My youngest daughter will be graduating from high school in a few months and she is concerned that she has not got a solid idea of what she wants to do at University and where she wants to attend. I have told her not to worry about it, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do until I graduated and even then I am not completely sure I ever really decided it just kind of happened (and I was very lucky).
She then said to me that a friend was talking about going to Africa to teach English (interesting I would have thought you were going over there to work for OXFAM or some aid group, do the folks in Africa even want to learn English? They have over 200 dialects, don’t they? But I digress).
I heard that one and said I wasn’t sure that was a great career move, and my daughter said she agreed with me, she thought it was a very interesting choice. I thought about it further and in my mind it strikes me as a very adventurous choice for an 18 year old to take be they male or female.
Last week I started French training, and when I walked into class I smiled. I have two instructors (one does the morning and one does the afternoon) and both of them are from the area around the former French Congo (Burundi, Zaire, etc.,) , so they are Africans that have come to Canada to teach French. Their skills at teaching are very good, and I think they have made a good career choice: they have come from Africa to Canada, to teach French.
I understand people coming to Canada to teach and enjoy a good standard of living and such, I am not as sure about “adventurous” choices like going to Africa to teach. I am glad my daughter has chosen not to investigate the “English teacher” option any further.
When I was younger folks talked about going to Europe to travel, and see the world, and I didn’t think that was a very good idea either (so this may just be a personal opinion), but I told my French instructors this story (about young ladies going to Africa to teach English, and their opinion was going to Africa to teach English might be a little too “adventurous” as well.
Maybe I am just a little too conservative? Xenophobic?
I’m 25 and have been teaching in China for nearly five years. I finished university and came out here for an adventure. While here I’ve learned Mandarin as a second-language, gained 5 years of experience in education, 3 of which in a management position, I started a small school for the entrepreneurial experience and recently got married. I’m also completing grad school online through University of Liverpool in the UK. My wife and I plan to return to Canada and build our future there within the year (just waiting on immigration).
Coming here was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’d suggest letting your daughter do it. At very least, she’ll learn about the world, herself, and gain direction.