Hi r/TEFL community.
I need some kind advice on moving to Asia to teach English, please. Current job is dead-end and I would like to teach English abroad for a year to segway into Primary school teaching in the UK.
My issue? Anxiety of feeling alone and depressed whilst living abroad by myself. This was how I felt when in Bangkok when travelling a few years ago. I could also do with a bit of a teaching refresher, after already completing a CELTA and other courses a few years ago and not teaching since 2023.
Potential options – (1) Going back to Thai Binh, a semi-remote city in N.Vietnam after volunteering there for a few weeks in 2023. Familiar setting and people, but they offer shared dorms. OK for 3-months initially (they offer short stints under a 3-month visa) but not likely ok long-term. Not much happening in the city. May provide a landing pad. Not decent pay (but may be ok for more exp in short-term).
(2) Getting re-certified with Ninja Teacher in HCMC. Social community already established with an opportunity to re-learn. Not so worried about the cost, more about how this would look on CV studying a course again. Would help me to gain confidence again. Would feel tied into HCMC – why go to another place after the financial commitment for the local community?
(3) Possibly getting a job in Bali where I have some contacts and loved it there from previous visits, but with poor pay.
(4) Applying for jobs whilst in the UK and finding things out on my own = inevitable period of feeling alone initially.
(5) Any other ideas or suggestions that you may have?
I’ve been agonising on this for a long time and so needed to reach out to a community. Appreciate that there are plenty of expat groups in large cities, but I would really value a landing pad, based on previous experiences.
TYIA
🙏