Access to education and the opportunity to study English are highly valued in the communities we work with. Whether you’re a volunteer teaching English abroad, or supporting the instruction of other subjects or extracurricular activities, the students are eager to learn and participate.
The influence that international teaching volunteers have on the communities we work with goes beyond the classroom. Crossing boundaries to work side-by-side with students and teachers from different cultures fosters a two-way exchange, building cross-cultural understanding and global awareness.
Who can teach abroad?
Take it from us – teaching English abroad isn’t just for teachers! Let’s dive deeper into some of the reasons why you should teach English abroad if you’re a:
- College graduate
- New or experienced teacher
- Career change
Consider the following important factors when sifting through your teaching job options abroad:
-Program Length: Are you able to commit to teaching abroad for a calendar year? Six months? A summer seasons? Whatever your availability, be sure to communicate up front with potential program providers or employers to ensure the teaching job is a suitable match.
-Student Age: Do you prefer to work with little rugrats on vocab development and simple grammar structures? Prefer to coach high school students in writing essays and critiquing literature? Or maybe you long to work with ambitious, hardworking university students? OR SCRAP ALL OF THAT. Adult learners are the new black. Whatever your cup of teach abroad tea, communicate up front your preferred student age group.
-Classroom Environment: Does the thought of spending one-on-one time with students for two to three hours daily sound horrible or exciting? Does the thought of one teacher in a classroom of 20 students for six to eight hours daily sound horrible or exciting? Does the thought of working with four to eight students for many hours weekly sound horrible or exciting? Ask yourself these questions, then choose a teaching job abroad based on your answers.
Teaching English abroad is one of the most popular methods of finding work abroad, for good reason You don’t need teaching experience or a degree in education to find a job teaching English. Not only do these positions accept people with various backgrounds, but you’ll also have the widest range of countries to choose from, from Spain to Vietnam to Brazil. You don’t typically need any specific degree to teach abroad (though a degree in teaching or education won’t hurt), but you do need a degree almost everywhere to apply for teaching jobs.
A bachelor’s degree is normally all that required to teach English abroad, but you’ll open the door to more opportunities with a TEFL certificate too.
