Why Teaching English in Asia is the Best Job Ever

Even though my particular teaching placement right now isn’t ideal (Ha! That’s an understatement), I’ve come to realize I love this thing called teaching a foreign language in a foreign country. Here are some of the reasons why.

Teaching is so satisfying. There are many helping professions where you don’t get to see the results of your efforts, where you put in countless hours on faith and hope that it’s worth it and someone, somewhere, has a better life because of your sweat and tears. Though we probably don’t truly realize the full repercussions of our good deeds in general, at least as a teacher I get to see some of the results of my investment. At the end of a unit / term / year, I watch my students use more language than before. On top of learning stuff, students write me notes, draw me pictures, give me gifts, and smile when I walk in the room. Teaching is fulfilling.

 
The best part of this job: the students.

As a teacher, I get to plan, organize and be creative. I get paid to plan 1-3 parties a term! I invent games, make classroom decorations, plan lessons and write tests. The possibilities are endless in the creativity department. I actually use all those Pinterest ideas. Teaching is fun!

Teaching a foreign language is even more fun than normal teaching. The content I am imparting to my students is practical – they can actually use it immediately to communicate with me. They will use it in English classes the rest of their educational careers. They will use it with the foreigners they meet and the movies they see. And if they choose to travel abroad, they may find themselves foreigners in a new land, just like me (though much better prepared in knowledge of the local language). No dull, useless subject matter here.

On top of all that goodness, as an English teacher I get the thrill and experience of living on the opposite side of the planet from where I was born. I get to walk places and see monuments I read about as I child. I’m constantly soaking up new ideas, ways of life, and wisdom. I’m forced out of my safe comfort zone into a new world where I quickly learn how to stand on my own, laugh at my mistakes, and notice beauty everywhere. After only a year abroad, I am a million times more aware – aware of myself, aware of my surroundings, aware of the needs and feelings of others, aware of the bigness of the world, the smallness of me, the significance of history and culture, and the meaning of simple kindness and grace.


There are times when this job, and living in Asia, is difficult and even depressing. No one said living so far from family, friends and anything familiar would be easy. Learning a language and teaching a language isn’t easy. Culture shock isn’t a math problem to be cleanly solved.


Yet, despite all the challenges and lonely moments, despite not the best boss and not the best pay and not the best apartment in my particular situation, I get the joy and honor of a job and a life with a purpose. I’m doing something worthwhile for the benefit of others. And I can’t think of anything better than that.

Comments

  1. Anonymous18 November, 2014 14:46

    I loved this post. When you're bogged down in lesson plans and frustrating communication barriers it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. But everything you said is totally right :) a bit of perspective and taking a moment to remember the reasons this is so awesome can do wonders. Brilliant!

    ReplyDelete

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