Teaching abroad has been a popular topic on Expat Exchange since its inception in 1997. (That’s right – we’ve been here for 14 years now!) That’s something that is not likely to change, as there are more and more opportunities for teachers to work abroad.

A recent article by Anne Keeling, of Teachers International Consultancy (TIC), highlights that reality:

Charles is one of over 260,000 English-speaking teachers now teaching internationally and many more are heading that way thanks to the significant growth in international schools. In the last year alone, over 500 new English-speaking international schools were opened across the globe, taking the total number of international schools worldwide to 5,700. This is anticipated to grow to 8,000 international schools within five years according to data provided by ISC Research, the organisation that analyses developments in the international schools market.

Over the years, hundreds of international school reports have been filled out by expats living abroad. Anyone interested in getting a sense of what international schools are really like will find all kinds of information in them. While they’re filled out by parents, they have a lot to offer teachers and other parents alike.

As soon-to-be expats are preparing to move abroad in time for the new school year (if they haven’t already), it should be helpful to point out the living abroad reports posted by the experienced expats that have so much to offer. Here is an excerpt from one submitted by an expat in Toulouse, France:

What activities, clubs and organizations would you recommend to newcomers to help them meet others?

The french language school for immigrants, organised by your local marie.

In terms of religious, racial, economic and cultural diversity, are the people of this city or town diverse? Are they accepting of differences? Describe.

Diverse ethnic mix – I am white british and my wife is indian and we have experienced no issues at all. They seem very accepting and polite.

What are the main industries in this city? What types of career opportunities commonly exist? How do most people find new jobs?

Airbus is the largest employer but there are others Thales, Capgemini, CNES, Astrium etc. If you speak french and you are a techy should not be too difficult to find a job.

Read more than 250+ of these Living Abroad reports on Expat Exchange. Add your own living abroad report and help expats find their way through the expatriate experience!

What’s an expat girl to do when she’s approached by too many men while living abroad? Well, one creative woman in Taipei decided there was an obvious answer. Here’s the excerpt in her Culture Shock Report:

How significant was the culture shock you experienced when you moved abroad?

Not extremely significant although I will say that the men here seem to think that any expat woman traveling alone wants their attention. I ended up wearing a fake engagement ring to help ward them away.

Expats often talk about going through the “stages of culture shock.” Do you feel like you went through these or any other stages as you settled into the new culture?

I don’t think that there is a huge transition between American and Taiwanese culture when it comes to day-to-day life. There’s the normal homesickness and getting settled, but not too much else is very different.

Read the full Taipei Culture Shock Report. And don’t forget to submit your own experiences with Culture Shock – (or lack thereof).

And here are a few more articles related to Culture Shock:

Culture Shock in Inevitable
Adjusting to Expat Life

An American woman on the Expat Exchange UK Forum has posted about her inability to move abroad to live with her same-sex partner in the UK. She has written a long post about been denied entrance into the U.K. despite providing substantial evidence to meet relevant requirements.

Here is a short excerpt:

My partner is the woman I love with all my heart and that to face any more time apart is devastating to the both of us. We have followed all the rules and am now at a lost as to what more we can do. I wish to appeal the decision but need further assistance from someone who may be familiar with such situations.

We have spoken to a UK immigration lawyer who suggested we try for the fiancé visa which would require us to have a deadline for getting a civil union which I do not think any couple should have to be told when they need to get married by.

I am in need of advice on what we should do as neither my country nor hers is making it possible for us to be together?

One of our most active and valuable members, gah26, has provided a lot of insight to her dilemma and offered a range of options to help her better understand her options. Here are some of her thoughts:

I’m sorry about your predicament.

Along with a retrun ticket to the US did you have proof that you had enough funds to sustain you for the length of your stay without taking employment? Did you have a letter from your employer stating when you were expected back on the job? Did you have a couple of your lease or mortgage? A return ticket isn’t always enough to prove that you have ties to the US.

The main requirement for an unmarraied partner visa is that the couple live together continuously for 2 years. From what you have said, this is not your case and so you really have no basis for an appeal.

The UK has been tightening immigration laws and the options are becoming more limited. Your immigration lawyer has given you your best possible option. I understand that you don’t want to be pushed into formalizing your relationship, but the UK has no shacking up visa. The same rules apply to heterosexual couples.

After working with expats for more than ten years, the varied circumstances of people moving overseas – or wanting to – never ceases to amaze me. A desire (need?) to be with a loved one, however, has been a constant.

According to the Expat Explorer survey conducted by HSBC International, nearly a third of expats receive some kind of financial support for their children’s edcuation. You can read about this in our Expat Insight section, which highlights key points from HSBC’s survey.

This is an important insight to highlight, however, because it’s such an important financial factor for expats with kids. We very frequently hear that this is one expense that expats with kids wish that they had really pushed for when negotiating their expatriate package.

Here is another article about Expat Package Negotiation, which offers general advice about what’s generally included in a package and managing expectations.

How to choose the best international school is an important task, but maybe not as important as choosing the RIGHT international School.

Here are some updates from our Living in France Expat Forum, which covers an expat report, some forum activity and a report about securing a mortgage in France.

Here is a France Culture Shock Report from Courbevoie from an expat that took the opportunity to get a few things off their chest:

How significant was the culture shock you experienced when you moved abroad?

I merely dislike most of how things are organized in France. I prefer freedom which is lacking here. I still shop by phone in the USA and have everything sent to me. I refuse to shop in France for anything except medical care and food.

