Teaching English Abroad BANKROLLED My World Adventures

You want to see the world but don’t have enough money? Here’s a great solution – teaching English abroad. It isn’t just a job; it’s how you can actually save money while traveling. I did it for 5 years.

I’d already traveled throughout Asia for 18 months and wanted to stay there. What better place than Japan? I went there. No accommodation booked, no job waiting for me, no degree, and no teaching English certificate. Just a one-way ticket to Narita Airport, Tokyo.

A year later, I was $18,000 richer. That was in 1992, and it equals about $50,000 in today’s money. It bankrolled a lot of travel and funded my business exporting millions of dollars of handicrafts from the Philippines.

Nowadays, you need a degree to work in Japan, but there are plenty of other countries that don’t require one. To earn good money at the moment, you are probably best off in the Middle East.

I worked hard because I wanted to get money to travel in cheaper countries, but I still had adventures. I climbed Mount Fuji, went skiing in Nagano, had nights out in clubs, and went to many festivals – even the penis festival where they worship – well you guessed it.

Teaching English abroad isn’t just another way to travel. It’s a smart way. The normal way costs a lot of money, but this puts money in your pocket. It also gives you better experiences than any short vacation. You meet real people, not tour guides whose job it is to make you happy.

Your job in the West might be safe and secure, but working overseas is life-changing. It makes you independent, and you are constantly learning about other countries.

Backpacking is great and a cheap way to travel, but it still uses up your savings. Being a digital nomad gives you ultimate freedom, but it takes time to start an online business and build up income. Teaching English takes little money to start and gives you income right away.

When I was 21, I realized that I could control my life. You can control yours too. This way of thinking can start your journey to freedom like it did with me.

Ten years in the corporate world left me with no savings, only loans. Yet a year working in Japan gave me enough money where I could have travelled for several years.

A year later, I went to Taiwan to teach again. I looked at it differently this time – it was more about the fun than earning lots of money. I only worked about 20 hours a week and spent plenty of time traveling around. I used some of my spare time to start an export business and begin working on the Internet.

Taiwan was enjoyable because I lived in a hostel at first and then shared an apartment with two other guys. It was all about parties and nights out mixed in with not too much teaching.

Here is why teaching English abroad works so well:

  1. You don’t need years of savings. Nowadays, you can find a job while still in your home country. Many companies pay for your flight and accommodation.
  2. You can save more money than you can back home. Living costs in many of these countries are lower, and you don’t end up buying much stuff as you can’t carry it on your travels. Also, you are hanging around with people who want to save money to travel – so they’re looking to have fun on a budget.
  3. You’re in a real community with real people doing real jobs. Tourists take photos and go back to their hotel. But teachers get more involved. I was invited to students’ homes or to go out and have dinner. In Japan, I shared an apartment with a Japanese guy. And One time I went to visit his family in the province.
  4. Whatever country you go to, you’re near other countries as well. You can vacation there on your time off. I tended to go to the Philippines a lot because my girlfriend was there, but we would go to other countries like Hong Kong or Thailand together.

There are other benefits beyond travel:

  • Being in front of a group of students helps you gain confidence, and having to organize yourself builds self-reliance. Every challenge you overcome makes you feel more capable and independent.
  • You can learn new languages. I’m useless at languages, but being exposed every day means picking them up. I still remember Japanese and Chinese phrases from 30 years ago. I plan to go to China in the next year or two, and it won’t take much to remind me of phrases, to get around and order in a restaurant.
  • Traveling gives you business connections. In Taiwan, a friend connected me with an American who had started an Internet business. That was when I started to get involved with websites. If you stay in a country for a few years, opportunities come up.
  • Being in another country, you take time to think about your future. You’re always meeting businessmen and entrepreneurs, and it changes your mindset. It gets you thinking about having your own business. That’s what I did and started an export business from the Philippines.

I’ll let you do your own research on the different countries because it depends on your education and nationality. I got some figures on monthly salary and living expenses in a few different countries. This is it and I’ll put a link below. I included some information on the experience you can expect in each country.

This is what the Internet gave me on what you need to get started.

Possible Requirements:

  • A Bachelor’s Degree: Any subject works in most countries
  • TEFL/TESOL Certification: A 120-hour course is usually enough
  • Native or Near-Native English Skills
  • Clean Background Check
  • Passport valid for at least 6-12 months
  • An Open Mind: Perhaps the most important thing!

You didn’t need all this when I was doing it, and I know you still don’t need a degree in many countries. It is worth doing a TEFL course though as it gives you techniques in teaching. It can be a requirement in some countries or some schools.

I got all of my jobs just by going to the country and asking around. That might be a better bet, as you can ask people what the companies are like. You can get interviews and a job straight away because you’re there on the ground.

A lot of private work gets passed around when a teacher is leaving. So once you are there it’s easy to get extra work.

So is this for you?

I believe everyone should make the most of their life. If you’re not happy with your job or you want more adventure, then why not look into this? It’s not a bad option.

Yes, it might be a challenge. A new country, a new job, new colleagues, and being away from home. But every time you face something like this and get through it, you grow a bit. You can face bigger challenges.

Teaching English abroad isn’t just a job. It’s the first chapter in a life of freedom and discovery. It’s your chance to break free from a normal path – school, work, retire. You can create a life where you’re in charge.

If you’re ready to take that first step, there’s a world waiting for you to teach it.