Teaching Abroad as a Couple: Joel and Menna

A question we're asked all the time is if it's possible to TEFL with a partner or friend. The short answer is: yes! And who better to tell you all about it than a real-life TEFL couple.

For the last year and a half, Joel and Menna have been living and working in China teaching English together.

Back in 2017, during their final year at Swansea University they both enrolled on our 140-hour TEFL course . Just a week after graduating they jetted off to Xiangyang to start their first TEFL position! Their contract gave them three consecutive days off a week, perfect for doing some exploring.

Last year, Joel updated us with how their first six months as EFL teachers in China had gone, which you can take a look at here .

Between February and August 2018 the couple managed to travel to: Wuhan, Xi'an, Tianjin, Beijing, Harbin, Zhangjiajie, Wudangshan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sanya, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Turpan and Urumqi!

Their trip to the Sanya, a city on the southern island of Hainan, was an important trip for Joel and Menna. The experience led to them applying for their second teaching job in a Kindergarten there, where they've been since September 2018.

We reached out to ask them about their experience of TEFL as a couple and if they have any advice for other couples hoping to teach abroad together.

They shared with us this wonderful video, which is full of invaluable tips and insights into the worlds of TEFL as a couple and TEFL in China. Watch the full video below.

Follow Joel and Menna's adventures over on their blog .