Teaching English abroad is a significant life choice, but it doesn't necessarily mean losing touch with loved ones. While distance can pose challenges, modern technology offers various communication tools, from video calls to instant messaging. Regardless of age or independence, maintaining regular contact with family and friends can alleviate concerns and share experiences. With a bit of effort and the right tools, staying connected is entirely feasible.
Table of Contents
Who should be responsible for maintaining contact while teaching overseas?
How important is social media while teaching English abroad?
Should I start a blog while teaching English abroad?
What else can I do to maintain contact with home while teaching English abroad?
Who should be responsible for maintaining contact while teaching overseas?
While it is easy to make excuses and pass the buck, it ultimately is down to you to maintain relationships while you are teaching English abroad. The people you leave behind will have little understanding of the time difference, or your new work schedule, which means it is up to you to find the best time to make a phone or webcam call and to make the necessary arrangements. Just remember that people might be reluctant to call you as they will assume you are busy and they don't want to interrupt your work etc. Even a quick text message can be enough to keep everyone happy if you cannot always find a good time to have a chat.
How important is social media while teaching English abroad?
In the modern age social media has made it much easier to maintain contact with friends and family. Apps such as Facebook and Instagram are great for sharing your experiences and making it easier for those back home to relate to your everyday life and unique experiences. Posting photos and short messages takes little time out of your daily routine, yet they can be invaluable to those who care about how you are getting on. Although social media can be a great way of letting people know about your new life and career, don't forget that hearing your voice is also important to some people when you are away from home for an extended period of time.
Should I start a blog while teaching English abroad?
Starting a blog can be a very useful way to keep people up to date on your adventures overseas. One real advantage of this is it means you only have to tell a story once and everyone will be able to read about it, rather than having to relay the same story over the phone with each person you talk to. Maintaining a blog can be a little time consuming; however, it will provide a great way of sharing your experiences and ensure you have a detailed record of your teaching adventure for the future. It might also prove useful on your CV/resume when applying for jobs at home or abroad.
What else can I do to maintain contact with home while teaching English abroad?
One of the best ways of maintaining close contact with home is to ensure your friends and family feel like they are a part of your adventure. A good way to do this is to explain in detail what your daily routine entails, maybe via your blog or a group email. By understanding what you actually do at work, what you have taught that day, what you ate for lunch, and where you hang out in the evenings, everyone will feel closer to your experience. After a while your new routine will become normal to you, but to people back home the cultural differences and everyday oddities that you find can be as fascinating as they where to you when you first arrived. You can even send home a few packages of interesting souvenirs, such as a local newspaper or a menu from your favourite restaurant.
