Global Perspectives: A SLP's Journey Working Abroad #16 (Location: Zimbabwe)
Noel is originally from Ohio, U.S.A. and is currently working at an international school in Zimbabwe. Continue reading to learn more about Noel’s experience working abroad the last 20 years in various countries around the world. Thank you Noel for sharing your experience!
What is your name and your job/professional title?
Noel Erik Simon, Speech-Language Pathologist, Learning Support and EAL Teacher
Tell me about yourself. Where did you initially move from (before you worked abroad) and what graduate school did you attend?
I moved abroad from Buffalo, NY. I received my MA from the University at Buffalo. I met my wife at UB and we had a house in the city before moving abroad together, but I'm originally from rural Ohio: imagine Amish meets Rust Belt meets Appalachia.
Why did you become a SLP?
Funny story. I was working a meh job, doing IT for a university research grant (studying asthma in children). I was talking to a co-worker one day about our interests and what we wanted to do when we grew up and she said, "You know what you should do? You should become a speech pathologist. My sister is one of those. She makes a ton of money and barely works at all!" I was in a graduate make-up program within two months. :-) In retrospect, I don't know if I 100% agree with her, but I have no regrets regardless. This career has allowed me to live a very good life that I'm grateful for every day.
What city and country do you currently work in, what setting do you work in (e.g., international school, clinic, university, research, etc.), and what age range do you currently work with? How long have you been working abroad?
Currently, I'm working at an international school in Zimbabwe. I've mostly worked in international schools with the occasional private clinic and private practice. This is my 19th year abroad. When I interviewed for the position, I was told it would be 50% learning support for grades 6-12 and 50% SLP for the entire school. However, when I arrived it turned out to be 10% learning support for grade 12 and 90% EAL for grades 6-12. No big deal. Part of living a working abroad is to be flexible. I've managed to fit in some SLP work this year with literacy intervention as well as some private work on the side.
What type of cases do you typically work with (e.g., AAC, multilingual, articulation, Autism, feeding, cognition/swallowing, etc.)?
I would say that the majority of my caseload has been articulation, language and literacy, ASD and social communication, and the majority of the time with multilingual populations. Many times I've been the only SLP on staff and if a child is admitted to the school with a certain need that I don't don't feel competent in, then my professional development plan for the year is to upskill in that area.
Where did you apply for this SLP international job and how was the application process?
I usually keep my profile up to date on multiple platforms like Search Associates, ISS-Schrole, GRC, as well as Linkedin. I didn't apply for my current job, instead, the director of the school saw our profiles on Search Associates and reached out to us. Before this, we had usually gone to job fairs in Bangkok and then did a speed-dating type of applying to any place that had openings. We've never been picky about where we've lived. There's usually an interview with a principal, followed by an interview with a head of department, then maybe with the director. If you make it to the director, then you're probably in. For this current job, the director reached out, then I met with the principal and the head of the department. Sometimes, probably not ill-meaning at all, schools will ask for multiple meetings and still not give you an offer. You kind of have to speak up and ask "Where is this going?" or "Where are we in your hiring process?" For example, once we were interviewing with two schools. We had multiple interviews until one school made us an offer. We accepted and then let the other school know that we would not be moving forward with them because the other school had made us an offer first. The director said, "We thought we had you." Ok. Thanks. You thought wrong.
What did the process look like for you to move abroad (e.g., obtaining visas/work permits or sponsorships, finding a place to live, moving, SLP licensure, etc.)?
I would say that every place is different depending on the country and whichever treaties might be signed with your home country. Even then, things can get a bit crazy depending on the country. Typically the school will handle the visa process or at the very least facilitate the process. However, (not to get too complicated), this process can depend on whether or not the country you're moving to is a signatory to the Apostille Convention of the Hague Treaty. This can involve getting degrees and background checks notarized, then that notary notarized by your Secretary of State, then translated, etc. It can take quite a bit of time. Some countries are strict regarding how you get your degree: some countries won't recognize online degrees for work visas. Some countries are strict regarding where you worked before moving. For example, before moving to Egypt, I worked for an agency that contracted with the school district to provide EI services to Head Start programs. I could not obtain a work visa for an international school because I hadn't worked in an actual school in the US. So the international school I was working for just kept renewing my tourist visa. You have to be very flexible and know when to just trust the process no matter how chaotic it may seem, or just say you're not comfortable with the situation and ask to be released from your contract.
I've never asked to be released. For most schools around the world (not Western Europe usually), they usually take one of two routes: 1. They pick you up from the airport and just move you into a house/apartment that they provide. The end. 2. They provide money for you to find your own housing. Usually, they will have recommended realtors (sometimes of questionable ethics) to assist you. However, this option is then subdivided into two more options. Some schools offer you a set amount and then will act as a go-between with the landlord, making rent payments directly to the owner. Whatever isn't used from your housing allowance is "reabsorbed" by the school. In this case, it's in the teacher's best interest to find an apartment that is as close to the maximum housing allowance as possible. The other option is for schools to give you the housing allowance included it in your monthly salary. In this case, it's in your best interest to find the cheapest housing you can (within reason) because you can pocket the difference thereby raising your monthly take home.
