If you dream of traveling around the world, teaching English abroad could be the perfect method of earning money and funding your adventures. To become an English language teacher, you don’t always have to have studied for an English or teaching degree program – many English as a foreign language programs will welcome anybody with a good grasp of the language whilst others require you to have gained a related qualification. If you enjoy sharing your knowledge with others, read on for our top tips for success as a traveling English teacher.
#1. Get a Suitable Qualification:
Although it’s possible to teach English abroad without any qualifications or prior knowledge, these jobs are difficult to find, and most will require you to have a TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate. The Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) program is one of the most popular, with options to study for it in a classroom or online. Online programs tend to be cheaper and allow you the freedom to travel whilst you study. The certificate will give you everything that you need to start teaching English to students around the world, with step-by-step guides to creating tuition plans and in-depth study of the English language itself. Most good employers will require you to have taken a minimum 120-hour TEFL course.
#2. Choose Your Destination Carefully:
In order to succeed as an English teacher abroad, it’s vital to research your destination options to find a place where good teachers are in high demand. You may want to revisit some of your favorite vacation destinations from Holidays Hub, or travel to developing countries to assist with English tuition as part of a volunteer group. Some of the best places to travel to teach English abroad in 2018 include Cambodia, China, Spain, Vietnam, Mexico and Czech Republic.
#3. Create a Stand-Out Resume:
Before you start looking for suitable teaching positions around the world, it’s a good idea to update your resume and try to differentiate yourself from all the other traveling English teachers out there. There’s plenty of competition out there, so it’s down to you to come up with a resume that will help set you apart from everyone else. You can do something different and out of the box with your resume, or even have it translated into the native language of the country you’re applying to work in, for more ease and convenience.
#4. Invest in Some Teaching Materials:
The type of teaching materials, tools and accessories that you’ll need will largely depend on where you’re going to be working. If you’re teaching English as a TEFL teacher at a school or language center, everything that you need will likely be provided for you. You’ll still be expected to put together lesson plans in advance of each lesson, so it’s a good idea to invest in some textbooks of your own and plenty of stationery for preparation. If you plan to teach privately, you’ll need to provide your own materials.
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