You’ve got your plans for the trip of a lifetime sorted out and the countdown is on to your departure day. There’s just one little thing that has got you stressed: what will happen if I run out of money? Maybe you feel the need to spread your wings for longer than just a few short weeks, and you’re keen to settle and explore in one place for longer than just a short holiday. Have you considered teaching English as you make your way round the world?
Teaching is one of the most incredible jobs you can have: it can help you understand local traditions and ways of life, not to mention the honor of getting an insight into an entire culture, wherever you choose to look for a job. By teaching English to either children or adults as you travel, you could be making money while exploring literally anywhere in the world! Join us as we consider 7 great reasons to travel and teach English abroad.
1. Live the digital nomad life
You may have noticed that many countries are now offering digital nomad visas: a brand new class of visa created by some countries to combine aspects of existing visas with brand new elements tailored to those working remotely. This means you can become an online teacher and make any extra cash you may require from the comfort of your home, or perhaps while you enjoy your travels. It may even mean that you can legally take a remote teaching job abroad on a long term basis. Time to review those digital plans!
2. Meet new people by teaching in person
One of the most satisfying ways to make money (and a difference!) is by teaching people all around the planet. You can teach almost anything you know about (provided you speak the local language), or you can teach English anywhere in the world! You can explore the French Riviera while teaching in France, check out the Great Wall of China while you help locals learn the basics of English, or just about anywhere in the world that you care to think of!
In-person teaching means you’ll have to spend longer in one place, and this is an amazing way to actively integrate into the local community. Plus, there are excellent communities around teaching, and some schools actively seek to retain their staff by providing excellent training programs and perks. You get the privilege of meeting new people and learning about their traditions, culture and perspectives on life: what could be more rewarding and enriching!
3. Excellent materials made especially for English learning
The days of boring lessons spent repeating phrases back to the teacher are now a thing of the past. Lessons with varied and interesting learning methodologies built in are now the norm in English teaching, so you can wave goodbye to worries of fusty textbook and worksheet based lessons for good! A simple search will return a plethora of goodies: from classic texts for reading lessons, to finding writing lessons in a blog post – you’ll be covered and you can have opportunities to teach English abroad.
4. You get to decide where you will live
You can be the director of your destiny and choose the kind of experience you would like whilst you are traveling! Do you want to have a chance to get to know small villages, islands or towns with a traditional way of life, or would you prefer the thrill of fast-paced business and metropolitan areas?
Perhaps you are the kind of person who is naturally drawn to life in the fast pace of a big city like Tokyo, Rome or Beijing. Alternatively, maybe you’d prefer to see a different side to life in smaller towns and rural areas where you can truly be part of local life and get to know what a country has to offer outside of the normal tourist traps. Either way, it is best to decide before you start your search.
5. Schools are everywhere, and they need YOU!
Imagine, if you can, a town without a school. Can you think of one? Not that easy is it! There are towns with less than 100, or less than 50 residents that still have a school, which tells you everything you need to know: where there’s a school there’s an exciting opportunity for you to teach, ready to be discovered!
From the USA to Korea, from France, Brazil and New Zealand, there are literally thousands of options just waiting for you. What does this mean? It means that there are thousands of locations for you to work, live, play and explore, all accessible with just one TEFL certificate! The world really is your oyster!
6. You can teach online too!
That’s right, with the world at your fingertips now more than ever, it has become possible to learn English to a very high standard through the miracle of online learning. Don’t be fooled into thinking that online classes are dull and lacking in interest either, as you will find this not to be the case.
Teaching online gives you the freedom to choose where you live, whether for a couple of weeks or a month, and means you could be learning what a French person’s life is like one lesson, before getting to grips with Chinese life in the next! This is great news if you are interested in teaching for an online school and avoiding the anchor of a physical location to keep you tied to one place. You can stand to earn the upper levels of pay if you have a TEFL certificate with upwards of 100 hours of teaching included.
7. You can design your own schedule
How much time do you have that you are willing to use for teaching? How much extra money are you looking to make? Some schools will happily let you take a few classes here and there without too much commitment, others will want you to be there for the same students, week after week for an entire course. Be honest with yourself about what you need, and how you are prepared to invest your time.