What, if any, were some of the changes you noticed in yourself that might have been caused by culture shock? These might include things such as anger, depression, anxiety, increased eating or drinking, frustration, homesickness, etc.

I notice I get angry when I order something, pay for it, and they refuse to return your money when the product is defective or improperly prepared.

I also dislike the lack of customer service here. I understand all transactions here must be final in order for the state to be certain of its revenue. This is why I refuse to shop in France.

What are some things you appreciate most about the new culture?

I like they are helpful when you are lost on the streets. I also like they have helped my 87 year old grandfather when he goes shopping. I also appreciate that all members of the family are invited to dinner.

What are the most challenging aspects of the new culture?

Just getting used to the French who are always afraid and scared. This is due to their training to be docile to authority. France is run like a civilian military, so you have to do things accordingly, but all is administered by uncaring state agents.

Two expats are looking for some help on finding an expat opportunity in France. Here is what the originator of the topic included:

I am looking for an expat opportunity. I am an American with a Bachelors and a Masters in Economics. I also have an MBA and a certificate in Corporate Treasury Management.

I currently work for Bank of America in the credit policy group and have experience in pubic consulting with Deloitte and government. My current salary is 125K USD.

I am open to all opportunities and would be traveling with my wife and two young children.
Any advice on places I can look would be appreciated.

Please offer some advice if you’ve got it for someone with his qualifications!

And finally, there was a recent report about the difficulty of expats in France getting mortgages:

French banks are tightening the reins and saying “non” to some non-residents wanting mortgages.

Those affected are expat borrowers without large deposits or with insufficient income levels to match their requirements.

And while expats may find their mortgage applications turned down, French residents are also having a tougher time getting home loans.

However, the grass is still greener in France than in the UK. House prices are up about eight percent year on year while in the UK, Halifax’s house price index recorded a 4.2 per cent fall. And the credit crunch was not so bad in France, where sub-prime mortgages were rare.

Interesting how though it’s getting tough in France, it’s still tougher in the U.K. Makes one wonder how that might affect the British expats that have been reported to be on the way home due to the financial and housing crises.

American expats who came to the U.S. early in life and then returning to spend time in their native countries is absolutely fascinating to me. There is so much going on culturally both internally and externally that it must be so enriching and confusing at the same time. What could be more fun?

Here is a GREAT expat culture shock report from an expatriate who moved to the U.S. from Colombia and then returned to South America as an American expat.

Did you receive any cross-cultural training for your move abroad? If yes, was it before or after the move?

Yes I did. Originally I was born in Colombia, but I left in 2001 to the U.S. So I was somewhat aware of my own culture. I came back to Colombia in 2008, and it was, shock.

If they speak another language in your new country, do you speak the language? If yes, did you learn the language before you moved or while abroad? If no, are you planning to learn the language?

Yes I’m fluent in both Spanish and English, When I moved to the U.S I was very young, so English became my first language as time went on. When I returned to Colombia I didn’t think the language barrier was going to be a problem. To my surprise, I was told my Spanish was awkward, and this was of course said by the locals or family members. I think the reason was that since I think in English, I translate it in Spanish…which isn’t always accurate.

Read the full Colombia Expat Culture Shock Report, and if you would like to share your culture shock experiences, expats all over the world will read about your experiences. Other expats will follow in your footsteps and need all the help they can get! Read more reports in our Expat Reports section.

Expats and the Fourth of July – every year there are Americans all over the world that need their United States fix as we approach the biggest holiday of the summer season.

This year, expats in Ecuador have a Fourth of July celebration planned, so anyone in the Salinas area, head on down!

U.S. Expats all over the world will surely be celebrating July 4th in all kinds of styles. Below you’ll find a couple of links from previous year’s 4th of July celebrations.

Some expat ecologists from Wisconsin celebrated the 4th of July in Iceland:

The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate all things American, like unhealthy food, unsafe lifestyle choices, dangerous displays of destruction, and general disregard for fashion among many many others. We here at the Mývatn Research Station in fair Skútustaðir have been eagerly anticipating a chance to display our prowess as Americans to anyone willing or stupid enough to take note. When Neal arrived in Akureyri a few days before on the 1st, we made sure to grab as many guilty pleasure straight up American foods as we could find, and many of us had come over the pond with clothes created for a single purpose alone; to prominently display Americana.

Notice the picture of the woman sporting the Dinosaur BBQ shirt – best BBQ ever. Really.

And, finally, Here is a Fourth of July greeting from an expat in Delhi.

Expats who are teaching abroad, or individuals that would like to move overseas to teach, may be interested in a thread on the Global Forum that has been slowly developing over the course of the last several months.

Many countries have popped up in the conversation, as well as the introduction of a few books and resources that may be of value to those seriously considering such a career move. It would be very interesting to read responses from those that are already teaching abroad.

Here is the original post that got the ball rolling:

Hi, I am qualified ESOL (English for speaker of Other languages) Teacher. I have done my Teaching Course from Derby Collage, Derbyshire, UK. Thinking to move to some peaceful Island or Beach place and doing the teaching job there. Looking for sincere advice.

And here is one reply from JBernstein:

Beach? Island? Any other requirements?

If you are looking for a warm weather country, I would look towards South America, but as you are a Brit, and therefore an EU citizen, maybe you can find work teaching in Italy or Portugal?

You should look for other attributes of a school, than just location. If you are a night owl, then you want a language school situation where you can kick off work and party and then sleep until noon and STILL make it to work by 4.

Read the entire thread about Teaching & Living Abroad and then share your thoughts about moving overseas to teach!