Experienced and Qualified Teacher wants to Teach English Abroad

We frequently hear from people who are qualified teachers, some who are even teachers of English as a first language in their home country.

IF you are a qualified teacher in your home country with a few years experience, you might want to check out ISS.edu for positions in international schools.

International schools will tend to pay as well as good schools in your home country, but will provide a lot of extras such as paid/reimbursed airfare, long paid vacations, free tuition for two or more dependents attending their school and some schools will even pay for your accommodation and local taxes.

Quite good packages.

You can usually teach in your special area as well, instead of having to switch over to teaching English.  If you are just finishing university and about to start teaching locally, do consider doing that for a couple years before heading overseas as your wages overseas in a similar position will be significantly better than if you were teaching English at a language school, public school or college/university in a foreign land.

Most international schools will want you to have a couple years of experience in your home country’s public schools before they will hire you.

If you are going to Teach English as a Foreign Language, do get some training as teaching English as a foreign language is a different than teaching it as a first language and the way you present language to your students is different.  Their needs and motivations will also be significantly different.

TED’s Tips™ #1: If you are an experienced teacher in your home country, check out international schools as your best possible option.  If you do intend to teach English abroad, get some basic training as EFL is different from ESL.

The BEST EFL Teaching Jobs in China: Government Colleges, Universities and Secondary Schools offer the most reliable and worry-free jobs in China. Click on the Link if you would like to Teach English in China

“Winging it” in TEFL: It’s Just Teaching English . . .

A reader in our comments section once wrote: I think I could wing it.

Well . . . maybe you can!
Or maybe you can’t.

After all, many people think that if you can speak English, you can teach it.  But, I don’t really agree with that idea.

There are effective ways of teaching English and there are ineffective ways and most untrained teachers have no idea what really works and what doesn’t.  And one of the most difficult and frustrating issues for learners of English is pronunciation and untrained newbies almost never know how to teach pronunciation in a useful way that helps their students.

What many people are proposing when they suggest “winging it” is to go to a developing country and take the money of poor people who are paying what is for them a LOT of money to sit in your classroom.  These people are paying good money hoping that you know what you’re doing and hoping that you will impart skills that will improve their future.

Is that really the approach you want to take in starting your new life abroad?  I hope not.

Even the most basic of online TEFL training classes can help you understand the basics of method and give you some idea of what works and what doesn’t.  And that you need to minimize “teacher talk time” and why.

Come on, get some training.  Feel good about what you are doing and do it right.  It really is as simple as that.

TEFL Training isn’t rocket science and even just a bit of good basic training can make a huge difference in what you deliver to your students and how much they learn.  And if they feel they are getting their money’s worth from you or are being scammed.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Deliver what your students are paying for.  They deserve your best efforts.  They really do!

The BEST EFL Teaching Jobs in China: Government Colleges, Universities and Secondary Schools offer the most reliable and worry-free jobs in China. Click on the Link if you would like to Teach English in China

How do I Find my First TEFL Job?

Landing that First Job Teaching English Overseas

The TEFL Job Search

This is, for me, the fun part. You’ll find hunting for a job teaching English overseas much less humiliating that the job hunt back home. In fact, not humiliating at all.

Schools and companies overseas actually NEED and WANT you! WoW! Kind of a nice self-esteem thing . . . and the first dramatic change that this life can bring to you.

This is a short page as I want you to get to work on this dream of yours – that can be a reality in just a few weeks!

Now that you have made the decision, I will allow myself, just for a brief moment, to be a salesman for the TEFL Career. Preaching to the choir, so to speak.

A Short Personal Story

My wife and I sometimes look at each other and say, “Would you ever have imagined, a year before we left (almost 20 years ago!), that we could have done all the things we have done? That we would have worked and lived in so many countries? That we would have been able to travel to so many different countries? That we could have learned and experienced so much?” Our answer is always, “Nope, could never have imagined it!” It still surprises us!

This life can be real for you!

One of the very best places to look for information is over at TEFLDaddy.com, a website I wrote some years ago to help answer all the questions people were asking me. The TEFL Job Search section there is better than anything you will find elsewhere on the Web.

Go ahead, fantasize a bit – cruise the jobs boards at: Dave’s ESL Cafe, ESL Jobs Now and even at TEFL.com.

TED’s Tips™ #1: This is the time to branch out and check every jobs website you can find. Contact employers. You’ll be amazed at how easy it really is.

