Want an Exciting Change of Life? Try Living Overseas

Did you know that you can escape a boring life at home and experience international living by starting a simple service the local people need?

It's true. If you're from the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, or New Zealand, and you're looking for more adventure, you can work abroad and live in any country that doesn't speak English as a first or second language.

How?

As you probably know, English is the top international language, spoken by 1.5 billion people as a first or second language around the globe. Many people who don't speak English need to speak it in order to succeed in business and school.

And that's where you come in - helping them with their spoken English. And it's just as easy as having a conversation with someone - no grammar, no drills. And I'm not talking about getting an overseas job by working at a school. I'm talking about starting your own mini-business - one where YOU decide when you want to work and who you want to work with.

It's easier than you think. Just follow these steps:

1. Choose your country

First of all, where do you want to live? Someplace in the tropics - like Thailand? Near a beach - like Rio? In an international center of commerce - like Shanghai or Tokyo? Whatever your choice, it must be a country where they don't speak English.

Also, why are you going? Do you want to study a foreign language? Do you love the food of that country - perhaps you want to learn how to cook it? Do you want to learn scuba diving or one of the martial arts? Maybe you're looking for romance... Get a fix on what you really want to do and it will make your stay much more rewarding.

2. On arrival

Before you go, do some research on your chosen country: pick up a travel guidebook like "Lonely Planet" or "Let's Go." Find out what the typical costs are and what visas you might need before you arrive. Pick a hotel or guesthouse you'd like to stay in and try to reserve a room.

Once you arrive, you might be asked by immigration what you are going to be doing in the country - just say you're a tourist. Say nothing about starting any sort of business: that requires a whole different visa and set of paperwork and is usually far more expensive.

After you've had time to adjust to this country. Pick up a cellphone (which you can get quite cheap in many countries) and some business cards - your hotel or guesthouse will tell you where you can get these vital items.

3. Getting Clients

Remember you're not looking for a job at a school, just people who are willing to pay you decent money for having a 1 or 2 hour conversation - believe me there are thousands of people who just want to talk - no formal lessons, no tutoring.

So your first stop is to look in the local English language newspaper. Check out the classified ad section and you'll almost always find ads placed by schools looking for teachers. Call them up and ask if they are looking for a native English speaker to give "conversation classes one-to-one or small group." Usually they are, so stop by and chat with them.

If you don't see any ads in the paper (unlikely since the demand for English instruction is so high, but some days have more ads than others), get a copy of the local yellow pages and look up "Schools" or "Instruction." You'll see ads for English schools like Berlitz, Inlingua, and smaller schools with acronyms like ALC, EEP, etc. Phone them and ask the same question as above.

EFL (English as a Foreign Language)agents hook up people looking to practice their English with native speakers. This is an informal way of getting a clients. Look for their ads in the newspapers, guesthouse bulletin boards, and on telephone poles and cafes in the backpacker tourist areas of town.

4. Working with clients

Now you've got some students/clients and you've never taught before what do you do? If their English is good, you'll be having conversations just like you do with your friends. Initial meetings will usually focus on small talk and the getting-to-know you stage. What do you do after you've finished that stage and your student isn't a brilliant conversationalist...or you're dealing with someone who is a beginner? I've found questionnaires a great way to keep the conversation rolling.

You can find questionnaires on the internet, in magazines, or you can just write them up yourself. Make 2 copies of each questionnaire - one for yourself and one for your student. Take turns asking each other the questions and elaborate on your answers. It takes about 10 questions to fill up an hour.

5. Money

If you are getting students through an agent or a school, you don't really have control over how much you make. But once you get students on your own, you'll be able to charge slightly less than the agents or the schools and make more money - and your students will be happy because you're saving them money. Ask other English teachers what you should be charging by the hour.

Once you get some students and you've developed rapport, it's time to ask them if they know anyone else who wants to practice their English conversation. Give them a few of your business cards to hand to family members, co-workers, and friends, and believe me, in a few weeks you'll have a ton of work. Try not to take an agent's or schools students away from them for obvious reasons but getting them to tell others about your services is perfectly legit.

There you have it: a simple program that allows you to live in practically any country you want - without formal training or academic credentials. You're no longer tied down to your home country - or any country for that matter. Ever thought about "country-hopping"? Well, now you can! For more info on living abroad, visit this site: http://www.liveoverseasnow.com.

Lou Larsen has over 11 years experience living, working, and setting up mini-businesses in several countries. You can find out more about international living by visiting http://www.liveoverseasnow.com.Sheeree Blog71204
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