Teaching English is not only rewarding but it can allow you to travel to many destinations, meet new people and spend time living in other countries.
The need for English Language teachers around the world is a growing business, people have discovered the importance of the English Language with everyday life and in businesses. English is the universal business language and allows businesses to become multinational, the world is a small place and businesses are moving abroad exporting and importing goods. With this increased need for the English language people have identified that having good knowledge of the English language can allow people to gain jobs anywhere in the world, higher paid jobs in third world countries and increase job opportunities. To keep up with this need for teachers, many companies have started offering native English teachers chances to work in schools or companies in Latin American, Asia, Western Europe, China, Indonesia and Japan.
To teach English abroad you don’t necessarily need to have a teaching degree (obviously you will get a better job with a teaching degree or masters). You can gain employment with an English Language teaching qualification through companies offering 4 week courses, online courses and weekly training courses. It depends which type of job you want to get, many schools and companies will allow you to work with just a online teaching course which can be purchased online for between £49 – £200. Research is necessary to find the best and accredited courses available, there are lots of cheap courses online which aren’t accredited.
There are two ways in which you can acquire a job teaching English abroad;
1. Find a job yourself in a school or an English company in the country you want to work in.
2. Find a TEFL company and apply to them, they will train you and find you a placement in a school or organisation in the country of your choice.
These two ways of finding jobs have their positives and negatives.
English company or School;
Finding an English company on your own can be hard, there are a number of companies and schools which you can apply to directly in the place you want to travel. Although this is true, finding a English company on your own can allow you to choose between companies, find one that is the best fit for you, the one which gives you the best working hours, the best pay and ages which you would like to teach.
TEFL Company
Finding a TEFL Company can allow you to gain the necessary qualifications from a accredited source, they will find you a job and help you find accommodation, some will even pay for your visa and flight, which is good for people who want to pay someone to sort out everything for them. Although this is true many companies request a deposit, don’t allow you to choose your destination within the country, provide you with a set wage which can be subsequently lower than you deserve. They take away money from your wages for expenses such as finding you the job, some even have to pay schools for you to be there.
Teaching English is rewarding and allows people to earn a wage in a country before travelling around the country.
I recently moved to Bogota, Colombia with the idea of teaching English in mind, I recently just gained a working visa, a job with a English teaching company, I work 4 hours a day and get paid a set hourly fee. My monthly wage is significantly higher, maybe double the amount of which I would have received working for a TEFL Company.
