Teach English Abroad
If you were always interested in travelling and never got a chance to do it during your working years, here is the perfect opportunity. Even if seeing the world has been part of your life there is something to be said about earning income when you teach English abroad. It is rewarding work on many levels and it is not just for the younger, college-aged anymore.
Many seniors are taking to globetrotting and spreading their language skills to other parts of the world. It isn’t all that hard to find a teaching job in a foreign land, either but you will need some qualifications. Your first step would be to be certified to teach English abroad as a second language and there are a few ways you can achieve this.
Two types of certification
The TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification will be your main requirement and you can earn either one of them one of two ways – online or in a class.
The online option will cost a few hundred dollars and allows you to take the course at your own pace. The in class option will cost much more but providers of this method say you will get what you pay for which generally means the in class option is going to be much more in depth and concentrated than an online course.
Regardless of your preferred method, your goal is to be certified to teach English abroad. As for which in class course to attend, there are many more options. This is where you will have to do some extra homework and if you can find a program offering the following then you’ve made a good choice.
A legitimate teaching organization will be accredited and provide no less than 100 hours of training. There will be teaching experience, placement assistance, pre-departure and on-site support available.
Pick your country
Your next step is to choose a country you wish to teach in. This is where you will need to decide on why you are interesting in teaching overseas. Is your goal to immerse yourself in a new and interesting culture or are you trying to earn some money for future plans? Southeast Asia and Taiwan offer guaranteed job placement where Europe is more competitive and Latin America is the toughest region to find a teaching position although there is a high demand.
Earnings will also differ depending on where you work. Teaching in Costa Rica will earn you between $400 and $800 a month where a teacher in Vietnam can earn up to $1500 monthly. On a different scale South Korea has a government-funded program with high rates of pay (up to $2,200/month), benefits which may include a furnished apartment at no cost, health insurance plus airfare reimbursement to and from the country. If you happen to have higher qualifications, a Master’s degree as an example, you could find work in the Middle East where pay is very good.
Your final step is to find a school to teach English abroad. This may be a bit of a problem if you chose to take the online certification process. You will be able to apply for teaching jobs that are posted online but experts all agree that this is risky. The issues here stem from not knowing where the jobs are coming from, the conditions related to the job, living arrangements and much more.
If you are not concerned about these things, then consider it part of the adventure. However, remember these jobs are not guaranteed. In other words, this is a risky way to find an English teaching job. The safest and most logical route to follow when it comes to locating a school to teach English as a second language is through an in class certification program or an accredited placement program or recruiter.
The risk is much lower and job placement through a legitimate training program is guaranteed. You basically pick the country and all the other details are worked out for you. The best part of this kind of income earning opportunity is that it is a great way to learn a lot about a country or part of the world one typically just scratches at the surface during a vacation. Also, in English teaching jobs you can continue as long as you’d like depending on the contract agreement you sign. So, if after one year you want to try something else or a different country, those options are available to you.
Start your adventure by doing an online search for “teach English abroad,” and visit Amazon.com for the latest books on the topic.