Page 26 - ELG2312 Dec Issue 487

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COMMENT

Neurodiversity and

teaching EFL abroad

For many, it is not just culture shock to overcome when teaching
overseas. Writer and educator, Andrew Theophilou explains the

challenges for neurodiverse teachers in new environments.

ental health has become a hot somewhere else. Allowing certain underlying It’s easy to imagine how language barriers
topic in recent years, with a conditions to remain undetected can extend and cultural differences can lead to challenges
growing body of literature on suffering unnecessarily and delay a person’s and misunderstandings, especially when it
Mthe subject in relation to TEFL. decision to reach out for appropriate support, comes to talking therapies. But attitudes
Classroom practitioners are considered either within the workplace or beyond. to mental health also vary drastically from
particularly vulnerable in the industry, due This is particularly the case with autism, one place to another and this is often
to the widely acknowledged demands of ADHD and Complex PTSD, which are reflected in law and national health care
teaching. Those working abroad, however, increasingly being diagnosed in adults later systems. In addition, the widespread lack of
can face additional challenges unrelated in life. Our understanding of such conditions understanding or acceptance of neurodiversity
to TEFL, while at the same time feeling and disabilities has changed dramatically over means that those seeking support at times of
cut off from the support usually available recent decades, forcing a re-evaluation of difficulty are quick to be pathologised. The
to colleagues back home. When talking our approach to mental health care for those fact that different countries use different
about ways to foster the wellbeing of EFL concerned. Indeed, the difficulties historically diagnostic criteria further raises the potential
teachers, therefore, it is worth looking at the faced by this demographic have often resulted for those living abroad to be wrongly labelled
geographical as well as professional context, in misdiagnoses by mental health services, and, consequently, wrongly treated.
not to mention the backdrop of new and leading to a downward spiral of mental ill In order to avoid such situations in the first
emerging approaches to mental health care health, discrimination, and exclusion from place, it could be helpful for anyone teaching
worldwide. employment and other opportunities. abroad to ensure they have a high level of
So, what sort of challenges to mental health It’s important to underline that having a mental health literacy and neurodiversity
does teaching abroad present? Some people diagnosis for a mental health disability does awareness at the outset. But how can
consider stress, anxiety, and burnout to be not necessarily preclude anyone from leading anyone be sure they have the right tools,
part and parcel of the TEFL role, regardless of a successful career in the mainstream TEFL knowledge and self-awareness when sources of
location. For those teaching overseas at the industry, but discrimination by employers and information these days are often questionable?
start of their careers, homesickness or culture wider society often does. For this reason, it And why would a teacher worry about their
shock are widely regarded as character- would be perfectly understandable if anyone future personal resilience while things are
building elements which form an integral part with a diagnosis chose not to disclose such going well and the outlook is good? What’s
of the experience. Likewise, it would hardly information to their employers, who in any more, with a TEFL certificate under your belt,
be surprising if anyone living and working in case may not be in a position to provide the what could possibly go wrong?
a foreign country found themselves feeling right support. Unfortunately, mental health literacy is not
socially excluded or isolated at times. Reaching out directly to local mental health on the syllabus and neurodiversity awareness
But the difficulties a teacher faces can care providers, however, is not always easy, even in the TEFL industry is arguably dire. It goes
mask deeper, long-term conditions. Simply in your home country, especially where services without saying that certain neurotypical
attributing them to the regular demands of are over-stretched. Doing this abroad poses ideals are reflected in course materials,
teaching abroad can lead to a deterioration additional challenges and, depending on which teaching methods and language assessments
in mental health if the root cause lies country you are in, some potential risks. everywhere in the world. The result can be
26 December 2023