How to Prepare to Teach English Abroad

How can I get ready to move abroad and teach English?

There is no need to be scared to move abroad and start a new career teaching English, but of course, it's important to prepare. Here are some key questions to consider:

1. How will I get a job teaching English abroad? You can start by looking at jobs noticeboards online like www.tefl.com and www.eslcafe.com and by researching the jobs market in the country you wish to move to on Google. I've outlined these steps in another post here.

2. How can I find out more about my new employer from overseas? Google is your friend here. You should be able to look through the website of the school that has employed you and there will sometimes be reviews available to read too on Google or Facebook or elsewhere. You can also have a look on the country specific pages of the TEFL section on Reddit.com and in some cases, there will be Facebook groups for English teachers in different cities and countries abroad.

3. What qualifications will I need? The most widely recognised English teaching qualification in the world is Cambridge CELTA. The course can be taken in four weeks full-time, or over 3 months part-time and it includes practical teaching practice, whether you complete the course online or face-to-face.

4. What about working visas? A reputable school offering you work as a teacher abroad will need to be aware of which passports you hold so they know if you need visa sponsorship. A lot will depend on the part of the world. In Asia, it's very common for schools to sponsor visas for English teachers coming from abroad, whereas, in Europe, some schools are more likely to give preferential treatment to teachers who already have an EU passport, but this will vary from school to school and it should be part of your initial research before applying for a job.

5. What else do I need to know before I travel? There are lots of considerations to take into account before you make the move, and you may receive help from your employer with all of these, but some things to think about or research before moving are:

   • medical insurance

   • accommodation

   • learning some of the local language

   • settling in costs

   • costs of living, of bills, groceries, utilities, transport etc

   
   

   If you're not sure about whether teaching English abroad is right for you, you can book a Zoom consultation with us here.

   
   

   About the author:

   Dr Connor O'Donoghue hails from Ireland and he started teaching English as a foreign language in Poland in 2003 and he became a CELTA trainer in 2008. He has taught and trained in Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Slovenia, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Connor also holds a Masters and a PhD in Education from Trinity College in Dublin. He has previously managed large teacher training centres in Vietnam and in London before founding DC Teacher Training.