4 Things to Know Before Teaching English Abroad

By Lydia Erickson on May 30, 2016

Thinking of teaching English abroad after college? We’ve got you covered. Below are four things to keep in mind before teaching English abroad.

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1. How much your program pays (and benefits!)

Seems obvious, right? But while each program for teaching English abroad will have different rates, salary also tends to vary based on the popularity and demand of the location. Generally speaking, if you want to make a LOT of money, you should teach in Korea, Japan — for example, the JET program — or even Taiwan.

If you want to work on your Mandarin, China is a great option, and pays medium-well. And if you want to focus on your Spanish, Chile has many great programs, such as Inglés Abre Puertas or Teaching Chile (not to be confused with Teach Chile, which charges far more), and will pay you enough to live.

Thailand, Argentina, and Costa Rica all pay very little, but hey, Patagonia is beautiful. Make sure to find out if housing, healthcare, insurance, etc., will be provided, and estimate how far your salary will go in the country of your choosing.

2. What qualifications you will need

Depending on the country, you may need no qualification to teach English abroad, or you may need a TEFL certificate or teacher’s credential. There are many programs which offer TEFL certificates, whether online or in a classroom. One great option is I-I, which offers both online and combined courses. Be sure to research the programs you are interested in, and see if they have a preference for a certain minimum number of hours, or require a combined rather than online course.

3. The details of the position

Will you be teaching English abroad to businessmen, university students, or kindergartners? How many hours a week will be expected of you? Will the program, like Fulbright or Peace Corps, expect you to do any alternative projects? If you are expected to do a project, how much oversight and feedback will be provided, and will you be given the resources you require or be expected to seek them out yourself? Will you be able to choose your final location, or be assigned randomly? Some countries have completely different semesters, so it’s important to check the start and end times of the program.

Make sure to also read about the programs you apply to as described by other participants, and the countries. If there are big cultural differences, you will want to be as prepared as possible before you go. Buy a Lonely Planet guide, read every review on the program site, and ask any friends you know who’ve visited that country what to look out for.

4. The prestige of the program

Nobody wants to think about this before teaching abroad, but how your adventures look when translated to paper will be important for future job opportunities. Make sure to learn as much as you can about the programs you’re applying to, keeping in mind that options like Peace Corps, JET, and Fulbright will all look excellent for future employers or grad schools alike.

Safe travels, readers! Best of luck finding the right program for you for teaching English abroad, and thank you to my world-traveling sister for her good advice.

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