Short term travel is something that’s vague and specific at the same time. Indeed, no one likes to think about the end of their vacation, but there will be an end. There will be a time where you will want to go back to the way your life normally is. Yet there are some people that want to do more on vacation than just recklessly seek the next adventure or even just passively sit around in a lawn chair soaking up the sun. If you want to have a more meaningful vacation, you might want to think about service.

One question that comes up is whether or not you can teach abroad when you’re not going to be there long. The answer is simple: yes, you can!

You see, the classic assumption being made here is that all overseas English teaching jobs are ones that are going to be long term. Sometimes there is a need for short term work, and not a lot of people answer that call. They feel that there are other things that will need to be done on vacation than help someone else. Now, we’re not trying to make anyone feel bad. There does come a point where you really don’t want to help anyone else. After all, don’t you do enough of that in your own life at home? However, if you do really feel called to service, then you can’t ignore that call — you just need to make things happen.

Let’s say that you have a summer free where you could be teaching. Why not look through short term TEFL jobs? It’s easier than ever before to get certified for the task — there are programs online that actually can get you certified quickly. From there, it’s just a matter of finding an organization that can support you. You might have to go with a non-profit, but the demand is still stiff. A lot of preference is going to be towards people that already speak the native language of whatever country is involved. This means that if you know a world language like Spanish or even Chinese, you’re going to be in high demand compared to someone that knows say, just English only. Will you pick up a lot of the language while you’re on assignment? Of course you will.

Some people actually prefer to volunteer overseas for vacation in order to gain experience to launch into better paying teaching jobs. Keep in mind that it’s a great way to actually se ea country from a different perspective than just a regular visitor — you’ll be teaching children and young adults what they need to know about English, which is something that can be downright rewarding. When you’re a volunteer, it becomes something incredibly noble — teaching English to people that might not get the chance to actually learn without your assistance. That’s a lot to think about, and it makes sense that you would want to really think it over before you plan your trip.

It’s tempting to sit here and think that you’re just going to barrel through project after project, but let’s get real for a moment — if you’ve never done this before, it’s going to take some getting used to. Think about it — you’re going to be thousands of miles away from home, trying to break through a language barrier. Teaching people is something that’s rewarding yes but it’s also quite demanding. The last thing that you really want to deal with is finding that you’re going to have to sort of just “roll with the punches” more than actually being right.

Add in that you might be assigned to a country where you don’t have all of the amenities that you had at home. If you decide to volunteer your English teaching skills in a foreign country that’s still trying to develop, you’re not going to have every creature comfort afforded to you. Life will be rough and hard. Also, the hours necessary to prepare for each class day can be a bit long at first. Teaching isn’t a picnic, even though you still get a lot of dreamy notions about the profession.

Simply put, teaching English abroad is definitely possible, even on a short term basis. However, be prepared to actually fight for why you want to go, and how you’re going to do it. Some outlets will let you pay for your expenses, while others may ask for a whopping “referral fee” before they’ll even connect you to anything decent. It’s a matter of hit or miss with companies, so don’t just let your needs fall on deaf mars — go out and get the things that you want today!