Teach Abroad with an English Degree

In the fall of 2008 I obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Unlike a degree in a specific field, the English degree has opened up the doors to a wide range of work. From teaching to writing, I benefit from having a degree in English.

I was fresh out of college with student loans and an unhealthy bank account. Yet, I was determined to get out there and see what the world had to offer. I wasn't ready for a desk job. I have always wanted to travel around the world. The problem with pursuing the desire of traveling is lacking money to do so. What's a girl to do? See the world! I looked into teaching abroad and landed a job teaching English in Korea within a few months of graduating.

Teaching Abroad

Working in the education field goes hand-in-hand with an English degree. I had no intention in teaching while I was in school. But in order to pursue my desire to travel, I got on the jet plane and headed over to Korea to teach. Having a degree in English isn't necessary for most teaching jobs in Korea. In fact, you can practically land a teaching gig in Korea as long as you speak English and hold a four-year degree; however, my employer was specifically looking for English majors because he needed someone to design instructional material. Lucky me. My teaching gig worked out for the best. I only teach fifteen hours at the most out of a forty-hour workweek. I use my off time to explore Korea and surrounding countries. I've traveled to both China and Japan. I hung out in Beijing during Chinese New Year and Tokyo ate up all my money during a short trip. I'm heading to Hong Kong on my next vacation. It's inexpensive to take trips to both China and Japan from Korea, which works out for a girl who just wants to travel. I plan to see Angkor Wat in Cambodia, soak up the sun on a Vietnam beach, and hop around the islands of Thailand when my teaching contract is up this summer. Teaching abroad has brought me great satisfaction. I'm helping children reach their educational goals (well, at least their parents' goals for them). I'm meeting interesting characters from different corners of the world. And the best part of teaching abroad is that it allows me travel while I pay my students loans off.

Writing

I stated that I only teach fifteen hours at most during my forty-hour workweek; this leaves me with a huge amount of free time. Instead of surfing the Web or updating Twitter and Facebook every other minute of the workday like many other foreigner English teachers in Korea, I make more use of my degree. I use the time to write online articles and reviews for magazines. That's extra money in my pocket.

English Degree?

If you're thinking about going after an English degree or are in the process of receiving one and are clueless as to what you can do afterward, there are many opportunities waiting for you. You can write, travel, and teach; you can do them all at once if you please. If you're interested in teaching abroad, research countries that you think you might enjoy.

Check out the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET) at www.jetprogramme.org if Japan excites you. Likewise, the English Program in Korea (EPIK) is a great way to go if you want to join me in Korea. Their Web site is: www.epik.kr.