FEAR FACTORS (Pack your trunk & FACE AND EMBRACE THE CHALLENGE)
There are indeed many factors an aspiring English Language teacher needs to consider (in addition to the price, location and reputation) a TEFL program has to offer. One of the biggest for most travelers is what will the living conditions consist of where they are going and how can they prepare for the inevitable culture shock of leaving their home country and teaching on the road.
First and foremost you have to accept that you cannot effectively prepare for everything you might encounter when you decide to live and teach abroad. Variables of experience are one on the things which makes embarking on such a path both challenging and rewarding. In addition to doing some extensive research before their departure, most foreign language teachers have found that having a liaison who is familiar with the anticipated destination remains the biggest possible asset. Those with familiarity are in a unique position to advise and make recommendations in a way a guide book cannot because they know you and their insight is based on their first hand expertise. As a beginner or “novice,” you can and should consider asking questions relative to your own particular needs, situation, budget and desired level of comfort specifically.
A few areas you will want to consider is the length of time you intend to stay, availability of jobs in that region(s), access to quality health care, and availability of Western products/goods and services. It is a good idea to figure out things like the kind of visa or insurance coverage you will need to streamline you stay. (Travelers insurance is often a good option). You may want to begin determining where you want to end up by figuring out where the kind of job opportunities you are looking for are located in advance instead of the other way around.
Another tidbit of advice in addition to effective pre-planning, is to remain open to opportunities and situations as they present themselves. If you remain too cautious or intent on fulfilling preconceived ideas and expectations chances are that you are going to miss out on some valuable options they will no doubt present themselves (whether they are related to education, work, adventure or romance.) Most of the time we know what we want and we strive to gain it, but we don’t know what we might consider until it shows up in front of our nose. This is the beauty of studying TEFL abroad. Not only are you learning by working with people from another culture (many whom you may well end up teaching in the future) but you are pushing your comfort and fear zones, which inevitably, is how we all grow, learn and ultimately evolve.
Many people worry how they are going to acclimate and cope in an environment where they don’t speak the language or know all the customs, but in fact this serves as a catalyst for empathy for you, your peers and your students who are also in the same boat.
Current educational research indicates that students learn best through a process of “immersion,” or to put it more bluntly, “by jumping in the fire.”This is why Paradise TEFL students focus more on hands on student teaching and lesson planning than they do studying educational theory or syntax usage and rules of grammar. Remember that by remaining fluid and open to new experiences, the more opportunities will present themselves, and that the more you are able to dance with the evolving situation, the less likely you are going to drop out or get burned.
Immersion, more simply stated, is a process of “learning by doing,” and is the same process which you learned your own native language of English by living in an English speaking country, picking up on and utilizing all the verbal, visual and kinesthetic clues as they appear in the surrounding world. This is also going to be how you are going to familiarize and adapt to your new teaching country and its surroundings in order to become comfortable and adept in living and working in a foreign culture. By understanding the customs, traditions, and lifestyle, as well as interpreting body language and listening for phrases you recognize, eventually you will move beyond your fear threshold to become experienced, seasoned and more refined.
Fear can be a resistance or motivating factor depending on how a person chooses to react to and cope with an unfamiliar setting. It can either hinder self-confidence or enhance it depending upon how we perform under pressure. Often, some of the biggest reward for many professions requires individuals to not only confront their fears, but use them to push themselves toward overcoming them as part of the growth and success process.
In the Paradise TEFL English Certification program it is important that participants seize the opportunity to challenge themselves and come out of it stronger and more adequately prepared. Unfortunately many folks considering enrollment often undermine their abilities to learn new skills by expressing that they don’t know enough grammar, or understand their alphabet well enough to go for it. Don’t let fear dictate or deter you from accomplishing your goal of traveling, studying and obtaining a job overseas.
Paradise TEFL graduates are among the most successfully placed of Native English Speakers around. Our instructors specialize in getting to know you as a person and helping to enhance and improve your individual strengths and weaknesses. We take great pride in treating you as a professional with specific needs and interests and tailor our program to meet those needs every single time.
Don’t let your fear of the unknown or preconceived notions steer you away from going for your goal and making the kind of future for yourself that you envision and aspire to create. The bottom line is, the old adage that you don’t have anything to fear except fear itself hold relevance. It’s important not to pretend that there is “NO FEAR” in their minds when making a big step like studying overseas, rather the wiser choose to KNOW FEAR and use it to better themselves and those students who gain new opportunities by learning English as a second language
