| By: Penny de Vine |  |
There’s no doubt travelling is good for the soul; it’s an awesome way to see more of the world, discover new cultures and food, and have a ton of fun (I sure try to do it as often as I can!). But living and working overseas can take your experiences to a whole new level. Making a foreign country home for any period can be really challenging, and also wonderfully mind-blowing. It’s no surprise that most who live abroad for extended periods return home changed people. But just how does teaching overseas change you? Here are six ways teaching overseas will make you a better person.
Learn a Second Language
You’re likely to learn another language - that makes you much smarter (and way more attractive). Studies have shown that people who know more than one language have more grey matter in certain parts of the brain. This means that your attention span and short term memory will be improved. You’ll not only be able to impress your friends and family by ordering food and drinks for them in another language, but you’ll do many other things in life better as well. While there are no ‘official’ studies on how much more attractive you’ll become, I’m sure there’s evidence somewhere to back this claim (like at your local pub).
Improve as a Teacher
While you’re learning another language, you’ll appreciate just how hard it is to learn another language! This will make you a more understanding person, and of course a better teacher. You’ll have firsthand experience to draw on in your teaching, and know what your students are going through. You’re also likely to better understand why your students are making certain mistakes, as you’ll understand the structures in their mother language a little better.
Become More Resourceful
You’ll learn to do more with less, which makes you more flexible, resourceful and open-minded. Many of the things you’re used to having access to in your home country may not be available in your new country. This might be your favorite comfort food or drink on those days you’re really missing home, a reliable internet connection to communicate with friends and family, abundance of teaching resources, or Google/Facebook/YouTube (remember, these are blocked in China without a reliable VPN). But, living without these things opens up possibilities for discovering new comfort foods, hobbies, and interests.
Become a World Class Chef
You’ll probably learn how to cook new foods. If you’re not much of a cook, at the very least, you’ll get your palate acquainted with an awesome range of new tastes. Cooking these (sometimes) weird and (usually always) wonderful new dishes will help you learn new cooking techniques, flavor combinations and presentation styles. You’ll also sound much smarter when discussing foods of the world with friends and family back home, and be able to reference things in the native language of your new country.
Develop Your Sense of Adventure
You’ll become more adventurous! When you’re teaching overseas, there will be lots of different things to try in your new country. There’s exotic food and drinks, wacky transport, crazy pastimes. You may not have the opportunity to try these things again, so you’re more likely to jump in head first and see what they’re like. This is a great quality to have in life, not only in a foreign country, but also once you get back home. As Mae West once said, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough”.
Enhance Your Worldview
You’ll be more interesting! Being fully immersed in a foreign culture means you will learn many, many new things about the culture, yourself, and the world! You’re likely to ‘grow-up’ faster when teaching overseas, as you’ll often be firmly placed out of your comfort zone and have to adapt quickly. As a person, you’ll become more tolerant and more compassionate (although perhaps, at times, a little frustrated), and you’ll further develop some of your best character traits; you’ll just be a better person overall!
These are only six ways teaching overseas will make you a better person. Everyone has slightly different experiences when living and working abroad, but you can be sure that it will make your life richer in many ways. So what are you waiting for? Why don’t you apply for a teaching job overseas?
In what ways do you think teaching overseas will make you a better person? We’d love to hear what you think!
In what ways do you think teaching overseas will make you a better person? We’d love to hear what you think!
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