In addition to ASHA certification (or the equivalent from other countries), most schools do require teacher certification. I had an initial SLP teacher certification through NYS. It expired while abroad. I currently have certification with Arizona because it was literally the easiest state I found and this was just a hoop to jump through. Unless you're trying to get a position with a DODEA school, you don't need to have a state license. International schools are privately owned and can sometimes be in a kind of quasi-legal state in many countries; you are often employed by a foreign entity and don't need any local license from the host country if you are just working at the school. Again, this is very country-specific. Some places may have a lot of somewhat strange requirements (I'm looking at you, Singapore!).
What motivated you to pursue work opportunities abroad as an SLP?
Right after undergrad, I spent two years in the Peace Corps in Russia. I guess you could say that I caught the bug from that experience. Since then, I had always wanted to live abroad, figure out how average people live their lives, and try to become at least conversational in the local language. I tell people that one of the tests to know that I'm where I want to be in a country is if one of the light bulbs in my house goes out. I have to figure out where light bulbs are sold. This sounds so simple in anyone's home country, but can be complicated in a country you're not familiar with. Once I find out where light bulbs are sold, usually in a tiny, hole-in-the-wall, mom and pop shop. I have to learn the specific vocabulary in the local language. Then I go to the shop, find, what I'm looking for and then (frequently) haggle over the price. It's a lot of work for something so mundane as buying a light bulb, but after I've returned home with my new light bulb, I feel like a superhero.
Also, last summer while visiting family in the US, I went to a Vietnamese spa for a foot massage, I ended up chit chatting with the ladies who work there. Understandably, people around the world are usually happy when you show an interest in or knowledge about their country, customs, or language. The reaction is actually quite endearing. These Vietnamese ladies who I had just met, told me to give them my number and they would let me know when their friend delivered real Vietnamese food to the spa so that I could come back and eat with them. Another time, I was in NY and my taxi driver turned out to be from Algeria. I started using the broken Egyptian Arabic that I picked up while living there and he got so excited chatting with me that he completely missed my stop. We just laughed.
It's countless situations like these that make me constantly grateful that I chose this field and that it's opened up so many opportunities for me over the years.
How does the pay rate, cost of living, and quality of life compare to living in your home country?
The pay is almost always nowhere near what you could make in the US as far as numbers go. However, I've mostly lived in super affordable countries and the school has provided housing. Plus, the salary has often been tax-free depending on the country and the tax treaties with the US. Given all this, my salary has stretched so much further than it would have in the US. I've managed to save quite a bit and still do an excessive amount of traveling. As of writing, I've travel to over 80 countries.
What specific challenges do you face working abroad as a SLP?
For a while, the biggest challenge was isolation and, depending on where you are, it can still be the case. When I started my first international school in 2007, SLPs were very rare in schools abroad. They were usually only at the really big or top tier schools and there was only ever one per school no matter what the population was like or the needs. With more of an emphasis on inclusion over the past ten years, more schools are looking for SLPs. It's still not a super common thing; not ever school will hire directly for the position, but it's getting there. Therefore, you have to really look for colleagues and a professional learning community while abroad, either in the local community or in the neighboring cities and countries. While I was in Vietnam, I reached out to every school I could think of to find out where the other SLPs were. I started a mailing list that morphed into a Facebook group. Now there are multiple Facebook groups.
What are your favorite things about working abroad as a SLP?
My favorite thing is the independence. Even at schools that hire SLPs, most of the administrators don't really know what an SLP does and they can often just stay out of the way (but not always). I've been able to create my own best practice procedures for accepting and exiting clients.
What are the most significant differences between practicing as a SLP in your home country versus abroad?
Since the only capacity I work in the US was during my CFY, my experience is limited. I can say that for Americans, there are no IDEA or ADA laws abroad. The good part is that I can find what works best or my clients and do that without thinking about all of the legal implications or endless paperwork. There is a lot more flexibility, but there is also little legal protection and schools can (and do) make things up as they want. Often schools can have restrictions placed on their hiring by the host country. They may not be able to hire people from certain countries (Laws in China dictate which nationalities are allowed to work in international schools, for example). They may no be able to hire people of a certain age (many countries have capped ages for visas). There are many more examples. In some cases, the school has no choice but to comply with what a westerner would consider a discriminatory practice and in other cases, the school does have a choice. I've experienced and heard stories of SLPs abroad that we valued and supported by their schools and crazy stories about power-tripping directors who would tell an SLP which students they could and couldn't see.
How does your experience working abroad influence your perspectives on diversity and cultural sensitivity in speech-language pathology?
