Opting to change up the rigmarole of your usual nine-to-five and take to the road for a career of TEFL teaching abroad was never going to be an easy decision. With so many things to think about, from where you’ll be living to whether your grammar and gerunds are up to scratch, there’s no question that it’s a stressful experience. But it’s also a fun one; offering you the chance to break away from the comfort zone, see, hear, taste and experience a whole new place and culture – all whilst earning money! It’s also your chance to make new friends and mingle with like-minded people, which is where this list of seven top tips for garnering new mates abroad comes into play…
Food is your friend
No matter if it’s a chili-topped pad Thai between the bamboo shacks of Pai, a frothy Czech beer in the underground bars of Bohemia, a pizza below the Colosseum, or some dim sum dumplings in China, you can always rely on a hearty platter of food to provide a platform for conversation. So, don’t shy away from asking your new compadres if they’re up for a meal, whether that means a quick lunch in-between lessons or a bout of street food before a night on the town.
Participate in local festivals and get-togethers
From the wild Dragon Boat Festival of China and Hong Kong to the colorful Holi parties of India, the mind-boggling Śmigus-dyngus water fights of Poland to the mouthwatering food fares of Tuscany’s hill towns, there are oodles of local events that people TEFL teaching abroad can expect to get involved in. And they aren’t just opportunities to sample that new culture either; they are also a chance to mingle and meet people who live nearby!
Use technology
Whether we like it or not, the fact of the matter is that the days of good ole’ chin wagging over a beer and burger to make new friends are on the way out. Today, modern communication tech and social media in particular have changed the way we socialize. And it’s no different for folk teaching abroad. Check out services like Couchsurfing or local ex-pat communities, which will often have whole hosts of people in the same situation as you. Just a quick message later and you could be guzzling local craft and chatting like longtime mates – you know, just like in the old days.
Be aware of local customs
A surefire way to scare off any potential local buddies is to act like the stereotypical ex-pat come foreigner they might be worried about. Being overly drunk and wild on weekends as you return to your apartment, not understanding the sanctity of religious days or respect for deities and national figures (Thailand’s adoration for their kings and queens comes to mind!) is all a serious no no. But hey, you already knew that, right?
Be spontaneous and adventurous
Part of making a new life in a new place is the joy of having a whole host of exciting attractions and places on your doorstep. If you find yourself TEFL teaching abroad with a group of other teachers who are new to the business, you’re likely to discover their appetite for getting out there and exploring is just the same as yours. So, be spontaneous and be adventurous; be the one to instigate those weekend getaways and after-work jaunts. That could mean organizing anything from a lengthy holiday week on the beaches of Hong Kong or a trip to the winding Great Wall of China, to a party break on the isle of Koh Phangan, a meal in a local eatery, or a South African safari on your days away from the classroom – just a couple of ideas to get you started!
Get sporty
Getting involved with a sports teams in your new home is not only a great way to meet new folk while TEFL teaching abroad, but also helps with keeping fit. You could look for five-a-side soccer teams, or opt for something more local: ping pong classes in China; surfing in Indo; polo in India. And if you’re not the athletic type, no worries. You can always see if your co-workers fancy watching some sport, even if it’s just sharing a beer over a rugby match like you used to do back home!
Get used to the small talk
It might make you cringe, or cause your eyelids to droop with boredom, but the fact is that small talk in travel circles is a tried and tested way of breaking the ice. It’s okay if you don’t really care where people have been before they met you, or where they are going. And it’s also fine if you don’t want to talk about backpacking and adventures. But if you put up with that routine chat for just a while, you’ll find that the conversation moves on to more earnest things in a jiffy. And that’s when you realise the real usefulness of the usual questions.
Are you ready to take the plunge and head off TEFL teaching abroad? Have you got an idea about where you want to go, but need some extra advice on TEFL? Be sure to head over to myTEFL’s courses page for the lowdown on all the qualifications and packages available.
When I first moved to China to work, I came with my boyfriend and some of his friends. The group we came here with were all from the same city in Canada, and were tightly knit. So much so that they had little interest in meeting others or even getting to know Hangzhou. Because of this, I feel like I didn’t get as much out of my first few months here as I could have.
When we got our new jobs and began working full time, my partner and I slid into our own little bubble of working and hanging out just the two of us. While it is valuable to make the move to China with your significant other, it puts a lot of strain on each of you when both people are getting used to a dramatically different lifestyle. I realized that making friends outside of my relationship would lighten the pressure as well as bring a bit of spice to the routine of teaching full-time.
Finding friends with expat groups
There are endless amounts of foreigner and “expat” groups in China. Just do a quick Bing search (don’t forget… Google is blocked!) and you can find all sorts of resources. The group I connected with hosts mixers about once every two weeks – everything from dinners to hikes to dragon boat racing.
Through them, I’ve made friends who significantly improved my experience in this city. Some have been here for a long time, and they’ve shown me fun new places to go, shared their experiences dealing with visa struggles, and generally provided relief when I realized most problems I encountered were fairly common; Sometimes just hearing that others share your frustrations and worries can make you feel better about your move. Others I’ve met were only in Hangzhou for a few months, and I loved showing them around “my” city.
There are even a few locals who hang around the foreigner circles to practise their English, which was a great surprise! Knowing people who were born and raised in your city can open your eyes to a whole side of it that would otherwise be difficult to access as a non-native speaker.
The months that have passed since I started going to expat mixers have been awesome: I’ve met people who can show me a new side of Hangzhou, and it’s always fun to go out in a big group or host a movie night with a few close friends.
Before I started looking, I thought there were very few Westerners in this city, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! It was so easy to broaden my horizons, and now I know that my next year here will be full of new experiences with friends that I will stay in contact with long after I go home.