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I could listen to you speak english to me all day 🥰

Hi, Nnenia! Although I’m encountering it three years after you posted it, I really enjoyed your talk. As someone who spent 12 years teaching English in Taiwan 1994-2006, I would echo all of your advice. My story in brief: I traveled to Taiwan at the age of 28. After college, I had sort of gotten stuck and didn’t know in which direction to go career-wise, with little obvious options having graduated with an Arts and Humanities degree. I considered law school for a while, but my heart wasn’t in it. So I decided to try my luck teaching abroad for a couple of years, with the goal of paying off my student loans then returning to the U.S. and figuring out what to do with the rest of my adulthood. As it happened, I fell in love with teaching pretty instantly. I also met my future wife, a Taiwanese English teacher. I gradually got sucked into the entire Taiwanese way of life and, with it, a new collection of personal and professional aspirations. Fast forward a bit more than a decade, and concerns like the ones you mention were mounting. I was getting too old to teach young children anymore, and the hustle and bustle of a career as a cram school teacher (this was years before stable public school jobs in Taiwan became available for English speakers) was not conducive to raising our own two children in a healthy manner. So I returned to the U.S. with my wife (Hawaii, specifically), put myself through a Secondary Education certification program at the University of Hawaii, and became a high school English teacher (though I now teach Psychology primarily…my wife is a Chinese teacher). To everyone out there considering teaching abroad for a few years, the concerns that Nnenia lists are very real and very serious! The longer you stay out of your home country, the more challenging it will be to break back into the workforce at home. And the more expensive it will be. I burned up well over 100K (USD) in Taiwan savings getting us and our possessions back into the U.S. and remaining unemployed for 18 months in order to go back to school to get certified as a high school teacher. In retrospect, if I could do it all over again, I would have completed an online teacher cert program while still working in Taiwan. But that was in the early days of online degree programs, and I wasn’t aware that it was an option. I would also suggest to those who are teaching abroad and really enjoying it but do not have bona fide teaching credentials: Get online, find an online university, and get those credentials. Then consider transitioning into international school teaching. International schools provide employment opportunities that are far more robust and stable, offer far better compensation and benefits packages, and lead to career paths that can take you pretty much anywhere in the world. And you can age comfortably as an international school teacher, which can’t be said for other types of teaching abroad such as cram school and pre-school teaching. If, on the other hand, you don’t see yourself teaching as a long-term career option, have a solid “exit plan” for when you feel the time has come. I absolutely loved my life in Taiwan and have no regrets about the twelve years I spent there (and my wife and I are considering retiring there in the future). But if I could do it all over again, I would have planned things out so that I could obtain my teaching credentials and transition into the more comfortable and ultimately more satisfying world of international school teaching…though I cannot say I have any regrets about having taken the opportunity to raise our two children in the incredible state of Hawaii, which never would have happened if I hadn’t spent a decade’s savings in the move and stayed in Taiwan instead.

Thank you sis❤

Wow, this video was so helpful. I'm in the exact same position- I'm 24 and a friend introduced the idea of doing a TEFL to travel. Loved hearing your perspective on this as someone else who doesn't have a passion for teaching or wanting to pursue it as a career. It's been such a tough decision but hearing your thoughts was so helpful. Thanks for sharing.

Good. I'm learning here with you from Brazil.

*They're obsessed with a BA!!*

These videos are fascinating, and I empathize a lot. I was “trapped” teaching for 5 years, but used the opportunity to study in my free time. Now I am doing a phd in an exciting field at the university I was teaching in. When you are just teaching it’s like staring into the abyss. I had to switch on all my survival instincts and find a way to make the future happen. My faith in Jesus was also helpful. God bless

A lot of people arent teachers and they have zero pride in it. They shouldnt be teaching at all. They buy into a really stupid way of thinking and they all want to pretend they arent teachers. "oh, I am just teaching for fun, really i am a _______" Its sad.

Please what’s the location of this apartment. I’m currently looking for an apartment. Is there any vacant studio apartment like the one in the tour?

i taught for 4.5 years in Korea. The first two schools were great. Third one not so much, it was a new private HS. I spoke during my time there with the black woman that was the english teacher the first year they were open. She said some were racist. I am white but with the attitudes of a few of them i saw what she meant. I left that school early. SOMETIMES teaching is good, but find out about the school.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on the topic. To me, life in America is starting to feel like a trap.

Westerners can get by easily and earn much better thah local Asians. I don't know why you complained about working in Asia.

What’s the initial salary for a public school-is it a public school? Do you create your own lesson plans?

Unique window and neat view from your apartment. Seems cozy for 1-2 people.

Where you not having cpds or pds. This would help u grow in yr subject specification

Hubby speaks Chinese. 😮

awesome advice, thank you. Im going through something similar right now and to hear your experience helps so much

Gems were dropped, and seeds were planted! Your words of wisdom are always right on time, and your vulnerability and transparency are always appreciated. <3

How did your job feel about your youtube and tik tok channels?

This is making me CRAVE waffles lolol

I could you a management role within IT. No other way to say this but you would possibly need to modify your communication style to be a little more direct. You can be direct without hurting someone's feeling and consistency in treatment of staff is the key.

