‘Broken Britain’, austerity, student debt, cuts, Brexit… there’s never been a better time to leave the UK for an extended period abroad.
For those of you who are looking to down backpack somewhere and earn your keep, there are few jobs as flexible and enjoyable as teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL).
This is the perfect job if you are a student graduating soon and not keen to join the 9-5 living at home. But how to get started, what does is al mean and how do you get started?
View our comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about working as a TEFL teacher around the world.
What is TEFL?
TEFL stands for teaching English as a foreign language.
If you visit a country where people don’t speak English as their first language, there’s a good chance that you’ll find some who want to do so as their second. English is the de facto international tongue (chin up, Esperanto, your time may yet come).
By virtue of being able to speak your own language, there’s always potential work available for the native English speaker abroad. What’s more, you teach entirely in English; so a lack of foreign language skills won’t hold you back.
Ah, but wait just a second… you need some sort of qualification, surely? Well, depending on where you’re heading, you don’t always need a qualification to get teaching work. But employers will always favour someone brandishing a TEFL certificate to someone ‘with bags of enthusiasm’.
TEFL Certifications
The TEFL courses vary in acronym and price, and not all are internationally recognised (a pre-requisite, you’d think). It is recommended to get at least a 120 hour TEFL qualification but the most expensive (and widely respected) is the Cambridge-accredited CELTA. If you can afford it, it’s recommended.
Courses can be taken in a classroom, online, or a combination of both.
Although some recruiters don’t require a TEFL qualification for some jobs advertised, the last thing you want is to be on the other side of the world, having been ‘a little naive with your budgeting’, only to find that some qualification-snobbery means you are forced to ‘explore other avenues of income’.
Besides, a decent, hands-on TEFL course will give you a taste of what to expect and properly equip you to prepare lessons and manage a classroom full of students.
These companies can help you to get TEFL certified:
• Book My TEFL Course
• Gap Year World
Why Teach Abroad?
There are so many benefits of getting TEFL certified and teaching overseas. Possibly you don’t want to start a full time job/career, or are keen to take a gap year and travel the world but are short of funds.
If you need some convincing that this is the right move for you these are some of the main advantages of joining the TEFL world:
• No previous teaching experience is required for most positions
• Live abroad
• A lot of jobs include fights and accommodation
• Competitive salaries
• Help students learn
• Meet new friends from all over the world
• Travel and explore new places
What’s it like to be a Teacher?
Ah, the students. If you haven’t taught before, the thought of standing in front of a class of foreign pupils can be a daunting one. While you’ll likely be a nervous wreck prior to your first teaching practice, you’ll quickly discover that you’re not performing to a row of blank faces.
The classroom is a dynamic environment, full of personalities and banter. It doesn’t take long for you to get to know the loudmouths nor appreciate the dry wit of one of the quieter students. As such, teaching is an incredibly rewarding and – at times – unpredictable experience.
After all, there’s something perversely amusing, if not a little disconcerting, to hear a middle-aged Argentine woman pronounce ‘auntie’ in a strong Maidstone accent.
Best Places to Teach
Another bonus of TEFLing is that it really does open up the world to you.
If you get itchy feet you can quickly up sticks and hotfoot it elsewhere. Some teachers have worked their way from Argentina to Colombia via Brazil, before catching a flight to a new role in Indonesia, all in the space of six months.
Some of the most popular places to teach include China, Japan, Thailand, Czech Republic, Mexico and Costa Rica – but there are jobs all over the world.
Wages
The wage tends to vary considerably from country to country and according to whether you’re teaching private, one-to-one sessions or in full classes in an institute.
For example, work in a school in Asia and you’ll tend to live very comfortably and still save money, although the hours are often quite long. While in South America you’ll be able to afford little more than the odd empenada and giant bottle of beer, but the culture is laid-back and the working hours more flexible.
Start Your Teaching Abroad Journey
The real value of TEFL isn’t the wage; it’s in the people you meet and the genuine enjoyment of teaching. Make the most of the opportunity before Mandarin gazuumps English and puts us all out of work.
Putting effort into getting TEFL-certified really is worth it, and with online courses you can literally start one anytime. Possibly you could take one whilst studying, and give yourself a goal to get certified and teaching abroad after you graduate.