ITP - 133: From Taiwan to Guatemala: Multilingual Teaching and Career Shifts

Kent:
Welcome to the International Teacher Podcast with your hosts—Kent the Cat Guy, Jacqueline from JP Mint Consulting, Darian the Family Guy, and Greg the Single Guy—bringing you episodes from around the world about the best-kept secret in teaching: international education. Welcome to the show.

JP:
Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of the International Teacher Podcast. I am joined today by Greg the Single Guy.

Greg:
Hey JP, how are you?

JP:
And I am happy to say hello to another fellow Canadian, Kelly Hogan, calling us from Guatemala today.

Kelly Hogan:
Hello, good morning.

JP:
Kelly, can you tell us—how did you learn about international teaching?

Kelly Hogan:
Sure. I kind of fell into teaching in a roundabout way. I didn’t originally study teaching at university—I studied arts and design. I did my Master’s in Fine Arts and worked in that field for about ten years before becoming a teacher.

Later, I went back to school at night to complete my French proficiency certification. It was a government-sponsored program, and most of the people there were immigrants or refugees learning French. Through that experience, I realized how powerful teaching was and how much it could impact people’s lives. That’s when I started thinking about changing careers.

I had a friend who had taught English in Taiwan, so I thought I’d try it for one year, and like many people, I stayed for thirteen.

Kelly Hogan:
I started in cram schools and EAL programs, and while working, I went back to school to get my teaching certification and later my Master’s degree. I eventually got hired at an American international school in Taiwan and stayed there long-term.

JP:
How did you get your teaching degree while overseas?

Kelly Hogan:
I found a program through the College of New Jersey. It’s designed for teachers living abroad. There were different global sites—Egypt, Vietnam, Taiwan—and I attended the Vietnam site.

Over two years, I traveled there twelve times. We would do intensive in-person sessions with professors who flew in, along with coursework before and after. It allowed me to keep working while studying.

Greg:
That kind of program builds connections too, right?

Kelly Hogan:
Absolutely. My cohort had people from all over the world. Those connections are incredibly valuable—you end up with a global network of educators.

Greg:
There are also other programs like Responsive Classroom—professional development that helps experienced teachers refine their practice.

JP:
And these international cohorts are unique because everyone understands the international teaching context.

JP:
You stayed in Taiwan for thirteen years. What made you leave?

Kelly Hogan:
We reached a point where we had to ask whether we were staying long-term. There are some limitations for foreigners in Taiwan, like buying property and navigating financial systems. After COVID, we also wanted to be closer to home. My husband is originally from El Salvador, so moving to Latin America made sense.

Kelly Hogan:
I explored all the usual recruitment routes, but I actually got this job through LinkedIn. I had been working with a colleague connected to multilingual education research, and I noticed a connection to my current school in Guatemala. So I reached out directly, and that’s how it happened.

JP:
You use the term “multilingual learner.” Can you explain that?

Kelly Hogan:
There’s been a shift away from terms like ESL or EAL. “Multilingual learner” reflects the idea that students may already speak multiple languages, and English might be their third or fourth. There’s also a shift toward terms like “emergent bilingual,” which emphasizes growth and potential.

Kelly Hogan:
Translanguaging is a teaching approach where students use their full language ability. Instead of separating languages, they draw on everything they know to learn. It’s about leveraging all linguistic resources rather than switching them on and off.

Kelly Hogan:
In Taiwan, I started as an EAL teacher and then became a coordinator. Now in Guatemala, I’m a dual language liaison. Our students are working toward certification in both English and Spanish, and my role is to ensure they can access the curriculum while being supported in a multilingual environment.

Kelly Hogan:
There’s a shift toward push-in support, where teachers support students inside the classroom rather than pulling them out. This helps students stay connected to both their learning and their social environment.

Kelly Hogan:
Teaching in Taiwan versus Guatemala is very different. In Asia, there is high academic rigor, strong parental expectations, and a heavy focus on performance. In Guatemala, there is more emphasis on social development and balance between academics and well-being. Neither is better—just different.

Kelly Hogan:
Moving countries can make you feel like a new teacher again. What works in one place doesn’t always transfer directly, so you have to observe, reflect, and adapt.

Kelly Hogan:
My husband is an art dealer, which adds complexity to our decisions. He works internationally, so we have to consider both of our careers when choosing locations.

Kelly Hogan:
We bring our art collection everywhere. It’s a process—rolling canvases, shipping carefully, and managing humidity—but it’s worth it.

Kelly Hogan:
We once missed a stop sign on a motorcycle in Taiwan and got pulled over. The officer was very serious until he realized we were Canadian. Then he started showing us pictures of his sister in Vancouver and let us go without a ticket.

Kelly Hogan:
On another trip, our motorcycle broke down on the east coast. The Coast Guard picked us up, brought us to their station, fed us, and helped arrange repairs. We ended up spending two days there celebrating Chinese New Year, which became one of the most memorable experiences of our time in Taiwan.

Kelly Hogan:
If I had to choose three things to bring overseas, I would say books, personal mementos, and medicine or vitamins, because you will get sick when you first arrive somewhere new.

Kelly Hogan:
My advice for teachers is to reach out to people before you go and after you arrive. Use your network, ask questions, and build connections. And once you’ve figured things out, help others do the same.

Kelly Hogan:
Living abroad is not the same as traveling. There are challenges with logistics, culture, and daily life, but having support makes all the difference.

JP:
Thank you so much for coming on the show and sharing your journey.

Greg:
Language, culture, and adaptability—this was a fantastic conversation.

Kelly Hogan:
Thank you so much for having me.