Do you want to travel the world? Experience what other cultures have to offer? Visit the greatest sights on Earth?
Well English teachers working abroad get to do that.
As a teacher you can work right across the world and experience some incredible places and cultures. Quite simply this article explains how many teachers live their lives, teaching and traveling around the world.
And how you can join them…
A Typical Plan
What often happens with English teachers abroad is this: You work in a particular city for a year. You make friends with other teachers and of course local people. And importantly, during that time, you get to know the culture, a bit of the language, the local lifestyle and so on.
And of course you have holidays: Christmas, Easter, Summer and weekends. Teachers working abroad will often spend their free time traveling around the country getting to know it better. There are often other foreign English teachers working in the city and you may well end up spending time with friends whether that’s at the beach, hiking in the mountains, walking round galleries & museums, going to nightclubs or whatever… you spend your time as you want.
(The pay for teachers will allow for this: it’s enough to live on well and enjoy yourself.)
Then after a year of teaching when the school breaks up (usually at the beginning of Summer) you will have a few options:
- Stay on with the school and spend another year in the same town.
- Move to another school in the same town.
- Move to another school somewhere else in the same country.
- Move to another school in a completely new country.
- Return to your home country.
Careers Teaching English & Traveling
Although there is nothing set in stone, what often happens is that a new teacher may well spend several years living abroad and traveling about, perhaps spending one or two years in each school or country.
Then something happens. Maybe they meet someone special, maybe they fall in love with the place, maybe they find a wonderful job. Whatever the reason, it’s not uncommon for a teacher to settle down wherever they happen to be and you are likely to find teachers or ex-teachers of English living in almost every town around the world!
But whatever happens, the next move is yours!
How to Start
Becoming a teacher is simple.
You first need qualifications if you are to get a job. Usually this means a degree and a TEFL Certificate such as the ICAL TEFL Certificate. (Don’t worry if you don’t have a degree; you may well be able to find work in some countries however.)
Then you decide where to go. You apply for work and… move there.
It really is that simple!
Useful Links
What Qualifications do I need to Teach English?
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