Once seen as the pursuit of gap-year students and those looking for a novel way to broaden their horizons, teaching English as a foreign language is now a powerful way to open doors worldwide. And with the benefits of learning English – including allowing you to communicate on a global scale, boosting productivity and building interpersonal skills – it's more important than ever. So, how has this impacted on why and how teachers do the job?
Sharing the gift
“When I applied to go and teach English, it was something I wanted to do for me,” recalls Anandi Vara, who taught English in Nepal. “That soon changed. As soon as I observed the students I was teaching embracing, and experiencing the benefits of, English – even at that fledgling stage – it became a reward in itself and sustained me for the rest of the time I was there. The idea that I was partly responsible for setting someone off on the first steps to a life richer in opportunities is a pretty unbeatable motivator, and it spurs you to be as good at the job as you can be.” This supports research released by Pearson, which suggests that it's this "lightbulb moment" that keeps the vast majority of teachers in the job.
Thomas Stephen, who taught English in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, agrees. “I speak Spanish as well as my native English, so have personally experienced the numerous benefits of bilingualism; a gift I was keen to share with others and witness them appreciating,” explains Thomas. “Being a living, breathing example of what can be achieved is an added dimension in the classroom too,” says Thomas.
Motivations and expectations
The benefits of learning English are steadily evolving: are teachers’ motivations for – and methods of – facilitating this learning changing, too?
“There is certainly the rapidly-aging stereotype of teaching English overseas being viewed as some sort of rite of passage,” says Anandi. “That makes it sound like a rather passive, selfish act on the part of the teacher, which couldn't be further from the truth – especially in this day and age.
Teaching English is collaborative, because the students are steering you, as much as you’re steering them, towards a highly personalised way of learning. For example, what vocabulary will be useful to them in the hobbies and after-school jobs they do, which may well inform a future career. Students are savvier than ever about why they want to learn and what they want to learn and, as a result, can be very vocal about it, which can only be a good thing! Thinking back to your own aspirations as a student is a very helpful aid in reaching the people you're teaching and understanding their needs.”
As Thomas highlights, you’ve also got to consider how your younger students ended up in your class to begin with. “It’s worth remembering that many will have been sent to the school you teach at because their parents probably learned English the same way, and many will be reaping the professional (and financial) benefits of having done so, so want the same for their children,” says Thomas. “That puts an added pressure on teachers, of course; as parents are keen to right the wrongs of their own path to learning, as well as trying to optimise their children’s learning to maximise the chances they’ll be able to study overseas and secure a good job in future.”
Changes to the role
Sophie Atkinson, who taught English in Sri Lanka, cites the internet as a big factor in sculpting the ambitions of learners. “Although the Internet was relatively scarce where I was teaching, even the briefest exposure to it offered a window into a richer life – not to mention a learning aid that's dominated by the language they're learning,” explains Sophie. “It's having those kinds of insights and adapting your lessons accordingly that are the reasons I wanted to teach. It's a role you can make your own that has selfless rewards that are second to none.”
Opening doors one lesson at a time
In the end, teaching English today is far more than a rite of passage; it’s a deliberate, collaborative act of opening doors. The “lightbulb moment” Anandi describes, the lived example Thomas brings to class and the digital windows Sophie navigates all point to the same truth: that learners are more purposeful than ever, and great teachers meet that purpose with empathy, personalization and rigor. You listen, adapt and guide. So every lesson connects to a real-world future.
Keep centering what matters to your learners, tailoring language to their interests and contexts, partnering with families and making smart use of any tools at hand, even a brief glimpse of the internet. Wherever you teach, from Guadalajara to Nepal to Sri Lanka, each class is another key placed in a learner’s hand. Keep opening doors, one lesson at a time.
