Teaching English abroad sounds like the best idea in the world. You can get paid to travel just by doing something you already know how to do: speak English. Who wouldn’t want to do that?!
Well, it’s not that simple. Nothing ever is.
I want to examine that phrase “get paid to travel just by doing something you already know how to do” because it is a little off-base. First of all, many programs are volunteer based, including the one I am doing. My program provides room and board, but I am not getting paid for this. Many programs, of course, do pay but from what I have heard and read sometimes the pay is barely sufficient to cover expenses. How much you get paid depends very much on where you work and what type of students you work with. I would expect the best-paying gigs are with business clients in Asia. I would also expect those to be very competitive, although I know nothing about this world from my own personal experience. My takeaway would be: don’t do this for the money.
Second, you wouldn’t be getting paid to travel. You get paid to work. Depending on what you sign up for, a lot of these positions are full time jobs. Teaching and planning take a lot of time. I am constantly searching for new games or songs or activities for class and thinking about what I could do better. I have also been placed in a small town that is not well-connected to other places: travelling is difficult. You could choose to work in a larger, more well-connected place than where I ended up. Either way, you will have the experience of living in a different country and really getting to know a place more intimately which is, in my opinion, TOTALLY WORTH IT. However, if you have dreams of being on a constant vacation, then try something else.
Third, unless you are already an ESL teacher, odds are you do not already know how to teach English. It is very different from speaking English. You probably take for granted how English operates, but could you explain it? Would you know the answer if a student asked you why you say “the big red truck” and not “the red big truck” (I still do not know the answer to this question, but there is an order of adjectives that just comes naturally to native speakers) or why the ‘gh’ in enough is pronounced like an ‘f’ but the ‘gh’ in ghost is pronounced like a ‘g’? How would you explain the rules of charades to a group of students that are just learning English? How many times do you think you could repeat a word before the repetition drove you crazy? And then there is classroom management. I have yet to figure out how to effectively teach students who are either completely uninterested in learning English or who might be mildly interested in English but are much more interested in rolling on the floor during class than paying attention.
In addition, there are plenty of other things to think about. Odds are the school in your country of choice is going to be very different from school at home. For me, a lot of this comes in the schedule. The schools I taught at in Chile schools operate on a siesta schedule, with an afternoon break every day. I would much rather push through and finish the day, then be able to relax after everything is done. Also, I find the schedule to be too chaotic for me. Classes are constantly cancelled (or cancelled, then uncancelled).
Also, many people living abroad experience strong feelings of loneliness or homesickness, especially if you are not fluent in the local language. Would you be able to cope with that? Likely, there will be a whole variety of other things that are so different from home and make your daily life just a tad more challenging. Culture shock is real, and dealing with it can really be hard sometimes.
Have I enjoyed my experience? Not entirely. Am I glad I did it? Definitely. Would I teach English again somewhere else? It depends. I do not think I would do a program similar to what I have already done, but if the right situation arose I would consider it. For me, that means working with students that have a higher level of English and are interested in learning (rather than obligated to do so). Next month I will be participating in my program’s English summer camps, and I will be sure to share my thoughts on that. I would consider trying teaching online or living in a city and working with university students or business clients. However, other volunteers have loved this experience and there are quite a few people who sign up to volunteer with my program for one semester and end up extending their service for a second semester.
So, should you do it? I can’t answer that for you – you’ll need to decide for yourself what works and does not work for you. But if you think teaching abroad could be for you, the English Opens Doors Program in Chile is a wonderful option to look into.
It's not about the destination, it's about the journey 
I know a few people who have done ESL teaching in Thailand for pay, including my son. The private school where they all taught is very similar to American private schools. Being fluent in English is a national priority in Thailand because of tourism and international trade. I haven’t heard anyone say the students are disinterested. One friend of mine (and Susana’s) found teaching first grade to be terrific. 24 hugs to start her day. She created her own curriculum but she thought other schools’ curricula were too regimented. As they say, your mileage may vary. Teachers there are paid a decent wage too, especially if you have an education degree.
I think your Chilean adventure is just awesome. Your Spanish is probably way better than when you left.
Hope to see you when you come home.
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