The reality of teaching English abroad

You want to English abroad – fun and sunshine, short hours, experiencing the culture, seeing the sights… Fantastic! It can be like that, but there are lot of occasions when it isn’t.

If anyone offers you a job teaching English abroad when you haven’t had any training, BE CAREFUL! These jobs are not usually good ones. There are exceptions; there are many schemes in Japan where they offer on the job training, but although the experience would be good, the training would not be recognised by other employers. The best thing to do to give yourself a chance of getting a good job is to get a qualification before you go. In the UK the standard qualification is the Cambridge CELTA course. The CELTA course can be taken full time (4-5 weeks) or part time, ranging from a few months to a year or longer. There is no exam, and you are assessed on teaching practice and written assignments. You will need a standard of education equivalent to Higher Education entry requirements, be over 20, and have an excellent command of English. The CELTA course is not easy, although most people who see it through to the end do pass.

The second thing you can do to get yourself a better job teaching English abroad is to have a degree. You can find jobs without having a degree, but they are not the best jobs.

Many jobs teaching adults English abroad involve early starts, evenings and weekends – precisely the times most people would rather not be working. Check hours before you start.

Not all employers abroad find or pay for accommodation. If they do provide somewhere for you to live, it is likely to be in a shared apartment. If this doesn’t suit you, make sure you tell them.

Many people who want to teach English abroad think they can teach a few hours a week and party the rest of the time. Unless you are very lucky, the money will probably be very low, and if you are in a big city it won’t go far. Always try to keep enough for an emergency fare home if you can.

The last myth about teaching English abroad is that it is an easy job. That’s not usually the case. You may have to teach a variety of levels, plan lessons in advance, set and mark homework, mark exams and behave as any teacher would in the UK. The money probably won’t be great, and you might have to take private students in your spare time to top up your income. The hours could be unsociable and you could feel isolated if there aren’t many other English speaking people in your area.

Having said all that, it is a wonderful experience to work abroad and the CELTA certificate can open up a world of travel and work opportunities to you. If you decide to go for it, check your facts, and good luck!

Paula is a qualified EFL teacher who has taught in the UK and abroad. She has also taught adult literacy and numeracy in prisons and is now combining a small amount of private teaching with writing.