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"Good authors mature over time: it does take awhile. Travel abroad and learn to live in other cultures. That's one of the things about teaching abroad." -Richard K. Morgan
In a world where millennials are becoming more and more restless to travel, employment opportunities abroad sound like the next best thing. For English speakers, there are plenty of options available in practically every inhabited country to teach English as a Second Language.
But how does one become certified to teach and find a job internationally? Have no fear, Superprof is here to save the day and provide answers to all your questions! Read the following information to learn how it is possible to find teaching jobs abroad in some of the world's most spectacular locations.
How to Teach English Abroad: Get Certified
Do you dream in color about the high life that you could have living abroad? Do you want to experience the lives of people that you follow on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook? Well, what are you waiting for? Stop imagining what you could have and start living today!
Teaching abroad in faraway lands features so many fantastic experiences that cannot be thoroughly explained without having lived it yourself. While it is true that, just like all things in life, not every single moment will be filled with bliss when teaching abroad, the pros outweigh any cons experienced.
Now the question arises, how does one become a certified teacher to instruct abroad? Well, for starters, the absolute best way to become a teacher abroad is by having studied education at a university level and having received a degree. This proves superior to other manners since students have made connections and received qualifications that international companies much appreciate.
Nonetheless, with the ever-increasing rise of people wanting to speak English, there are more individuals than ever before who are teaching English as a Second Language in countries overseas; it is by far the most in-demand academic discipline.
Since English is the universal language that is used to communicate internationally, more and more people around the world are looking to improve their skills.
To meet the need for English teachers abroad in multiple countries worldwide, there are various English Teaching Certificates that can be completed in only a few weeks. Such as? The TESL, TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA qualifications have been created to enable individuals to teach abroad. What do those terms mean? The following list explains each term:
- TESL: Teaching English as a Second Language. TESL prepares educators to teach English to non-English speakers. but are "geared toward teachers planning to teach English to speakers of foreign languages living in a native-English speaking country". A TESL qualification is an advantage for teachers looking for work in English speaking countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Australia.
- TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language. The purpose of TEFL courses is for you to learn to handle a classroom of students learning English as a second language in a place where English is not commonly spoken. This makes this certificate particularly interesting for tutors wishing to live abroad while teaching English.
- TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. According to official sites, "a TESOL course draws on broader elements of each of both TEFL and TESL teaching certification to provide the base for teachers to teach in both non-native English countries and within English speaking countries". For those open to teaching abroad as well as teaching English at home, TESOL could be a good start. Still, since it is a newer certification than TEFL, it is less known in certain parts of the world.
- CELTA: Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. According to the Cambridge Assesment website, "CELTA is the most widely recognised English teaching qualification in the world. It’s the qualification most often requested by employers; three out of four English language teaching jobs require a CELTA qualification". It is a certificate aimed to help: new teachers starting their career, first-language English speakers and non-first-language speakers, teachers with some experience who want to develop their skills and teachers who want to travel and teach English.
As you can see, each certificate has slight differences so it is important for you to get as much information as possible and research the type of qualifications you will need at your destination before applying for one of them. Once you learn the specifics, it will be time to gear up and study for your certificate.
Therefore, without further delay, the following steps are provided to aid curious individuals about how to get a TEFL or TESL certification to teach English abroad:
- Dedicate Yourself: since the process of looking for teaching jobs abroad can be quite strenuous and time-consuming, it is of the utmost importance to make sure that you are 100% committed to the idea of teaching in another land.
- Review Your Current Accreditations: do you speak fluent English? Are you over 18 years of age? Do you boast any Bachelor's or Masters degrees? After asking these questions, you will be able to determine if you are ready to undergo a TEFL or TESOL certification programme.
- Become Familiar With the Certifications: there is a lot to know about all of the English Teaching Certificates such as the length of time, where the certifications can be acquired in the UK or abroad if online options are worth the effort, and in which countries they can be used after they have been received; do your research and you'll be fine!
- Shop Around: don't commit to the first programme you find online, look at various options that are available on sites such as Go Abroad, Dave's ESL Cafe, etc. Talk to many ESL providers to get a feeling for what you're actually looking for in an accreditation. It is essential to state that some qualifications have connections with schools abroad which makes it easier to find jobs.
