If you’re considering teaching English abroad, you’re up for a treat. There are many possibilities for young and ambitious people in the world for those who are willing to take them, so read on before starting your great adventure.
Certificates for teaching English abroad
Teaching English Abroad
First thing you should know about, is that there exist proper certificates for making your teaching English abroad a pleasant and easier experience, such as TEFL, or MA TESOL so it’s recommended to apply for these certificates before anything else. TEFL stands for teaching English as a foreign language and is useful for the non-native English speakers, yet TESOL stands for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Other than these certificates, university degrees in English language can also prove to be highly valuable, as qualifications differ from state to state, from employer to employer. Some may require you to be a native English speaker, some may not. It’s important to know your possibilities from your own perspective and arrange job interviews in advance, making sure your trip around the world won’t be in vain, which could probably put you off the entire teaching English abroad affair. Try to make some friends online before venturing away into an unknown country to learn more about their lifestyle, listen to advices of people who lived there or visited it as tourists, read some books about travels to specific countries and definitely discuss this topic with your teachers and fellow students or colleagues.
Specific rules and traditions for teaching English abroad
You may be baffled to know that there actually exist countries in which schools might prefer men teachers over women and vice versa. Most people who start teaching English abroad start at a fairly young age, starting at 20 years old at least so take that into consideration as well. Some countries, like Spain are notorious for having exploiting employers who tend to relieve their employees of social security for their own profit, and as a result you may find yourself desperate in sickness with no financial help what so ever. There were few cases such as this recorded, but it shouldn’t be taken as a rule, as Spain actually is a beautiful country, but special caution is required when dealing with teaching English abroad in Spain.
Best opportunities for teaching English abroad
China is where most opportunities for teaching English abroad arrive from, as there is high demand for education in China, especially lately, since this large country is experiencing financial growth and development in science and manufacturing. China is a busy country and is highly populated. You should take this into account, as your lifestyle could dramatically change for worse if you’re used to rural environments with clean air and beautiful nature, but perhaps you would like to feel what it’s like in a big city during your mission of teaching English abroad, and it’s definitely a country to visit once in a lifetime. Countries in development are often a good opportunity for finding work but life standards are generally not that attractive, but if you’re not all about the money you could try teaching English abroad in such countries, where you can gather priceless experience for better opportunities later in your career.