The Dutch economy is very internationally focused, being based largely on foreign trade. A large number of international and international companies are based in the Netherlands (or Holland as it is sometimes called) and English as well as Dutch is widely used in business. In fact, since English is the working language of many commercial organizations, it is often more important to be able to speak fluent English than to speak Dutch when seeking employment here.

Schools & Pay

English‏‎ is taught in state schools from an early age and by far the majority of Dutch people grow up speaking the language well.

The average monthly salary in the Education sector is around [currconvert base_curr=”EUR” base_amount=”2700″]. Employees also receive additional payments at Christmas and as vacation money in the summer, which usually amounts to least 8% of their gross annual salary. Although typical gross salaries in the Netherlands are lower than in some other western European countries, there are many tax deductible expenses that employees are eligible for.

The academic school year is from September to June. Average contracts last between a minimum of 9 months to a max of 1 year (renewable).

Work can be found at all levels from bilingual state schools, where General English‏‎ is part of the national curriculum to private language schools, where both Business English‏‎ and General English are taught.

If you are qualified to teach English for Academic Purposes‏‎ or English for Special Purposes‏‎ then you should contact the local Universities and Colleges. In-Company English Programs are also popular in the cities’ business districts.

Requirements

The standard employment requirements for an English teaching position are:

• a degree
• a TEFL Certificate
• to be a native speaker
• if you are bilingual Dutch-English then this is a huge advantage also

European Union‏‎ citizens are much preferred which effectively means British or Irish teachers.