- Stay Focused: after having chosen the right TESL course and having paid, it's time for class! The best advice is to stay focused and not get distracted since there is so much information crammed into a short period of time.
- Think About the Future: after you have finished your English Teaching Qualification Course and have received your diploma, it's time to get a teaching job abroad. Nevertheless, it is best to spend some time thinking about where you see yourself teaching and for how long.
After the previously mentioned steps have been put into practice, and you're certified, the world is your oyster, and you're ready to transform minds all over the world!
What about summer jobs abroad? Read our fantastically written article to find out more!
Finding Teaching Jobs Abroad
After the educational years at an academic institute have been completed, and the intrigue of teaching abroad continues to persist, the only thing that indeed remains is finding a job.
While it is true that after completing a TEFL or TESOL programme there are individual connections that have been made and through networking a job may be found, it is sometimes best to search around and check your options. But where can I find teaching jobs abroad?
The following are some fantastic sites to find teaching jobs abroad:
- Teach Away: as a person who receives email newsletter's from Teach Away, I can highly recommend their website to help TESL educated teachers find English teaching jobs all over the world. On the ESL job board, new employment positions are added each and every day. Also, users can search for new posts by job title, key responsibilities, and location.
- Dave's ESL Cafe: another fantastic resource that I used when searching for ESL jobs in other countries was Dave's ESL Cafe. Offering a Korea, China, and International job board, Dave's ESL Cafe is a fantastic resource that should definitely be utilised.
- Superprof: let's be honest and not partial, Superprof has the best tutors in the business today! Due to Superprof, it has never been so easy to become a tutor. After creating a profile and being approved to be featured on the website, Superprof tutors can set their prices, teach about things they are genuinely passionate about, and work online from a remote location all around the world. Check out our website to start tutoring today and have a teaching job that you can take abroad with you!
Other fantastic online resources to find teaching jobs include Go Abroad, Go Overseas, i-to-i, ESL Employment, and ESL Job Feed.
Find out more about work and travel abroad by reading the Superprof published article.
What Are the Best Countries to Teach Abroad?
Where do you want to go and spend the precious years of your youth teaching? France? Italy? Spain? Costa Rica? South Africa? Egypt? Thailand? Indonesia? As citizens of planet earth, we are definitely spoiled for choice when we think about the variety there is in this world.
See the best tutors near me here.
For instance, for those who love the mountains, Peru, Bolivia, and Nepal are fantastic places to find employment positions abroad. For those who adore the beach, we recommend the Italian coast, Thailand, or the Philippines. Also, for individuals who want to spend their free-time observing exotic animals, we recommend South Africa or Zambia. All in all, there really is a place for everyone's unique tastes and desires!
Nonetheless, when going abroad to teach for the first time, it is highly recommended to find a place that is safe, has excellent infrastructure, and enough creature comforts to make the experience enjoyable.
Therefore, without any further ado, to pique the curiosity of interested ones who are planning to teach English overseas, the following are the absolute best countries to find teaching jobs abroad in recent years:
- South Korea: an extremely well-developed country with plenty of social advantages that make it very easy for foreigners to adjust, South Korea offers many Teaching English as a Second Language jobs. The TEFL employment positions are significantly paid and leave room for opportunities to save money.
- Chile: while Asian countries have been all the rage in recent years, especially for teaching jobs, Chile has managed to rise above other nations and become one of the best countries in the world to find a job as a TESOL instructor. Chile is safe in comparison to its neighbors and boasts many ex-pats in populated areas.
- United Arab Emirates: can I really make that much money teaching in one of the world's most expensive countries? The answer is yes. To make up for the high cost of living, teachers instructing in cities such as Abu Dabi or Dubai enjoy cushy salaries and countless benefits.
- Spain: according to recent research studies, Spain is the best place to find teaching jobs in past years. With beautiful places to live and countless delicious dishes to taste, Spain is a lovely place for those who are teaching abroad for the first time.
Check for working employment possibilities here.
Other highly recommended countries to teach abroad are Japan, China, and Morroco. Also, we should never forget tourism giants such as Thailand and Indonesia as essential places to teach English overseas.
In conclusion, finding a teaching job abroad is a brilliant idea to learn more about new traditions and customs of a foreign land while, at the same time, earning some income to travel even more in the future; for what are you waiting?
