ELIC Field Notes

Drawn to the Challenge — Iraq Teacher Interview

Mark moved to Kurdistan (an autonomous region of Iraq) three years ago, following a pull towards the challenge of... Read More

Culture Teacher community

3 Reasons for Rest — Why Leaving is the Secret to Staying Overseas

Culture travel Teacher overseas Language

How to Disagree in Community with Competing Worldviews

Cultural differences are a given for overseas English teachers. They can even be an attractive part of cross-cultural... Read More

People Culture community

Teacher vs. Tourist—5 Things that Separate a Teacher's Vocation from Vacation

If you know an ELIC teacher and follow them on social media, you’ll probably see them hiking in gorgeous mountains,... Read More

People Culture life Teacher Language community

Culture Clash in the Classroom—Teacher Story

I don’t know if my face betrayed my confusion as I looked around the room. No one else seemed lost, but I could not... Read More

Culture Teacher Language education

A Formative Experience — Interview with a GAP Teacher

The path to living and working overseas is rarely a straight line. And the road can twist and turn even more once... Read More

travel professional preparation team community

6 Superpowers of the Overseas English Teacher

ELIC teachers living overseas encounter all kinds of challenges and situations that most of us never experience in... Read More

People English Culture Teacher

Your Perfect First Job After College

You’re freshly graduated, Pomp and Circumstance still ringing in your ears, and as the echoes of the inspiring speeches... Read More

plans Academics career

What if My Spouse Doesn't Teach?

You love to teach. You love your spouse. You’d both love to live overseas. There’s just one problem—your spouse is not... Read More

Language Family training

5 Tips to Overcome Culture Shock Like a Pro

We talk a lot about building cross-cultural community. It’s something we love, and we see so much benefit for everyone... Read More

A Western Woman in the Middle East—Teacher Interview

Mary has been living as a single woman in the Middle East for nearly seven years in three different countries. This... Read More

Culture life Teacher community

Support To Help Teachers Thrive

People are central to the ELIC story. We exist because we care about the people we serve and the teachers we send. We... Read More

Never Used Your Passport? Here's Why You Should Teach Overseas

For some, traveling—especially moving overseas—is an intimidating thought. It sounds difficult and frightening to be in... Read More

Culture travel training

Talking Transition—Interview with an ELIC Teacher

Transition is a familiar friend to most ELIC teachers. It comes with its challenges, of course, but the range of... Read More

A Balancing Act—Staying in Challenging Places

ELIC intentionally goes to difficult places. This doesn't necessarily mean dangerous places; we are privileged to work... Read More

Tools for Your Family to Thrive Overseas

ELIC is driven by the idea of the family—found and forged—on our teams and in local communities overseas. These groups... Read More

TCK Family team

4 Ways You Can Join ELIC to Impact Lives in 2025

A new year is always full of opportunity, and we are excited about where ELIC is headed in 2025. The best adventures... Read More

The Slow Secret To Efficiency in Community

People Culture life community

5 Steps to Get Your Master's and Launch Your Overseas Teaching Career

Education matters for a teacher in any situation, but it's an especially interesting story for native speakers teaching... Read More

Teacher education career

Young woman ready to adventure across a footbridge

Bridging the Gap Back to Your Passport Country

Imagine the feeling of moving out for the first time. You’ve lived in this family's culture your whole life, and now... Read More

People plans Teacher resources

How Extroverts Use Their Gifts Overseas

Our teams need all kinds of people who function in different ways to be effective. We’re taking a couple of blog posts... Read More

People English team

How Teaching In Vietnam Shaped this Family's Life

What has happened in your life in the last 20 years? Maybe you’ve raised your kids, or maybe you've been the kid... Read More

Vietnam life Teacher Third Culture Kid Family

Why Introverts are Indispensable as Teachers Overseas

Overseas teaching teams need all kinds of different people functioning in different ways to be effective. We’re taking... Read More

People Teacher leadership

5 Lessons from 40+ Years Overseas

We are grateful for the gift of over four decades of teaching overseas! Remembering what we’ve learned in our past is... Read More

People History Teacher

How Being Late Can Grow Your Cultural Fluency

Most of us probably come from a Western culture that highly values time. It’s a commodity—a limited resource. It is one... Read More

Culture life foreigner overseas lessons Language

You Can Do Hard Things With Confidence — Here's How

Moving overseas is challenging. Read More

Culture travel Teacher lessons Language preparation training resources

Interview with a Grown-Up TCK

Abbie is about to move overseas to live and teach in Asia. But it won’t be her first time living overseas. She grew up... Read More

Culture life foreigner overseas TCK childhood Third Culture Kid

7 Things Younger than ELIC

We’ve seen a lot in the decades since ELIC’s founding in 1981. But “More than forty years” is just a number. So let’s... Read More

History Culture Teacher

Why YOU Should Lead an Impact Team

Impact teams are a truly special way to experience a new culture and make a difference overseas with your community... Read More

People travel plans overseas training resources short term

3 Paths to Educating Your Kids Overseas

ELIC teachers get a front-row seat to the difference that a quality education makes in their students’ lives, so it’s... Read More

