You Can Teach English Abroad!

Monday, October 3, 2005

Dear International Living Reader,

Looking for a way to fund your globe-trekking fantasies? As an English speaker, you already have a head start. Your day-to-day conversational skills are in high demand the world over, and the ability to teach your native tongue in a foreign country can be your gateway to big opportunity.

Never mind that you've never taught English before. If you can order French fries in the drive-thru, you've got a skill that others want. If you're worried that the competition is too stiff, that you would be wiser to work for a company that will train you, or that you need to be certified to have an edge, think again. While formal programs may serve as a shortcut, all you really need is an open mind, persistence, and a teacher's bag of tricks.

Whether you've got a definite country in mind, or you're willing to go anywhere, the key is spreading the word. Chances are, you'll meet someone who has already done it--or who knows someone who has. An easy way to start is to search the Internet for websites devoted to international teaching resources.

In your quest to find a great job, don't sell yourself short. Consider what you want from the experience. What energizes you? Would you mind spending all day in a classroom, or do you crave a more flexible schedule with time for sightseeing and immersing yourself in a foreign country?

I longed to explore a new place and culture. One country that kept cropping up was Japan. (Asian countries are popular destinations for English teachers: the people are highly motivated and have the means to pay well.) I noticed a Japanese name on our company employee list and gave him a call. I explained that I was planning to go to Japan to teach English. He told me he'd only been in the States a few weeks, so I asked if he'd like help practicing English. We began meeting weekly, and I assigned my pupil a question to think about before each session. From this experience, I knew I would enjoy teaching English to other Japanese people…

* To find out how freelance IL contributor Heather Lynn Ivester used her experience as an English tutor to land teaching jobs in Japan paying up to $100 an hour-and to see her list of the top five items you should always keep in your teaching bag--read the rest of her article in the October issue of IL in print, available online here.

Subscribers to IL in print can read these and other articles in the October 2005 issue of IL in print. If you aren't already a subscriber, become one here. Note: When you sign up for IL in print using this link, you'll receive our free White Paper on how to start your own import/export business as a special bonus.

* IL's "Your New Life in 2005" series continues this month with the story of Louise and
Allen Vejar.

Originally from San Francisco, the retired couple, both in their early 70s, now divide their time between California and Granada, Nicaragua. Ever since a trip to San Miguel De Allende, Mexico, as a young girl, Louise has had a yen for living in a colonial house. As a subscriber to International Living, she was drawn to the beautiful and cheap Spanish colonial homes on the market in Nicaragua. In September 1996, she threw caution to the wind and signed up for International Living's tour to Nicaragua. Today, the Vejars own a total of 10 properties in this country…

* The art of making Malbec wine in Argentina

"Ever since Argentina's currency devaluation in 2002, my wife and I have been spending the summer months-January through March-in Buenos Aires. That means we're there for the wine harvest beginning in late March, and this year we decided to join the fun. On March 21, we went to Mendoza in the Andes foothills, bought 600 kilos of grapes, shipped them to a friend's ranch, and made red wine…"

*Legends of Albania-the "Land of the Snowy Peaks"

"Until my recent visit to the country, all I knew about Albania was a story that my father told me about how his grand-father was outraged when Mussolini annexed Albania. Not because invading another country is a bad thing to do, but because Il Duce had 'just ruined the best wild boar hunting in Europe.' My great-grandfather may have had some of his priorities slightly skewed, but he and his generation were drawn to Albania, not only for its hunting facilities, but by its coast-a popular holiday destination at the time…"

International Living's Fall Conference Calendar

You are invited to join the IL team at these special events:

* Third International Real Estate Investment Forum, Arlington, Virginia, Nov. 3-4, 2005. This fall, join IL's international real estate guru Lief Simon and a dozen other experts to learn the fundamentals of making a fortune from international real estate. Lief and his colleagues will teach you how to approach international investments from every angle--and how to profit from every approach. He's brought together top experts from around the world to serve as your faculty, your mentors, and your one-on-one advisors.

* International Real Estate Investment Forum, Panama City, Panama, Nov. 7-8, 2005. The line-up of speakers who have RSVP'd is our most impressive ever. You'll meet some of the foremost international land investment experts we know. At this insider event, you'll learn how to buy and sell valuable property anywhere in the world with less up-front money, lower risks, and fewer worries than with any other investment you have ever made--and more.

* Live and Invest in Mexico, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Nov. 13-15. Here where the jungle kisses the ocean, cobbled streets curve around tidy village homes and shops… piles of pink, fuchsia, and lavender blossoms tumble over wrought-iron balconies…tidy whitewashed homes beckon with glorious ocean views…and you can live well, very well, for about $2,100 a month…or even less. Join us in Puerto Vallarta International Living's Live and Invest in Mexico Seminar and let the experts introduce you to the best opportunities for comfortable living and profitable investing along Mexico's sunny Pacific coast.