Cultural Sensitivity

One of the joys of living and working abroad is the opportunity to learn about other cultures in a deeper way that a tourist might. But it also means that you are a guest in another country and the laws that apply to the host country nationals will apply to you as well. By being culturally sensitive, you will adapt more quickly and settle in more naturally.

A culturally sensitive teacher knows that there is no right way or wrong way to do things and is willing to experience new ways of living and working before passing judgement. Culturally sensitive teachers realise that they are the hand, and the school/country/region are the glove – that they must adapt to their surroundings and not expect a school, country or culture to bend to their whim. When teaching abroad, it is important to try to understand your host country culture before you go, but also to understand that there is no way you can know everything before you go. Sometimes you just have to experience something to really understand it and having an open mind, and patience, are the keys.

We also find that teachers have misconceptions about living and working in other countries, and think that it will be far more challenging than it is. Below are some of the common misconceptions we come across on a daily basis:

What people think	What is really the case
You can earn your current salary abroad	Salaries vary enormously based on cost of living, benefits provided and tax rates. You will normally be paid in local currency and you will be assisted to set up a local bank account. Read "money matters" for more information and insight
You have to speak the language of the host country	International schools teach all/most subjects in English. Speaking the local language is always beneficial but is not required in a typical international school
TEFL certificates are essential or enough to get me a job in an international school	TEFL certificates are not required for most international school posts. You will encounter students for whom English is not the first language so it will be helpful to have TEFL skills, but this usually not the subject you will be teaching
You cannot drink alcohol in a "dry" country	There are a number of "dry" countries around the world where alcohol is not legally sold. But in many of them, it is not illegal to possess alcohol that you buy in a nearby country or to brew your own
Women cannot drive in the Middle East and must cover their hair	Women can drive, and can move around without restriction in all countries except Saudi Arabia. Whilst you may be asked to conform to a dress code at school with no bare shoulders/knees for women or ponytails for men, these restrictions do not apply outside of school. However we do recommend you dress in a culturally sensitive way so as not to cause offence
Holidays will be the same as at home	Holidays and term dates are usually quite different to your home country and vary by school
The work week will be the same as at home	Weekends vary around the world. In Oman the weekend is Thursday and Friday, whereas in the UAE it's Friday and Saturday. In Brunei the weekend is actually split Friday and Sunday! The main thing is that everyone will be working the same days, so pretty soon you won't even notice the difference
You will have the same kinds of resources in your new school as at home	Because international school resources must be imported, you will normally find that certain items are more difficult to obtain. Talk to your new school about what you should bring with you, and rely on the experienced teachers at your new school to find alternatives
You have to eat the local food, and you won't be able to find western items	Whilst it is certainly cheaper to eat as locals do, in most countries in which we have international schools you will find a stunning variety of western shops. You will find KFC in Kuwait and Wal-Marts in almost every major Chinese city. International schools are usually built in cities where there are large numbers of expatriates or where there is a a keen local interest in international education