Tracey Steven Stark - TEFL Traveller

What is the biggest lesson you learned from your teaching English experience?
It really doesn't matter if you think you can teach or not. Once you get to the school and they throw you to the lions, or in my case the five year olds, the natural desire to communicate with others comes out and you find yourself coming up with ways to get through to your students.

What is the most common misconception about teaching English?
I think the most common misconception about teaching English is that you will go over and teach one or two hours a day and then party until dawn. It will be hard work and there may be times when you can't go out for weeks at a time because of your commitment. Sure, you do get to enjoy yourself and some may choose to drink themselves into the ground, but your primary concern has to be your job or your experience will be a short one.

Did you get certified?: no
Why or why not?
In Korea you only need a college degree in anything for most schools. Some of the bigger name schools or more exclusive schools will want their teachers either teacher-certified through college or TESL-TEFL, etc., certified. But they also want blonde-haired, blue-eyed supermodels all around 25 years old, without a trace of fat or wrinkles. I's a business and there are going to be businesses that don't care about anything more than a pulse and a non-Asian look.

If you were certified, what was your certification and how did you acquire it? Also, did your certification help you when trying to find a job? How?

If you did not get certified, was it harder to find a job? Why?
There are thousands of hagwons (language schools) in Korea and there are hundreds of recruiters in contact with them. Finding a job is easy, but finding a job in the exact location or with the exact amenities provided may be harder.

What are some common 'traps' that teachers fall into while teaching English abroad?
If it's your first time out, don't go with ANY expectations other than to get paid. Don't expect your employer to honor your contract 100%, because it's his country and you're just a guest, frankly, and there are more where you came from. Don't expect the natives of that country to act like Americans or Canadians or whatever. They are going to have some quirks that may amuse you and some that may annoy you. Get over it.

What do you wish you would have done differently?
I wish I had completed my contract. I didn't take my own advice and found the anti-enviromental habits of the South Koreans too much to accept and impossible to change.

What are the best things about teaching English abroad?
The best things about teaching abroad really are the students. After you have been there awhile and can see the difference, the progress in them you can feel proud about the job you've done.

Did you travel before or after your program? If so, where?
I had been abroad before teaching and I think that may be what sparked my interest to leave again. Although I taught in Korea, Spain in 1997 was an inspiring place for me. After teaching I headed to Thailand and sailed to Malaysia, Indonesia, and finally Darwin, Australia aboard a private yacht as a crew member.

What would be your advice to people thinking about teaching English abroad?
If you\'re even entertaining the idea, there must be something in you driving you to get away, to get out of your comfort zone. First, think of the reason you might want to go. If the answer is money, you will want to go to either Korea or Japan. If the answer is boredom, you may try Europe. And if the answer is to explore a culture vastly different than your own, I would suggest anywhere else in Asia, where the money isn't great, but the people really are. When it all comes down to it, think about your life in 20,30, or 40 years and ask yourself: Do I want my dying words to be, "if only..."?

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