Happier Abroad Forum Community

So how is your 2015 so far? Is anyone actually going abroad?

I made a good start by getting my TEFL training underway. I signed up to a 120 hr certificate (the minimum needed in China) and I did the 20 hour classroom based part of the course. It was tremendous fun! I met some great people and the teacher was excellent, but I feel sad that I'll probably never see them again.

Now I'm doing the online part. I know you don't need anything to teach in many countries, but these courses do give you plenty of practical ideas for planning fun and enjoyable lessons.

If anyone seriously wants a long term career in language teaching, then one tip I can give is to go and sign up to learn a foreign language. Studying Mandarin has really helped when it comes to planning lessons for English learners.

I also went to an open evening at International House, one of the major CELTA course providers. Their school is great, but a CELTA is for rich people and the prospective students were a lot less diverse than those on the 120 hr TEFL. Still, if you got the cash then a CELTA earned in London (or anywhere else really) would be very nice to have.

My job went bad again - I realise now that office life is killing me and I should get out ASAP.

I do want to go abroad to live again but I am not sure where to go or what to do. Since I see teaching overseas as a long term thing, I'd like to get some decent qualifications in the field, like an MA.

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My 2015 has started a bit rubbish. Lost my job while on leave. I was a contractor and they had a "restructure" while I was away. Seems my new manager fired me before he even got to meet me

But I saved up and invested, and I am getting fit again and I am going to enrol in Vietnamese language class.

Trying to either a) find another job and/or b) come up with a business / passive income idea.

Is your TEFL training with Oxford seminars?

So far so good. Less than a month til Panama City and I am rearing to go. The other night I was shocked I was actually going through with this, but I am kind of excited though.

the fms and some blnd dmns poisoned me a few times. Guess they didn't like that I was looking in what they think of as "their Philippine playground". Wanted to drive me away.

In Japan for me and family all is OK, we just came back from Thailand, 3 weeks vacation, now working full-time again. 2015 seems to be without problems for us.

I'm planning on going out of the country in either April or sometime in July-August (really hoping for April, but things seem to be conspiring against me). It certainly won't be permanent, but it is a good chunk of time -- a month -- and I'm hoping I can check some places out.

I understand that I'm not exactly a pillar of the community with 13 posts, but I feel like this is a good place to establish it nonetheless.

Signet wrote:I'm planning on going out of the country in either April or sometime in July-August (really hoping for April, but things seem to be conspiring against me). It certainly won't be permanent, but it is a good chunk of time -- a month -- and I'm hoping I can check some places out.

I understand that I'm not exactly a pillar of the community with 13 posts, but I feel like this is a good place to establish it nonetheless.

Good goal, congrats on having a plan.

Cool avatar, btw.

Jester wrote:

Signet wrote:I'm planning on going out of the country in either April or sometime in July-August (really hoping for April, but things seem to be conspiring against me). It certainly won't be permanent, but it is a good chunk of time -- a month -- and I'm hoping I can check some places out.

I understand that I'm not exactly a pillar of the community with 13 posts, but I feel like this is a good place to establish it nonetheless.

Good goal, congrats on having a plan.

Cool avatar, btw.

Ditto. It is better than many of us have done. Keep up the good work.

Lost 5 kilos since I last worked my last day on my last job 3 weeks ago. I don't think I can stomach another office job. I want to write instead.

Good stuff guys!

Actually I've had a shocker of a week so I am throwing in the towel and I am going to do a very hasty Plan B. Basically I need to move house again and my job is not worth saving. So I am putting Plan B into action.

Plan B is actually a wonderful opportunity. Yes I will go abroad and yes it's going to happen VERY soon. No I am NOT going to Asia this time! I'll post details once it's confirmed.

Incidentally a friend of mine is in China and the local police are flexing their muscles and being "difficult". Plenty of other countries in the World though.

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He's in Guangzhou. And he's hustling, not teaching.

I did a little Googling, and I gather that he's been hit by a particular police crackdown. There were protests from the Chinese locals about it last year, with the feeling that the police were profiting financially from the crackdown at the expense of the populace.

Anyway, keep your head down wherever you live...

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