16 October
Posted by cynic
If you’re still part of the real world and haven’t been suckered into the TEFL lifestyle, don’t bloody bother. If you have investigated even a little bit of what awaits you in the magical world of TEFL, you’ve probably come across plenty of simple, unavoidable truths: you will have difficulty sorting out which employers are honest and which aren’t, you may well have to work ridiculous split shifts or with a lack of resources, you probably won’t get paid on time and you are guaranteed to come face to face with some massive disorganization. Did I forget to mention the liars, cheats and criminals that you will ore than likely end up working for? Culture shock, communication difficulties and homesickness are what await you in almost any experience abroad. What’s more, if you make a mistake or otherwise cock things up in class, you’re not in the privacy of your own office, you’re out there in front of a group of people.
Given all this, you might wonder, ‘why anyone would do this job?’ Some say that the pay off in terms of wonderful life experience makes it worth the frustrations, challenges and the general everyday hassles. These people are idiots. Basically, no TEFL jobs are perfect. I may not enjoy a lengthy commute to teach, or hauling yourself off to nightmarish locations in the city to hold in-company classes. If you were working in your home country, you’d probably face similar or exactly the same challenges, but then again you could go down the pub with your mates on a Friday night rather than being forced to mix with the nut jobs who are drawn towards TEFL. OK, with TEFL you get to live abroad and interact with a variety of locals, a benefit that few other international jobs include. However, if you want my advice, stay at home, get a real job and go on holiday to the country instead. TEFL just isn’t worth it.
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