Tips to adapt your teaching style when working abroad

Well-travelled expat teacher Tom Tuohy offers some practical tips and advice on how to adapt your teaching style to a new country

So, you’ve signed the contract for your dream job overseas, the eticket and visa are printed off, and you’ve made all the necessary arrangements with your family and friends. What’s next? Now’s the time to think about how you’re going to adapt to your new working environment mentally. While you might consider yourself fairly au fait with other cultures, you may find when you arrive that you’ve barely scratched the surface of your cultural knowledge. If you’ve never worked overseas before, you could be in for a few surprises. Here’s a few things you might want to consider before you set off and a few more on how you can adapt once you’ve arrived.

Research the local culture

Understand the cultural values, beliefs and norms of the country you’re moving to. This can help you tailor your teaching methods to be culturally sensitive and appropriate. When I first moved to Thailand 25 years ago, I was pretty clueless in cultural terms. Like most Asian countries, Thailand is quite hierarchical, so it’s important to ensure nobody in or out of your classroom loses face. I’d been told Thais love fun games known as ‘sanook’ so, in one of my first classes teaching business in a local company, I did an icebreaker warm-up activity called Simple Simon Says where players have to follow actions depending on specific instructions. Unbeknownst to me, the first person out was the senior boss and he left the room looking embarrassed. Clearly a massive fail by me. I learned from this to always find out as much as you can about your students wherever possible to avoid embarrassment all around.

Learn the language

Even if you’re teaching in a language you’re proficient in, making an effort to learn your students’ native tongue can help you better communicate with students, parents, and colleagues. It also shows respect for the culture and can help you better understand your students’ perspectives. Before I went to work for a British company, BAE Systems, in Saudi Arabia, I knew all my students would be young Arab men, so I enrolled on a rudimentary online Arabic course so I could say basic phrases like ‘hello,’ and ‘My name is…’. Admittedly it didn’t help me have lengthy conversations with my colleagues and students, but the locals appreciated that I’d made some effort to get to know their language, and this helped enormously in creating a relaxed teaching environment.

Respect cultural differences

Be mindful of cultural differences in communication styles, attitudes toward authority, and perceptions of education. Avoid making assumptions based on your own cultural background and be open to learning from your students and colleagues. When I was teaching academic writing at the University of Southampton, UK, my class consisted of 18 seemingly timid Chinese students. Anyone not having ever taught Asians before would’ve just assumed they were shy due to being away from the comfort and security of their own country. However, having taught many Asians before, in Asia, I knew this is perfectly normal and, for example, inviting Chinese students to raise their hands to answer a question is a no-no as volunteering answers is just not the norm. As an experienced teacher, I knew that students had to be selected otherwise each time I opened up the class to the students, an eerie silence would follow.

Observe local teaching practices

Once you’ve arrived, spend time observing classes taught by local teachers to understand their teaching methods, classroom management techniques, and student-teacher dynamics. When I was in Japan, I was required to do some one-to-one teaching as part of my contract, and it was here I learned about the Japanese way of giving indirect feedback. The student I was teaching was fine at the start, but then after one particular lesson seemed a bit withdrawn. Afterwards, my boss came to the teachers’ room and told me my student had requested a meeting with her and made a list of things he wanted me to do in future lessons. My boss went back-and-forth in the classroom to me, then to him, then back to me to mediate the feedback required. It would’ve been easier for him to tell me directly but obviously the Asian way of non confrontation precluded this. This exchange gave me insight into what would work well in the local context and what wouldn’t. It taught me to always be flexible and prepared to adapt my teaching style based on the needs and preferences of my students.

More useful tips:

• Teaching in a new country can be challenging so remain adaptable and open-minded. Embrace the opportunity to learn from your experiences and continue to evolve as an educator.
• Build rapport by investing time in creating positive relationships with your students, colleagues and parents.
• Stay informed about developments in education and teaching practices both globally and locally.
• Attend professional development workshops, conferences and seminars to stay updated on best practices and innovative teaching techniques.
• Modify your curriculum to include content that is relevant and meaningful to your students’ lives and experiences in the new country. Incorporate local examples, references and cultural themes to make learning more engaging and relatable.

If you follow the advice above, there’s no reason why you can’t have the most amazing life experience abroad—one that also enhances your professional career at home. Why not start your journey today.

Working Abroad as an Academic

Share this article