TEFL Institute Onsite Course Manager Josh had his first international experience as a TEFL instructor in Osaka, Japan for two years. Since then, he has traveled all over the world, settling in Chicago IL to manage the TEFL Institute's onsite course.
Moving to Osaka to teach English was the most terrifying, rewarding thing I could have done. I went on more or less a whim, with a degree and a healthy Midwestern accent. I never thought it would turn into a career path. I stayed two years instead of one, and thankfully my teaching skills developed at a much better rate than my Japanese language ability. I taught small groups of adults at one of the biggest language schools in Western Japan, ranging from housewives to retirees to businessmen. I ate blowfish, trash talked sumo combatants, and yes, visited the Ninja Museum in Iga-Ryu.
The experience made me realize the world is a huge place that I wanted to see in its entirety, leading to an expensive travelling hobby that found me swimming with dolphins in New Zealand, hiking the tallest mountain in Borneo and penguin-gazing in Antartica.
But teaching abroad also gave me the most unexpected benefit - a career path. Returning stateside, I realized I actually missed the connections I had made with students and began teaching ESL, which I did in a multitude of environs for several years. I now focus my professional efforts on preparing new teachers for the trainsition to living and teaching abroad, and seeing that they have the training I wish I had.
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