See the World and Teach English Abroad

Not everyone makes a good teacher. There is no getting away from this. You do need excellent communication skills and the ability to pass on your enthusiasm for the subject as well as a good deal of patience. To teach English abroad you will also need to be flexible. Classes get cancelled. Timetables frequently change and you may well relocate without a job contract signed. For those who do enjoy teaching, the rewards more than compensate for the drawbacks.

The best way to get started is to sign up to a take a TEFL course. These are intensive 4-week courses that show you how to teach English abroad. Not only will this serve as a comprehensive introduction, it will almost certainly help you get a decent job afterwards. The best ones, such as TESOL and CELTA are recognized throughout the world. Make sure the course is100-140 hours in length and includes teaching practise.

Probably the biggest decision you make is where you go. Clearly there should be a big demand for English classes, so countries where the language is widely spoken, like India for example, are not good choices. Favorite destinations like Madrid, Tokyo or Paris, have well-established English teaching communities so finding a job there for the new and inexperienced will be difficult but not impossible.

Most people don’t teach English abroad to get rich. However if money is your priority then countries in the Middle East, Japan or South Korea will be the best places to go. The most desirable posts often come in a job package containing flights, accommodation, and insurance. At the other end of the spectrum many English teaching jobs around the world are poorly paid. Usually this is offset by low living costs. A $4-an-hour job in Peru may not be as badly paid as you might think.

Before making any plans make sure you do plenty of research into the country, availability of work, costs and the job itself. Failing to do this will mean the difference between an incredible experience and returning home after a few miserable months abroad.

For much more detailed information prospective teachers should have a look at Teach English Abroad. This is a new package containing 3 ebooks (on finding work, where to go and how to teach English) and a website that aims to provide all the information, advice and resource links that any newcomer could need.