Teaching English as a Foreign Language … getting started
Travel with TEFL
Okay, so you are thinking of taking off to see the world and using a TEFL qualification as your meal ticket, right?
Well, where does something like this start?
Usually it begins with a chance reading of a newspaper or magazine article about other people taking time out from their career and travelling the world.
Try to speak to other people who’ve done it. The book What Colour is your Parachute is good starting point, to help begin a general reassessment of what you want to do with your career and life. And that is normally the first step to deciding if you want to invest in a TEFL course.
Start telling people what you’re planning and be open to lots of chance conversations with people at work, in pubs and bars. In particular, listen to (if you can) or read inspiring stories of people who overcame great barriers to fulfil their dream.
A great book that inspired me is by the sailor, Pete Goss. He talks about his round the world trip and the barriers he overcame to make his dream happen (like sleeping nights at the railway stations because he couldn’t afford the hotel bill, when visiting potential sponsors).
The thing about TEFL is that it gives you a route to career freedom. This desire starts from a realisation that there’s more to life than just London, New York or whatever town you happen to live in and that may be it is time to shake things up a bit, take courage and allow yourself to be walk a different path.
However, you want to keep the option of returning open so be sure to pick up a useful skills whilst taking your career break. The top ones are:
- Teaching English as a foreign language
- Learn a new language
You can also have a go and
- Get a travel piece published and a few photos too
- Take on some voluntary work
What will this Cost?
The big question is how much will you need and can you afford it? In financing a trip you’ve essentially got 3 main costs:
- Skills training before you go (ie TEFL)
- Getting there
- Living expenses
To off-set against that you have two potential areas of income:
- Your earnings as a TEFL teacher, plus
- Rental income from your home (if you have one)
If your income is greater than your costs - great, you can stay as long as you like. Otherwise, you need to count the pennies.
However, first you need to make the investment in your four week TEFL course. So long as you have the inclination, a TEFL course will pay its weight in gold - and may extend your career break from 6 months to a few years. Or you may even become a full time English as a Foreign Language teacher.
Making Decisions
Don’t wait too long before making your decision. Think through the sacrifices. Be carefully (it’s a lonely path being out of the rat race at times) and don’t be put off by all the people who tell you how “brave” you’re being!
What sacrifices will I make?
Make a list of all the things you’ll need to give up. Include things like ’status’. If you’ve had a successful career this is going to take some adjustment. May be you will sell your car. Also, there’ll be no more fancy weekends away.
Are you really willing to give up your career (that is if you still think your job is a career?).
Where are you going to go:
If you intend to learn a language whilst away - that will govern where you’ll go. The other main consideration is that depending on how much you intend to work, then head for a developing country where your pound or dollar buys more.
How long are you going for?
Do you want to take a career sabbatical or do you really want out of the rat race? May be a sabbatical can last a year, much more than that and it’ll get more difficult to return to your original job. But hey, is that a bad thing after all?
How much money do you have?
Look at what you’d need to sell - like there’s no point in leaving a car rusting on the pavement. Also, how much can you save per month whilst you are still working? If you need more money, may be you’ll just need to stay working a little longer.
Sometimes, you can rent your flat or house and move out while still working. That’s a great way of improving the finances - but don’t expect the hospitality of others to last too long.
How much will it cost?
For a 3 month trip you’ll need something like £2,000. Perhaps more if you like your luxuries - obviously less if you can get paid employment.
Daily living costs
To assess the daily living costs in a new country, consult the Lonely Planet guide book for that country.
Always remember that your costs will depend on how quickly you want to travel around - hiring a bicycle is a lot cheaper than taking taxis every where. Consider where you”’ stay - city centres (expensive) vs. mountain retreats (cheap) and how you’ll travel from destination to destination - first class or 3rd class rail travel?
Skills training - don’t forget to allow for the costs of a TEFL course or similar before you go. Also, you may wish to gain some intensive language training when in your new country. Make sure you budget for these too.
Raising the money
Perhaps you have some shares to sell and some savings to access; if you own your home you can rent it out. But remember that unless you’ve paid off a substantial amount of your mortgage, your income might only just cover the cost of the mortgage. Expect to pay out approximately 15-20% of the rent in letting and management fees. Get in contact with a local letting agent as soon as possible.
If you are a UK tax payer and work only part of a financial year you may be due a tax refund. Speak to someone who understands these mechanisms - but don’t rely on this money as it can often take many months before it arrives.
