XploreAsia

Put simply, the quicker you get stuck in and dive into the deep end, the quicker you’ll feel more settled and comfortable in your new environment. It may feel a bit overwhelming and stressful, but doing this sooner rather than later will mean that you can actually enjoy each day and the new experiences a lot quicker compared to if you’re thinking ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’. Time goes by a lot quicker than you think, even if you're here for a year, I’ve now been in the country for 4 months and I feel like time is flying by.

During my time as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Japan, I had the unique opportunity to immerse myself in Japanese culture while contributing to English education in local schools. Living in Sapporo, I worked closely with Japanese teachers and students, helping to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps. This experience not only enhanced my teaching skills but also allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of Japanese work and communication styles.

In addition to my professional role, I had the chance to explore Japan’s rich traditions, from tea ceremonies to festivals, and learn about the country’s fascinating history. Living in Japan taught me to adapt to new environments and strengthened my cross-cultural communication abilities. This experience was incredibly rewarding, both professionally and personally, and has left a lasting impact on my approach to teaching and my view of the world.

After completing my TEFL prior, I signed up to Xplore in order to help me find a job in Japan. I had the wonderful help of Jane to begin with, and then Amy helped me land a few interviews, and my job! Amy has been a star the whole way through. Xplore have been so helpful, from answering all my questions, to giving me all the information I could possibly need, and genuinely being really excited and supportive of me through this whole journey. I am now a few days off of starting my new job in Japan, and I’m feeling so excited, especially with all of the continued support of the XploreAsia team.

This is my first time teaching English abroad in another country and I'm so happy I chose XploreAsia. I am blown away by the support and care this team offers. I feel like I can ask them anything (no matter how small) and they'll immediately try to help. I received so much support during the documentation process, and I love the check ups they do after placement. I also love the group activities, language classes, and cultural experiences that they offer. I've been in South Korea for three months now and it has been the most wonderful journey. Truly couldn't have picked a better program.

There was an intense amount of work to do, but it never felt impossible. I have to give a lot of credit to our instructor who made the experience so much better. As an inexperienced teacher, I learned so much, and I feel better prepared to go forward in this teaching journey. In addition, we had to work long hours, and often on our days off, to be able to complete the assignments. But the thing is you will do them and do them well if you want to do a good job for those kids. In the end the journey was so self fulfilling.