A Quick And Dirty Guide To Teaching English Abroad

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So you want to travel more, but you can't seem to find the funds? If you’re a native English speaker, then you just might be in luck! One of the most popular ways to live and work abroad is by teaching English as a second language. You can make money, experience a new culture, enrich other’s lives and have a lot of fun in the process!

We taught English in Taiwan for two years, and during this time we were able to travel to multiple countries in Asia while living in a culture that was vastly different from anything we had ever experienced back home in the United States. We also paid off our student loans and saved enough money to travel for a year!

Ready to know more? Here are a few things we learned from our personal experience teaching English overseas:

It's a Job, Not a Joke

PHOTO: Teaching English in Taiwan.

Teaching ESL isn't a vacation or study abroad experience—it's a job. Since you are getting paid, there are certain expectations that you'll need to meet. It's not fair to the students or the school if you show up and decide it's not for you two weeks in. Be honest with yourself about how comfortable you are with making a fool out of yourself in front of 25 elementary students. Do you have the patience and energy to teach day in and day out?

Working in a foreign country, you will inevitably have to engage in cross-cultural communication and understanding. In many places throughout Asia, your coworkers are an extension of your family. There may be unpaid labor, lesson planning, grading, meetings or outside events that are done for the good of the company (your family). These are things to keep in mind not only with teaching, but working in any foreign country.

Teaching is Fun!

PHOTO: Goofing off with students.

There is a surge of pride and joy when you see the lightbulb go off with your students. The endless love showered upon me by my kindergarten students was enough to brighten any mood. Plus, kids are hilarious, especially in a foreign language. Although my students will likely forget me, I will always remember the experiences I had with them.

If You Do It Right, You Can Save Some Serious Cash

If you look at the numbers associated with teaching ESL, it may not look like much. However, if you choose to teach in a country with a low cost of living, it can seriously start to add up. To be quite frank, we made an average of USD$2,250 a month. But with the amazing low cost of living in Taiwan, we were actually able to put about half of that back into paying of student loans and credit cards. We also took three separate trips to the Philippines, spent our anniversary in Hong Kong and Macau, and spent an entire month traveling through Indonesia. Even after all of that we were still able to save money, too! While there are certainly more lucrative jobs out there, if you want to experience a new culture and travel on the side, teaching ESL is one of the best ways to do it. 

But My Resume!

Our resume was one of our main concerns before signing up for our second year of teaching. Would this mark me as “unhireable” or “unskilled?” Am I wasting my time when I should be pursuing something more in my field?

Teaching ESL abroad can look good on a resume if you invest in yourself and the job position. For example, I now have the confidence to stand in front of people twice my age (most of them with PhDs) and lecture about business principles in English-speaking countries. That same confidence relates to all other forms of public speaking.

I also know what it's like to use hand gestures and broken mixes of English and Chinese to explain what I need to my Taiwanese co-workers on a daily basis. Looking for someone with cross-cultural communication experience? Sign me up! Don't forget simply the fact that you've worked and lived abroad shows you are culturally aware, self-reliant and take initiative.

So Where Can I Teach?

PHOTO: Students reading English books.

If money is your main concern, you'll likely be looking at teaching in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Middle East. These countries provide the highest salary with the lowest cost of living. Other places in Southeast Asia and Latin America tend to be very popular, but sometimes pay next to nothing for teachers.

Volunteer ESL teaching can still be a very rewarding experience; however, exercise caution before paying high prices to volunteer agencies as often this money goes to a select few in the agency, not the community.

What Do I Need?

When we secured our jobs, the only requirements were that we were native English speakers with a college degree and a one-year commitment. These days competition for ESL jobs is rising and there are many qualified teachers who are unable to find jobs. We recommend securing your teaching position before you leave your home country to ensure you don't get stuck and can't find work.

It is becoming more and more popular to get your 120-hour Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate. Not only will it provide you with useful training, it will help make you a more competitive applicant for better and higher paying jobs.

Teaching English might not be for everyone, but it is definitely a viable opportunity to consider if you would like to fund your travels around the world and enjoy the thought of teaching.

Have you taught English abroad before? Would you do it again