The BEST EFL Teaching Jobs in China: Government Colleges, Universities and Secondary Schools offer the most reliable and worry-free jobs in China. Click on the Link if you would like to Teach English in China

Is Living and Working Abroad Appropriate for Me?

Am I Cut Out for Life Overseas?

You might be. Only you can decide if a career in TEFL – teaching English overseas – is the right path for your life at this time.

What are the things to consider?

Do you have a family that you are responsible for? How would they feel about moving overseas and living in a foreign land?

Do you have a spouse? How would s/he feel about giving up their job? Will she be able to find work overseas? Is she interested in teaching English also?

Do you have children? How will you educate them while overseas? How might they feel about giving up their friends?

Do you have debts that must be paid while you are overseas?

Are there special medical issues for you or your family that must be considered?

Do you have the financial reserves to return to your home country and re-establish yourself if things don’t work out?

Have you ever taught before? Do you have any reason to believe that you might enjoy teaching English?

Have you ever traveled or lived overseas before? Did you enjoy it?

Would you find the daily problems of living and working overseas frustrating or a refreshing challenge?

This list is only a beginning. As individual as each person is so are the questions that need to be answered in making this decision.

What qualities are needed to succeed?

My observation has been that people who succeed in TEFL overseas have the following characteristics and knowledge:
* They have reasonable expectations about their new occupation and what it can and cannot provide for them
* They understand that their new country is not like their home country. Solutions to problems that work at home often don’t work overseas
* They realize that problems they had at home will probably also exist overseas.
* They know they will have good days and bad days – just like back home
* They know they may experience good bosses, bad bosses, good jobs and bad jobs – just like back home
* They are flexible people who can roll with surprises and “punches”
* They are willing to work under different cultural expectations and are willing to follow different cultural work rules
* They are resilient and can bounce back from a bad situation
* They are not generally moody or depressed
* They view their success as a personal challenge
* They spent a considerable amount of time researching their move, before they moved.

Does that fit you? If so, get on board!

TED’s Tips™ #1: Before you head overseas, do an honest assessment of yourself.

The BEST EFL Teaching Jobs in China: Government Colleges, Universities and Secondary Schools offer the most reliable and worry-free jobs in China. Click on the Link if you would like to Teach English in China

Another Older Teacher – Teaching English Abroad

Overcoming Obstacles for Older Teachers

A good topic was proposed by a teacher already working teaching English abroad:

I have been heartened by your comments on age. I’m a very young looking 60-year-old American with a degree in English Ed. After teaching for two years in Thailand I’m contemplating a move to Korea, for better teaching conditions and salaries. I plan to retire at 70. HOWEVER, what I’m finding repeated online makes my age look like a immovable roadblock; such as this I copied-and-pasted here:
“Employment by Age Preference: The Korean state government presently has a capped age limit of 45yrs for employment in the present English Program in Korea government state school scheme. Because the retirement age is 60 years any person over 60 will not qualify for a work visa.
Most employers are somewhat reluctant to employ any candidate over 45 years of age, even with good teaching qualifications.”
So… what say you?!

I’d say don’t apply for a job in the “English Program in Korea government state school scheme”.

But there are plenty of good Business English jobs in Korea where a bit of gray hair is an advantage. A few schools in Seoul specialize in Business English or in teaching adults – Pagoda is one of them – apply there.

Know also though that it might require you to go in PERSON and to do a face-to-face interview. Primarily so that they can see that you are full of energy, eager for and capable of teaching. And some employers also want to know if you are flexible and can handle feedback or criticism or if you are a defensive cranky old fart. Yeah, some of us older guys are! Not me and you though . . .

Just as a fairly standard rule – I would think that after about age 52 or so, you need to expect to do in-person interviews on the scene. Being hired from abroad does become quite difficult from that point.

BUT – by age 60 – you already know that life throws some crap at you from time to time and you only need to learn to work around it.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Older people need to look for jobs teaching English in areas related to their previous experience. That extra bit of value helps overcome ageist prejudices.

TED’s Tips™ #2: Realize as you get older you will probably need to do more face-to-face interviews to overcome ideas many people have about older teachers.

What’s up in China? Learn what kind of jobs are on offer if you would like to Teach English in China

Business schools like University of Phoenix California are accepting students regardless of their age. This is such a good opportunity.