Teaching ESL Abroad

Want some excitement in your life?  Are you looking to begin a career that is nothing like the careers your parents had? Do you already have a career but find it dull and, quite frankly, boring as hell! Or perhaps you are just looking to completely change up your life and add some spice. If that sounds like you, you may want to think carefully about Teaching ESL abroad. Teaching English as a Second Language in a foreign country can be a very exciting career move.

And the best part is the barrier to entry is very minimal. It doesn’t matter your age, ethnicity or sometimes even your prior education. What does matter is that you have a passion for teaching and connecting with other people. You enjoy other human interaction and the more you like to speak, the better you will be for teaching ESL. Yes, if you are a bit shy, you can still be a teacher. But is you are outgoing, spontaneous and have a gift for gab, your ESL career will benefit greatly.

Now most of what I am writing here is directed to those of you who come from English speaking countries in the first place. If that isn’t the case, but you really have a passion for teaching ESL it is still possible. There will always be those student’s with less ability than you.

But one thing to keep in mind, not coming from a native English speaking country but choosing to teach English may directly effect your salary. People are always more willing to pay a native speaker more than a non-native speaker. I am not speculating if this practice is right or wrong. I am just saying it is the way it is and you can not change it.

Teaching ESL abroad is not for the faint of heart. If you want to teach abroad, you should be looking to learn as well as teach. Learning about another culture and maybe even their language while you work and make money is a great opportunity that a lot of people just don’t have. And that opportunity exist simply because you were lucky enough to speak English. So use it! See the world. Learn a new language. Make new friends.

Take what you do seriously. There are a lot of backpackers that teach a month here or a few months there to make some extra cash and that is it. And to be honest, that is fine. There are schools or student wanting one on one tutoring that people just passing through a country are perfect for. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give people their money’s worth.

For a lot of the people you will be dealing with, the money they pay you means a lot more to them then it probably does to you. The pay for foreign English teachers here in Taiwan is 3 to 5 times the amount paid to Taiwanese ESL teachers. Is it fair? That isn’t part of this article and I don’t want to go into a debate right now. I am just using this to illustrate that you should be giving the people paying you something for their money. You will not be a cheap commodity to them.

So what does it take to become and ESL instructor? Not a lot in all honesty. Passion for teaching is easily the number one trait I look for when hiring teachers. Teachers can be trained if they have a decent head on their shoulders. Passion can’t be taught. Or even coxed or forced. You either have it or you don’t. If you don’t, it is probably best to steer clear of teaching in any subject. Especially ESL in a foreign country!

If you have never taught before and are looking to begin, I do suggest you go to one of the many 2 week ESL certification programs. Find a program in Thailand or another really cheap country. Don’t pay a lot as these certificates don’t mean squat in Asia. I’d guess it is the same in most of the world.

The reason I say they have advantages to some newbies is that first, these places are in another part of the world. You will quickly find out if you are up to living abroad. And if you are do you want to live in a third world country in a hut, or a nice air conditioned apartment in a first world country? To each his own and I have personally lived both lives. I prefer the earlier as I always s seemed to have much more fun. But now getting older I have opted for the later.

If you are up to living abroad, you’ll at least learn a little bit about teaching. In addition you will begin networking and making friends. Make friends! It will help you in many ways. A lot of these certificate programs will have a network of jobs and contacts and some can really help you start out. Check this before you sign up!

Then the last thing you’d need to consider if you are going to teach ESL abroad would be to decide who you want to teach? Kids, adults, high school aged, preschoolers? You name it, you can teach it. I had a friend who really loved talking and stories. So he tried to specialize in teaching ESL to the elderly segment of the market.

He said they loved to talk, have company and that their stories were so much more interesting than anything he had experienced before. He did well. Because his students liked him he was able to get a lot of referrals. And referrals if you are a tutor count for a lot!

So understand first that you have a special ability. One that people are willing to pay you for. And sometimes very well! Then realize you have an opportunity to expand your world over and over. And lastly, realize to do any of it you are going to need to take action. So go, check out the ESL Jobs on ESLjobfair.com and find a job teaching ESL abroad. You’ll thank me later!

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