Expats Teaching English Overseas

Are you thinking about teaching English abroad?

Does it sound exciting, adventures, a chance to travel to other countries, or maybe you just want to escape your own world?

Whatever your reasons are, do not go before you do your homework. It is better to be prepared than to regret it later.

There are so many companies out there offering overseas teaching jobs. You can just get lost on the web. So before you even start searching, make a list with all the things you need to find out.

What are the requirements for ESL teaching abroad?

There is a growing worldwide demand for English foreign language (ESL) teachers in many countries. The qualifications required by employer vary widely depending upon the demand and availability of teachers and work visa requirements in your country of interest.

In many countries, a bachelor's degree (any bachelor's degree) is required to be able to work legally. Some English teaching schools do not require a college degree as long as you are a native speaker.

What about the need for an ESL teaching certificate?

Today the demand for English native speaker with tefl certificate is increasing. You will probably still be able to find a teaching job that does not require for you to have a tefl certificate, But most probably your options and salary would be much limited.

It is therefore wise to enroll into one of the teaching certificates courses. There are many teaching English overseas courses to choose from TEFL, TESL, TESOL, ESL, EFL, or ESOL. If you are short on time you can even take an Online TEFL course.

So choose carefully, and make sure to check what each of them has to offer, does the program meet the visa requirements, is the course internationally recognized, and do they help you to find a teaching job after you completed the course?

Other important requirements:

• Teaching experience –It is always better if you have some experience, but it is not a must.
• Speaking the expat country language - In general it is not required that you speak the local language, but of course you will feel much more comfortable and welcomed if you are able to converse a little in the language of your expat country.
• Time commitment - Most teaching English overseas programs require at least a one-year commitment

Teaching English Overseas - Choosing the country and the type of courses

Each program and each company has a list of countries and schools they work with. So if you want to travel to a certain country then check if the country is on their list. Even if your country of choice is on the list, it would be wise to check if there are current jobs available in that country.

You can of course search the internet for available esl teaching jobs at the country of your interest. But be extra careful about that. Do some checking about the company that published the ad. Is it a reputable company? Will they assist with the entry visa, etc'. You can start your search at Craig list.

It is not enough to decide on the country, it is also recommended to think about the city where you would like to live and to teach English. In general, big cities are much more expensive to live in than small towns. But, small towns might pay you less. So, check the cost of living in the country and particularly in the city of your expats choice in order to have an estimate that will enable you to reach an educated decision.

What about courses? Can you choose in which course to teach?

Again, it depends on the program you choose. In general you can find the following teaching abroad courses:

• Private Language Schools – Classes are usually small, students are motivated, and there are lots of resources. This is the most luxury option.
• Primary Schools, High Schools, Colleges and Universities - classes are larger, the students are less motivated and the curriculum can be boring. Many of the positions in the local school systems can be found on the internet, but others will also be found once you arrive in the country and you have some teaching experience.
• In-company or “Business” Classes – There is a growing demand for English in the global business environment. You can therefore teach English lessons in businesses.
• Private Tutoring – Many non-English speaking country, are eager to practice their English with a native speaker. So, private English tutoring is an option you should consider. In some cases you can supplement your income with private tutoring.
• Volunteering - Many volunteer teaching placements exist in developing countries. Volunteering can be a very rewarding experience.

Teaching English overseas - How much can you expect to earn?

I believe most of you know that they can't get rich from teaching English overseas. And money is probably not the reason you chose to do that.

However, money is something you need in order to survive and many of you might want to come back home with some savings.

So, how would you check that?

First, Salary scales vary widely from school to school, between countries, and is also depends on your teaching experience, qualifications and position. So getting an accurate idea of how much you will make depends entirely on where you are teaching.

Second, you must realize that 1000 USD in China is not the same as 1000 USD in Korea, because the cost of living in each country is different. Therefore it is strongly recommended to calculate your salary in the local currency, and to research your expat country’s relative cost of living. Only this way you can find out how much money you will need to spend and how much you get to save.

You can always make some extra money by teaching additional classes or tutoring individual students.

Teaching English Overseas - Are there any Salary benefits?

Just like salary, benefits vary depending on which country you are in and which school you are working for.

It is important that you know what kind of benefits are available in general, so you can ask which of the benefits will be offered to you.

You can find here a list of the benefits that are available:

• Roundtrip Airfare – Some pay for a round trip, others pays only one way, and some will pay a certain amount of the ticket fee.
• Paid National Holidays
• Accommodation – There are several housing variations - full single furnished apartment, shared accommodation, subsidized housing, and assistance with finding a suitable place to live.
• Overtime at Increased Pay Rate
• Health Benefits - Some places will offer you health care insurance, some partial and some won't. However, because health is a very important issue, it is strongly recommended to have your own private health insurance plan for the duration of your entire stay. You can try to check with international health insurznce companied like Aetna International, or with HCC Medical Insurance

Before staring your teaching English overseas adventure, do your homework carefully. It is sure exciting relocating overseas, but if you fail to prepare it won't be fun at all.