TEFL Jobs: Options for Teaching English Abroad

As the economy in most countries struggles to churn along, large percentages of recent graduates and young people are finding it difficult to land that dream job they had once seen as a sure thing when they were freshmen. While many of these people remain stuck in the confines of their parent's home, there is a fairly sizable portion of employed people who have discovered the booming TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) market around the globe. With English in such high demand in almost every region of the world, there is a huge job market for qualified and motivated native English speaking teachers in just about every country you can think of. Here is a short look at your options if you are considering tackling the world of TEFL.

1. Get a legitimate and recognized certificate.
It can be hard to sift through the craziness regarding certification considering the fact that there are currently hundreds of seemingly legitimate companies and schools advertising cheap, easy and fast "on-line TEFL courses". Don't be fooled by the guarantees they offer; the only certificates that are widely recognized in the world of English as a Second Language are not cheap and are far from easy to obtain. The gold standard would have to be Cambridge ESOL's CELTA, or Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. This credential is earned after successfully completing a very intensive four-week course that includes observed classroom teaching, detailed lesson planning, multiple written assignments and a number of English methodology tutorials. At the end of the course you are given one of three grades: Pass A, Pass B or Pass. Only a very small percentage of students will actually receive a "Pass letter" grade, and you should know that many language schools will only consider applicants with at least a grade of "Pass B".

Once you have received this certificate the possibilities are endless. Popular websites for job postings include TEFL.com, ESLbase.com and Daves ESL Cafe. It should be noted that there are other roughly equivalent TEFL certificates out there, the best known being Trinity College's CertTESOL. While most schools advertise a desire to hire a candidate with a CELTA, almost all of these schools will also consider applicants with a CertTESOL due to their similarities.

2. Find the right school.
When you first glance at a job posting on-line it becomes clear that you have just entered a whole new world as far as job hunting is concerned. There will be advertisements for teaching English in every country from Chile to Russia. To make the decision making process easier go into the job search with only a few countries in mind. A minute or two of research will tell you that work in more developed countries like Korea, Spain, China and the UK seems to be the most common, while more obscure countries like Kazakhstan and Cambodia will pop up less often. Common sense tells you that there will be more options in a developed country; however, if you desire to work in a less developed locale don't be discouraged by the lack of job postings.

Many regions (particularly South America) are known for being places where jobs are usually found while actually in the area. This has changed a bit over the past few years, although in many countries in South America and South East Asia the method of "just showing up" still seems to yield the best results.

One point of interest for those native English speakers who are not citizens of the EU; it is difficult (although not impossible) to find work in much of Europe. Most schools there prefer EU citizens due to the lack of visa complications associated with hiring TEFL teachers from within the union. There are still opportunities to teach in many of these countries, they are just a bit harder to find.

3. Research the school before you sign anything.
This seems like common sense but there are tons of teachers who find themselves in bad situations every month due to a lack of simple research. Simply put: some schools are better than others. Some will treat you like royalty while others will leave you wondering where your passport "disappeared" to. So many horrific stories and situations associated with TEFL could have easily been prevented by doing a quick Google search or by bumming around a message board for five minutes.

4. So, you don't want to get certified?
Believe it or not, there are people out there who don't want to embark on an epic English teaching quest traversing multiple continents. Some people simply want to take six months or a year to get away from life back home and maybe make an extra dollar or two along the way. Luckily, there are countries who cater to these people and do not require a month long certification in exchange for employment. Korea definitely takes the cake for being the most accommodating and well known country for first time English teachers. There is definitely no shortage of expats roaming the streets and jobs can be found in just about any city regardless of size. The pay is more than sufficient and the majority of people who choose Korea seem to have quite a cool experience.

Now, before you go and jump on a plane to Seoul I suggest you take heed. There are quite a few people who went to Korea in search of perfection and didn't exactly have such a "cool" experience. Most of these folks are more than happy to tell you about it on message boards and websites dedicated to "blacklisted" schools. While many of these stories can be a bit unsettling, know that they are the exception and not the rule. If Korea doesn't appeal to you, the countries of China and Thailand have also become fairly popular destinations with non-credentialed TEFL teachers. Each country has its charms but definitely do your research before embarking to the country that seems the most appealing.

Teaching English can be an amazing and rewarding experience if you go about it with the right attitude. Hopefully this information will help you make an informed decision about your future in TEFL.