I’m an expat in Bogotá teaching English. I wholeheartedly enjoy my no stress, purposeful job. I never thought I would teach especially coming from a real estate career.

thank you for sharing your perspective! I'm currently in a similar situation, I'm feeling stuck in my country, with no job opportunities that excite me. I have considered teaching English because I would love to live abroad as an experience and have a decent job that won't be too demanding. but mainly, I'm in it for the travel. Even after one year, if I hate it I can come back, so there's no big damage.

Greetings from the US I just came across your video and I'm glad I did!! For someone who is considering moving aboard I was thinking of Taiwan!! This apartment seems absolutely perfect for someone just starting out and definitely would be on a budget!! I know you mentioned you teach but besides teaching what other opportunities are available for foreigners looking to make a New Start!! Any intel you can provide would be appreciated 👍🏽 as I would be leaving my home staye of Texas and moving there!! I enjoyed this video and again Thanks for Sharing🧡🤍🎇🤍🧡

How was experiencing racism in Taiwan? I'm in Thailand and I experience some racism, but its not quite like at home in the US. Do you believe that poc can lead happier lives more so living abroad or in the US?

6:41 We see you flashing that big rock. 😄👍🏾 Creeps, leave her alone.

Thank you for being so specific! 9:43 Does your husband do these videos with you sometimes?

0:16 That's an outstanding window! 2:09 Looks like a great place to do some stretching and meditation.

5:31 Answers question here.

Sound spoiled...it's not a trap. It's a great opportunity

Sounds like a”Choice” rather than a “Trap” ???

An American can't teach English - impossible.

Essentially, the american dream is if you work hard you can own a home, start a family, and live comfortably. Not only are millennials and gen zers realizing that these privileges are no longer financially attainable in the US in these current socioeconomic conditions… they’re realizing that these things are basic human rights in other countries such as China and Vietnam. And instead of trying to learn from and implement their policies, the US media demonizes them and spews constant lies to suit the interests of the ultra wealthy. Working class people are not respected in the US and you can get way more out of life for significantly less money, time, and stress elsewhere. Hence why the new American dream is to leave.

The only things I'm really passionate about are languages and music, so I want to be an English teacher in China because I can speak Mandarin Chinese and I was born in America, so I can also speak English, I have litteraly zero friends I'm America, so I wouldn't be leaving much behind, and I just want to meet more people, to hopefully create a friend group, to hopefully get rid of my lonliness

This feeling is so real! Thank you for putting it out there.

Lol 😂😂Currently opting digital skills or teaching English in china when I move there ...and am scared as hell .

I'm 19 yo guy studying English in uni. I've got this idea of moving to another country and became an English teacher. There is very big BUT, I don't wanna be a teacher itself, my purpose is more in entrepreneurship and I would like to create my own online school. But living in Russia, war and etc. like pushing me to leave this place by any chance... Well, I'm confused. Btw I want to move in Spain, but that is so hard to find work there as English teacher because It's my second language

Traveling is such an important thing. Really builds a different perspective mentally. I traveled to Canada for Uni, I'm originally from the US, and I currently feel a little of that "starting all over" from a career perspective as I moved back to America. This is a completely normal feeling for human beings. Nothing is given to you in life. Life can be lonely and scary at times. But get back up, focus, and build something!!

It's only a trap if you go into it for the wrong reasons. If you're feeling stuck in life, feel like you have no purpose or direction, it can help ground you. I did it when I was 35 and it was the best decision I've ever made. Was it a career move? No, but the idea of a traditional 'career' these days is becoming less and less mainstream. I would prefer to teach and enjoy what I do than grind away in a job that doesn't respect my time.

I agree. I got stuck near Shanghai with COVID, for three extra years. When I returned to America, I couldn't get back to my Los Angeles because I had been gone so long, my driver's license, bankcards, technology all had to be replaced, this took months and was expensive and almost dangerous. Then I imagined that teaching online would be OK, and it's terrible and low-paying. Schools in America all seem corrupt or just uninspiring and low-paying. I finally have an idea to do corporate training in another industry I know about, but who knows if that will work out either. I've tried to go to other countries, but each country has some problem or other.

Does a English teacher really Needs a bachelor's degree.

I am studying to be a teacher I wanna go to Korea for 1 yr and Colombia for 1 yr then come back to USA to teach Spanish

I’m actually teaching abroad after graduating with my masters, I’m not concerned about the timeline of my career path, everything will work out the way it’s suppose to!

Thank you so much for your video, im really considering Taiwan. Ive watched different videos from different teachers in different countries, i feel like Taiwan is the best. I was thinking of Thailand before i found out about the cost of living. Thank you so much from South Africa

Above all you stated, there is tips to eat out, bills to pay, parking and toll fees.

i like your energy

I was really unsure how I would go about teaching the students. Thank you! This video gave me an idea. ♥️🌸

Your version of "stuck" doesn't actually sound so bad compared to being stuck in a dead end job in America. Thank you for making this video! It is helping me as I contemplate if I want to live/teach abroad :)

Gurrrrrl wow😂

Do you have to have a degree to teach English in Taiwan? I've heard different things, that the bigger schools require it, but you can teach private students without one?