The caricature of the ambitious writer who makes ends meet by teaching English part-time isn’t new. Novelists such as James Joyce, JK Rowling, and Nick Hornby have all taught EFL to help fund their works in progress. All of these authors had to carve their own paths to literary success, doing jobs that barely paid enough to keep them afloat and giving them little time to focus on their craft. Journalists, copywriters, travel writers, scriptwriters, playwrights, and bloggers are among many who mix their artistic endeavors with TEFL.
Yet, as we all know, neither teaching nor writing are the highest-paying professions, so what is the allure? Is there a way to be successful in both of these fields at the same time?
Having two careers, on the other hand, is undeniably a juggling act at times. Separating them isn’t always necessary for success; in fact, mixing them up might be beneficial. There are clear parallels between TEFL and writing, and concentrating on these can be beneficial. Most of the time, a TEFL career is the first to get off to a great start. In order to promote a more seamless diversification of your professional activities, it’s necessary for the established teacher seeking for routes into writing to build on transferable skills and knowledge.
Publication of EFL
A writer needs not only creative ability, but also specialized understanding of the subject matter. You are a specialist in an industry that provides unrivalled prospects for a writing career as an English instructor. Despite this, a newcomer’s chances of making a splash in the globally saturated EFL publishing industry are slim to none. However, if writing EFL materials is truly your passion, there are always doors open to anyone with talent.
You’ll already be developing your own material as a teacher to enhance any course books you utilize. It’s worthwhile to keep track of this and use input from your students to improve it over time. It may never be enough to write your own comprehensive course book, but it is excellent on-the-job training. Furthermore, it could be used in a different position one day, such as producing anything from online classes to test question items. It’s never a waste of time if it works in your classroom and helps you grow. When you least expect it, opportunities present themselves.
Fiction, journalism, and copywriting
To get a good story, a journalist must be in the right location at the right time and maintain an ear to the ground. Teachers who teach TEFL are frequently sent abroad, which puts them in a good position to work as a foreign correspondent for newspapers back home. That isn’t to argue that your geographic locations will open doors for you as a reporter unless you already have the necessary contacts in the media. However, there are different types of journalism, and starting with more evergreen content on a specific issue may be a better alternative than breaking news.
Being fully immersed in a foreign culture and actively engaging with locals on a daily basis has the advantage of providing you with insights that aren’t often reported in mainstream media. When some of my students started talking about a national event, it spurred me to take a fresh look at things. My first newspaper article was published after I proposed a tale to a UK magazine.
As an online business English teacher, I came into contact with people on the leading edge of their fields across a wide range of fields. People I don’t usually get to hang out with in my neighborhood bar include lawyers, doctors, engineers, business leaders, programmers, bankers, and scientists from all over the world. Speaking with these experts about their job not only needs you to learn their vocabulary, but it also provides you with a solid conceptual foundation in specialized areas.
Success in one field does not imply failure in another, and this became clearer to me than ever before when I eventually published my first work of fiction. I was asked to return to a university in Spain where I had previously taught to read from my book and give a discussion as a visiting lecturer.
Things had come full circle because the university in question was where I had started my career eleven years before. Re-visiting was just as nerve-wracking as my first lesson, because now I had to perform as both a writer and a teacher. Thankfully, everything went off without a hitch.
Furthermore, the warm welcome and favorable feedback convinced me that I would always want to be a teacher and a writer. I didn’t have to pick between the two; they could coexist in my body. The event was not just proof of concept, but also a career highlight for both of us.
