Teaching English

So I'm a night away from the last day of some tutor training. I'm training to teach non-native English speakers to be able to read, write , and speak better English. They'll set us up with our learners shortly and we'll get going.
It's kind of hard for me to imagine really. English is quite a difficult language, and to be set up to learn it when you're completely fluent in another language: what a challenge that must be. Language defines how you think. It's one thing to adopt a second language as a child, but to do it as an adult: wow. Forcing your brain to adapt to a new way to construct ideas. I suppose at least Spanish is the same root. But imagine if you are Hmong, Asian, or eastern European, languages that don't share any common roots with English.
Our instructor told us that English is the most common second language. I suppose that isn't surprising. It just shows how spoiled we are as Americans. If we go to almost any country, if they speak a second language, it is likely to be English. We may not be understood well, but communication can happen. So now imagine how difficult it must be, to not only visit on vacation, but to pick up and move to a country where you don't understand the language. You can probably settle with an ex-pat community, but to get along in the larger environment, you have to learn English. These learners are looking to get a better job, to gain citizenship, or maybe they just want to read their children's notes from teachers.
Wow, what a life we take for granted.