I chose to go abroad because I was interested in learning about different cultures and how people from different countries think. While working in international schools, it's common for the student body to be comprised of 40-60 different nationalities (unless the school just has "international" in the name, but is actually a school for wealthy host-country nationals). I would say that living abroad makes it easier for you to learn about different cultures. It's all around you. Just walk outside. I've also worked with teachers from dozens of different backgrounds and countries. It's been enlightening to find out how people look at the same problems and find solutions in their own context. It makes for dynamic staff meetings. All of this has fed into how I interact with families and clients. For example, I can have a client from (insert country), I might be familiar with some of the general cultural norms and first language interferences, but I keep those in the back of my mind. I can't assume anything about the person based on where they're from, what their native language is, or what they look like. There is as much diversity within cultures as there is between cultures. Just because, through experience, I might have a general idea of the values and attitudes of a specific culture towards learning disabilities, for example, doesn't mean I automatically know how the person sitting across from me feels about learning disabilities simply because they're a member of that culture. I think that living abroad reinforces the idea that you have to take people as individuals and not just as members of a particular demographic. At times I've found that I've ended up having more in common with a person who grew up on the other side of the world in a culture completely different to my own than I do with someone who grew up a few states away from mine.
What advice would you give to other SLPs who are considering working abroad for the first time?
It depends on your goals and what you'd like your life to look like. If you love being an SLP more than you love to travel and live abroad, then I suggest looking into eventually starting your own practice with virtual clients. There are many SLPs who offer guidance for this (like Jena Castro-Casbon). This way you can be an SLP who is not constrained by location. If you are more passionate about travel and life abroad, then expand your skillset. The opportunities abroad as an SLP in a non-English speaking country are growing, but still limited. If you get a TESOL certificate or a certificate in learning support you will significantly increase your marketability abroad. As an SLP, I've been able to market myself as someone who can also work in learning support positions. This has opened up opportunities that I wouldn't have had if I only looked at SLP positions. I have also tried to target other areas in the SLP skillset, like accent modification. Be creative. An SLP has a wide skillset. Think out of the box.
If applicable, how do you handle homesickness or any potential challenges related to being far away from family and friends?
My wife and I with our mini-dachshund (until he passed about five years ago) travel together, so our family is always together. We are fairly outgoing people so we've never had problems making and maintaining friendships with people we've met at different schools. We have typically gone back to the US to visit family and friends for the summer holiday once a year. I've found that staying away for a year at a time makes me really appreciate the time I have over the summers reconnecting with people... and eating enough barbecue to last me until the next summer :-)
Which other cities/countries have you worked in as an SLP? Tell us about those experiences (for those that have worked in multiple locations).
After teaching EAL in the Peace Corps in Russia, the first job I was offered was in Cairo, Egypt. However, this position was as a middle school technology teacher (my other MA is in IT). I was able to hook up with a local clinic in my off hours and do SLP work on the side. Then I was hired by a school in Vietnam. It turned out that I was the only SLP in the country at that time. I started seeing clients on the side as well, and eventually I left the school and was working full time in private practice. I was then offered a job in Beijing at a top international school. I was the only SLP for a school of about 1300 students, but I worked with amazing people and learned so much. I wanted to stretch myself a bit after that. Most SLP in international schools work primarily with elementary and preschool students. I wanted to get more experience with older students, so I took at job as a high school learning support teacher in Poland. My wife then was offered a position at a school in Hong Kong, so I sub-contracted with a local clinic that worked with international schools across the city. That was during COVID. I loved the city and the job, but it just wasn't looking like HK was going to open up while the rest of the world had swung their doors wide open. We were considering moving back to the US and pursuing travel assignments when the school in Zimbabwe reached out. To me, it's hard to turn down a school in a country or region that I've never been too. Too much temptation. And here we are. As always, open to the next possibility.
Any other information, stories, and experiences that you would like to share?
Another very positive aspect to life abroad has been all of the opportunities that I've had. I've worked with NGOs to do trainings and workshops for local teachers. At one time, I was actively working with Operation Smile, attending medical missions to screen patient for cleft palate surgery and provide workshops on feeding and language development for parents. I also once volunteered time with a charity that rescued victims from human trafficking. I was asked to work with the survivors on accent modification so that they could tell their stories to a wider audience and bring more awareness to the issue. I've met famous people like Jane Goodall, I've been invited to dinners at the homes of ambassadors, and within the same week, I've walked on three different continents. These are some of the cool things that I've experienced. I don't think I would not have had these opportunities if I hadn't moved abroad.
Can SLPs contact you for more information? How can they contact you?
I've reached out to my SLP colleagues countless times over the years asking for help and they've always been so generous with their time and knowledge. I'm more than happy to pay it forward and offer any help I can to SLPs with questions. Even though you'll be future competitors for international jobs! :-D
My email is internationalslp@gmail.com and I'm probably most active on Instagram: @vaguely_vagrant
