Generally, Middle Eastern countries are known for their lavish lifestyles, historic cultures, tallest buildings with mesmerizing views, exquisite cuisines, and shopping malls. Besides its lavish lifestyle and culture, UAE is also ahead in the list of international schools as the leading choice for those students who want to study abroad according to monitor.icef.com
However, students still have many misconceptions about teaching in Middle East countries, which results in not considering this beautiful region to pursue their ESL teaching journey in the Middle east.
If you’re in the dilemma of whether you should consider teaching in the middle eastern region as a TEFL teacher or not then you should do your own research just like you’re doing right now by reading this blog apart from this you should also know about the education system, cultures, lifestyle and weigh all the pros and cons before jumping into conclusion.
Note: In addition, if you’re planning to become a TEFL teacher and somehow you’re convinced to teach in the middle-eastern region then we recommend our Teacher training courses in UAE which will definitely make you an apt teacher to do your job with full of confidence.
Now, let’s burst those bubbles of misconceptions which is stopping many students from taking advantage of what Middle-eastern countries are providing:
1. Teaching in Middle-East countries can be daunting:
One of the most talked about misconceptions of teaching in the Middle East is that it’s stressful or daunting. However, the situation is quite the opposite, because it’s one of those places which accept and welcomes students and teachers from different cultures and races with open arms.
Other than cities like Dubai, Qatar, or even Jordan you might also find that the rate of students from international is comparatively higher than that of local students. Because the academic program they are offering is the best in the education market and it also meets the requirements of the students who come from abroad.
As a TEFL teacher, all you need to do here is doing your job successfully and abide by the laws, then you don’t need to worry or be stressed. Because it doesn’t matter what your race, religions, or beliefs are you will get the proper acceptance over there.
2. Women need to follow the dress code:
It has to be known everywhere in the world that the Middle-eastern countries like to keep tradition and religion above everything. Every country has its own rules and regulations which you need to respect it. One of them is wearing a headscarf (Hijab) for women in most of the places in Middle-eastern countries and there’s a dress code for men also in most Middle-Eastern countries.
There are places like Dubai, where you may see some relaxation in dress code because it’s considered to be one of the progressive cities in the Middle-eastern region.All in all, if you’re willing to pursue your TEFL teaching career, you can go ahead and you can learn so much from their culture, and religious beliefs while teaching there at the same time gain some life experience that will stay with you the rest of your lives.
3. Every Middle-Eastern country is wealthy:
Well, it’s true that there are plenty of wealthy countries in the Middle-Eastern region, but it’s also true that there are places like Jordan, Lebanon, and Yemen also which are in not-so-good condition overall.
But there is one thing you can be sure of that you will get the best package for TEFL teaching compared to any other place in the world. Not only is this the best salary package but with tax-free too and with that an accommodation place for you with airfare covered, what else do you need after this?
Bonus Suggestion: Whether you’re planning to teach in Middle-east or any other Country in the world as a TEFL teacher, you might come across lots of scams happening around.
Some of the consultancy promise you to find the best job for you but they will demand you some advance fee before the process. Beware, that’s a red flag. Always do your own research before considering any consultancy to get a job.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of misconceptions of teaching in the Middle East countries you might have come around, but those are not true. We have tried to debunk misconceptions as much as possible in this blog, which could open the eyes of TEFL teachers so they can see that Middle-Eastern countries have so much to offer.
In addition, if you’re still looking to become a TEFL teacher and want to travel to UAE and experience the lavish lifestyle then we would suggest you go through our Teacher training courses in UAE which will help to fulfill your dreams.
