Teaching English Abroad
To Help Pay Your Way

Finding work teaching English abroad is one of the more rewarding - and less difficult - ways of 'pay as you go' travel.

Most jobs will belong to two categories: teaching in a classroom (both short and long term) or teaching privately (tutoring both young people and adults).

Why English?

More than 1.5 billion people speak English, and another billion are trying to.

With this many people wanting to learn, it's no wonder demand for English teachers is so high!

English is possibly the most important language in today's world - after Mandarin and Spanish it's the most widely spoken language.

And it is the most often learned second language on the planet - the second language of choice in Europe and the Far East. Learning English will help people:

• get a better job, especially in developing countries where English is at a premium
• stay informed - while many websites exist in other languages, the vast majority are in English, as are most scientific articles
• network and communicate - two non-English mother tongue people will often use English as their common language
• do business - English is, after all, the language of international business

Just 10-15 years ago you could simply get a job off the street if English was your mother tongue. It's harder now. Many schools are asking for qualifications - some of which you can get online, while others require classroom experience.

Still, there are plenty of jobs out there - especially short-term ones, and especially if you happen to be in the right place at the right time.

The perfect teaching job

There are plenty of avenues for finding jobs teaching English abroad, and most of these can be accessed while you're on the road - they're online!

Your first stop should be those sites that specialize in placing English teachers all over the world (see the Resources section below for useful links). These are usually accurate and up-to-date, and they scour the web to find the best listings. Many are divided by country or region, or by type of job, including length.

Where should you teach?

• Teaching English in France is fantastic if you're seeking culture, great food and wine, or historic landscapes


• Teaching English in Spain, if your heart is in moorish culture, corridas and flamento


• Teaching English in China is filled with choices in this huge country


• Teaching English in Taiwan, if you want Chinese culture with a Western twist

• And then there's teaching English in Japan, where bringing in teachers from abroad has become a fine art

If you already know where you want to go, check out the local job listings or classified sections in your preferred country or city. Most cities have an English-language newspaper, and many of these are online. The closer you are to your source, the better your chances!

Another good way of finding a job teaching English abroad is through expat websites. These are websites dedicated to people who either live outside their own country or who are planning to - and are often full of ads, forums and tips. Many members already live abroad and have access to plenty of useful information about their chosen country (not to mention job tips). Join some of these, and chat around.

Another way of finding jobs teaching English abroad is through general job boards - some of them are so huge that their sections on English teaching jobs overseas are as large as those of specialized sites. But because they cater to all professions, they may lack the finesse and focus of the more specialized sites. These big boards should be your last stop after you've exhausted the specialized and local listings.

One more thing - rather than rely on supply, you could try to generate demand. How? By placing an ad yourself in a local paper or on a local job board, or writing ahead of time to language and international schools in the city where you're headed. And don't neglect local schools - they might well be in the market for some English classes.

Many independent travelers don't know where they'll be next month, let alone next year. But if you're the organized type with a master plan, laying the groundwork before you leave could make things a lot easier.

One last word before you go - talk to people!

Read this wonderful personal account if you'd like to know "what it's like" to teach English overseas, from someone who has been traveling and teaching for more than twenty years.

Plenty of the links below have forums and discussion boards. Your best tips often come from other women who have been there, done that, or live there.

Resources

Teaching English Abroad Listings and Things
tesall.com
Dave's ESL Cafe - a forum for ESL/EFL students and teachers
eltworld - another good forum
tefl.com

Online Newspapers
Online Newspapers
RefDesk

Expat Sites
Expat Women
Expat Exchange
Expatriates.com

International Schools
Council of International Schools
International Schools Services