Hi all,
I am a (potential) 2016-17 applicant and I thought while you all experienced applicants are hanging out here I would see if you could give me some advice. I am trying to decide if I should apply for an ETA grant, and if so, for which country. To be totally honest, I am mostly interested in the cultural exchange aspect of the Fulbright--I can't honestly say that I want to be a teacher as a long-term career goal. I am a PoliSci major and Psych minor and am interested in the changing dynamics of global politics as a result of the increasing economic (and political) influence of the East. So, basically I want to go live in an Eastern country for a year. Of course I am willing to work hard and be a dedicated teacher for a year -- I don't want to just hang out. So my first question for you all is, can I apply for an ETA position and be honest that my interest is motivated by a desire to immerse myself in another culture (and to share US culture)? Or should I equally (or moreso) emphasize the teaching aspect?
Okay, so the other thing is I know no foreign languages, so I am looking at countries that do not have a language requirement. Fortunately that is a lot of Eastern countries. It seems like there are some countries that have a lot of positions, which means better odds. Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan all are 80+. Turkey is 90 -- and the placements are teaching university students, which seems slightly more of a fit for me than teaching primary or secondary students. (I have been a TA for two college classes.)
What do you all think? For those who didn't have a strong attachment to one particular country, how did you decide where to apply?