Do you want to volunteer abroad? Click this link to find out more!
Pros and Cons of Teaching Jobs Abroad
The world awaits you! But before you pack your bag and hop on a plane, bus or train, it is important to understand the pros and cons of teaching jobs abroad. While adventure is always great and a life of discovery sounds exciting, being a teacher in a foreign country can come with some challenges.
These are some of the challenges you might encounter and will have to solve if you want to teach English in a foreign country:
- Cultural shock: you will have to be super open-minded and understand that people in different countries have different views and customs. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it can become a challenge if you are not used to being around a multicultural environment. Make sure you are ready to be surprised by people and learn from them as well!
- Different resources: moving to developing countries and becoming an English teacher there means you will find yourself with a very different set of resources than what you are used to in the US. You will have to adapt your curriculum and teaching method in order to accommodate these differences and make sure that this lack of resources doesn't stand on the way of your lessons and your students' experience.
- Schedule and unconventional hours: the freedom of being an English tutor abroad and traveling around comes with a downside: it will be harder to find a balanced routine that lets you perform your duties as a tutor while also enjoy the country or city you are staying at. While this will never be 100% under your control (your students' needs will also come into play here) you can try to create a personal schedule where you establish set working hours, administrative hours and leisure time. By sticking to this schedule you can allow yourself to enjoy the freedom that you are looking for and make the most out of your experience.
- Managing your budget: one of the advantages of working as an English tutor abroad is having an income while traveling around. Still, you need to be very organized about your expenses in order to make the most out of that income and make sure that you can enjoy your stay without having to worry too much about money. Make an ideal budget by figuring out how much money you will need to make depending on where you want to live, set an hourly rate for your lessons and make sure you stick to it as much as possible. It will make your life easier!
While these are all challenges you might encounter when teaching English abroad, there are still way more pros than cons to this experience. These are some of the reasons why becoming an English tutor abroad is a great idea:
- You can travel for free: if you budget accordingly, you will make enough money on the job to pay for your travels. Depending on the corner of the world where you are living, you might have access to easy travel. If you choose a country in Asia, you might be able to travel around the continent. Same goes for a country in South America or Europe!
- You will get out of your comfort zone: this experience will have you thrown into a new culture, eating new foods, seeing new things and making new friends. The result will be a wiser, more centered and more open-minded version of yourself. You will learn to appreciate the world from an international perspective and you will create lifelong memories that you can look back on when you’re older.
- You can learn a new language yourself: have you always wanted to learn Spanish, Chinese, French or German? This might be the ideal opportunity for you! Being immersed in a non-English speaking environment will inevitably have you learning the local language and, if you put your mind to it (and spend enough time in your destination) you could master the language and become bilingual yourself! This new skill will undoubtedly prove beneficial for your future career.
- You will make friendships that will last forever: being in an international setting will open the opportunity for you to make friends with people that you never thought you would encounter. You will certainly meet people from the country but also travelers just like you who are looking for a different experience. You will share lifelong memories that you will cherish forever.
Inspired to take the plunge? If you are ready to become an English tutor abroad, Superprof is here to help you. Keep reading to find out how!
Use Superprof To Become a Tutor Abroad
Superprof is an online platform that connects students with tutors all around the world. We have a wide network of people who are looking to learn English around the world and it's as easy as creating your profile and making sure that it's visible for prospective students.
Make sure that your tutor profile is attractive: share specific details about yourself like your experience as a tutor, your certificates, your teaching method and anything you believe might be an asset for people who are looking to learn English.
You should also make sure to state that you are a native tutor since some students are looking specifically for this as they need to improve in conversation and vocabulary. Your profile might just be the perfect fit for them!
Another thing to take into account is your hourly rate. Once you have defined where you want to live, check out other peoples' tutoring rates to define an average. Then, define your own rate based on living costs, expenses and of course: your previous experience as a tutor.
Once your profile is ready, you will start receiving request from prospective students asking for lessons. You should evaluate each student and have a first meeting with them to talk about their objectives, your teaching method and establish things like timeline, frequency and duration of the lessons.
Always remember to be honest about your qualifications and ask for positive reviews from your students. These reviews are key for other students to get an idea of what your English lessons are like!
Get ready to travel the world, experience new cultures and have the time of your life by teaching English abroad.
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