do now?).
The English teacher netizens, at least in Korea were pretty harsh on him—who would return home after that long without putting even the most minimal amount of thought into what they were going to do for work? This article got me thinking—do people really return home without a plan after teaching abroad? Could I write a book that would help people with this transition? Is it really as impossible to go home as it seems from this side of things—i.e., as someone who is still abroad, teaching? Are people really still unemployed months later?
I knew that the best advice and information I was going to get was from those who'd been teaching abroad and then gone back to their home countries. In some cases, those people had returned five or more years earlier, so they had the advantage of hindsight and time to reflect upon their experience. I designed a survey that aimed to discover the advice these people could offer to teachers who were thinking about doing the same thing they had done, and reveal the mistakes they made, as well as seeing what kinds of jobs they are doing now. When I analyzed the results, some trends were quite apparent and by writing this book I hope to help others make the transition home in as smooth a way as possible.
This is the book for those who are serious about returning home and are willing to do whatever it takes to be successful, putting in the hard work to find a decent job and build a life for themselves, starting at the bottom. If you're ready, read on for some solid advice to get you off on the right foot!
Before we get further in, I'd like to express my deep appreciation to all the people who answered the survey and gave such thoughtful responses. My old friends, and strangers from around the Internet, were more than generous with their time and wisdom—this book wouldn't have been possible without them.
Thank you: A., Anne, Ariela, Becca, Bill, Brad, Carly, Chris, Connie, Dawn, E., Heidi, Hester, James, Jenna, John, Jo, Joe, Julia, Justin, Karl, Karen, Kate, Kristofor, Leonard, Lyndon, Maija, Martin, Matt, Max, Megan, Mila, Monica, Paula, Pixie, Rebecca, RB, Robb, Samuel, Sally, Sarah, Tianha, Toby, Zach, and all the people who chose to remain anonymous.
About Jackie Bolen
I've been living in Korea for the past ten years and have loved most of my time here. Of course I've had bad days, weeks or even months (mostly involving a terrible for-profit private language school (hagwon) experience that I'd rather forget) but for the most part, Korea is an excellent place to live as an expat if you're able to adapt. I originally came to Korea after college for a bit of adventure and a chance to travel while paying off my students loans.
Little did I know that it would become my real life
and not just a stop along the way but I have no regrets about the way things have turned out. I've been able to work my way up in the job world from a terrible hagwon to a good one, to a decent university job in the countryside, and finally to a great job in Busan. However, as much as I love it here I know that it's time to return home and start the next chapter of my life in