TCK Third Culture Kid Family

How 4 Weeks of Training Can Change Your Life Overseas

Imagine crouching at the starting line of a race, ready to launch into motion. You hear the starting gun and push off... Read More

training resources

Graduates throw their caps in celebration

4 Ways Your Non-English Degree Equips You to Teach English Overseas

You don’t have to have an English degree to teach English overseas. Quality teaching is an important priority, but the... Read More

English Teacher resources

3 Ways ELIC Makes Ripples of Impact

There is an enormous need for English education in many parts of the world. Our work is a drop in the bucket of that... Read More

Culture lessons resources

How Refugees Widened Our Reach

They had to flee—millions of them. There was a war; what could they do? They bravely packed up their families and left... Read More

English overseas Language students Lebanon

Why You Don't Have to be a Language Person to Teach English

Why You Don't Have to Be a "Language Person" to Teach English Read More

People English Culture life Teacher Language Academics

Call and Response

Call out! It was the first thing you ever did, and it’s likely you haven’t stopped since. We were born with the... Read More

People Language

Music in Mongolia: Part 2

I miss the slower pace of life in Mongolia. In fact, it’s one of the things I miss the most. I can still picture the... Read More

English Mongolia Teacher Language

Music in Mongolia

Music is not the universal language. Hear me out. Read More

English Mongolia Teacher Language

The Gift of the Humble Faux Pas

It was my first time leaving North America. I was 18 and so excited for the experiences waiting on the other side of... Read More

English Teacher foreigner lessons Language

Home Sweet Home

The pictures below are from the home of an overseas-based teacher. Where do you think they live? Take a guess, give... Read More

English Mongolia life Teacher Language

5 Reasons Students Already Want to Learn English

You walk through the door of your classroom and get everything ready for your lesson. Students filter in and find their... Read More

English Teacher lessons Language reasons students

4 Challenges of Langauge Learning: And why it’s worth it anyway

Language is at the center of nearly every part of life. Whether the words roll off the tongue or flow from fingertips... Read More

English Teacher foreigner lessons Language laos

10 Ways Teaching English Overseas Will Change You Forever

It’s never easy to step into a new opportunity, but as you venture out of your comfort zone, you’ll gain much more than... Read More

English Teacher foreigner lessons Language laos

5 Items You Should Pack

A nagging pressure tightens around the back of your neck, spreading across your shoulders. Your thoughts are muddled:... Read More

Culture travel plans overseas preparation

Best Week Ever!

April is a special month for Lao people as it holds the biggest holiday of the year. This holiday is called Lao New... Read More

People Culture travel life laos

When a TCK Returns

TCK /tēsēkā/ noun: Third Culture Kid; someone who lived a part, or all, of their childhood in a culture(s) or... Read More

Culture foreigner TCK childhood Third Culture Kid

Language Blunders

The ability to laugh at yourself is critical when you move to another country, especially when you start to learn a new... Read More

travel life foreigner Language

International Travel — Bridges of Friendship

Much of my international travel is in support of humanitarian work, so, as a result, I see difficult places and hear... Read More

People travel life leader

10 Lessons in Leadership

In my early morning hours—with a cup of coffee in hand—I stop to think about what I have learned about leadership. What... Read More

development life leadership professional lessons tips leader

Our Top 4 Favorite Chinese Dishes

Gathering together for a meal has a deeper meaning than satisfying your hunger. In China, having a meal builds... Read More

People Culture travel life food china Chinese

How Growing up Overseas Has Opened My Eyes

Anndrea Scroggins Thirteen years of my life were spent in Southeast Asia. During that time, I was a minority. I had... Read More

Culture development travel life foreigner overseas TCK childhood Third Culture Kid

Enjoying the Spectacle

One of the greatest treasures in my life is the kindergarten that sits between the gate to my apartment complex and the... Read More

People Culture travel foreigner

Well, I can't be gone that day...

He pulled open the calendar on his phone, swiping to the days when he would be gone. It would only be four weeks, but…... Read More

development travel plans life Teacher

Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly.

[Note: The following statement from ELIC President, Tim Davis, was originally posted to the ELIC website on June 4,... Read More

The Culture Series: People and Culture of Vietnam

Vietnam includes over fifty recognized ethnic groups. The majority ethnic group is the Kinh (pronounced similarly to... Read More

People English History Culture Vietnam

The Culture Series: People and Culture of Mongolia

Mongolia has a long history and a rich cultural heritage. Throughout its history, Mongolia has been both the conqueror... Read More

People English History Mongolia Culture

People Without a Country

A couple of weeks ago, we had to make a run to the border to change and extend our visa. We entered Cambodia on tourist... Read More

People Vietnam travel

Lighten Up: Tips for Packing Smart

Photo by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash You always set out to pack light, but then life happens. What if you need that extra... Read More

People travel

Life in Mongolia: Q&A

Have you ever wondered what life was like in Mongolia? An ELIC teacher, Wes, shares his favorite memories and... Read More

A Letter from an Expat Family

Mongolia Family

I Think I Might be a Little Crazy

Today I’m traveling back to Asia. After a sleepless night, I woke up this morning with a paralyzing thought… “Who does... Read More

People travel foreigner

Different

Culture foreigner lessons

Building Friendships in Challenging Places

One of the great joys of living and working overseas is the opportunity to build friendships and interact with the... Read More

People Culture life foreigner tips

How Long Does It Take to Make a Difference Overseas?

Culture travel students short term

ELIC Field Notes

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