Finding A TEFL Job Abroad
These pages contain a wealth of information for any budding English Teacher wanting the inside scoop on TEFL jobs abroad.
Getting A TEFL Job Abroad - Where To Start Hopefully, by now you've made it through your TEFL course. Well done! You'll be pleased to know that we're reliably informed and understand ourselves that it's easier to find work than it is to get through the course!
Even if you're not qualified yet, you can get the ball rolling right now, and for certain options you can start applying to get your first TEFL job lined up whilst you're studying your TEFL course. Teaching English abroad can be approached from a number of different angles. The two main choices are to source your TEFL job before you go or source it on arrival. Increasingly, people are heading abroad in search of TEFL jobs, rather than trying to do it from home. It might seem a bit of a risk, especially if you're on a tight budget, but we really think this is worth considering - particularly for the more competitive destinations, including southern France, Spain, Italy and Thailand. If you're planning on getting a TEFL job in Europe, the abundance of cheap flights makes this more accessible, and by having enough money to survive the first month or so, you should be able to source work fairly quickly, possibly by working part-time for a couple of schools before landing a longer term contract with the school/location you want. Our TEFL course graduates report that it's a good idea to try and hit the country at a time when schools are recruiting - in Spain, for example, the best time to arrive is in September when the private schools have a large increase in student numbers and need new teachers. The key to securing a TEFL job out of season may be to head for places that are off the beaten track, such as more medium sized towns and less touristy areas. The bottom line is that if schools can source teachers locally, then they usually do. If there are not enough teachers available locally then a school will advertise internationally. topFinding A TEFL Job In AdvanceThe number of language schools that advertise their TEFL jobs in the foreign press or use an agency are in the minority. The majority depend upon local adverts, word of mouth, personal contacts, the internet and direct approaches. Therefore a speculative job hunt for TESOL/TEFL jobs has a much better chance of success compared to other areas of employment. To successfully market yourself only 2 things are needed:
If you don't yet have a CV/resume targeted towards the TEFL/TESOL industry, then this is the first thing you should do. You will find full CV writing advice and a CV template in our Applications Section. Remember your attitude and personality are probably just as important as your educational achievements and you should highlight these in your cover letter and mission statements. The other essential ingredient is a list of addresses. The most comprehensive source of English school addresses is to be found in the yellow pages. The majority of countries post this information on the internet at http://www.yellowpages-international.com/. Unless your making use of a TEFL job placement service, It can be difficult to set up a TEFL job by correspondence only. It is a good idea to follow up any hint of interest with a phone call. The best time to call is 6 or 7 weeks before the term starts or before the predicted start date of any job. It is normal for the school to speak with you before they will commit to hiring you. Some schools will want you to have a face to face interview. Sometimes the school will have a contact in your country that will conduct an informal interview on their behalf. Other schools will be happy to make a commitment based upon your application and telephone interview. Take a moment to put yourself in the position of the school. You would prefer to meet your employee in person if possible (hence popular locations do most of their recruitment locally). You will want a commitment from your new teacher; you won't want to be left with no teacher if they don’t turn up. You will want a happy, enthusiastic person that will have fun with your students. You will want them to have a strong clear voice that the students can easily understand. Locations where it is more common to source your job before you go are:
It is very possible to locate a TEFL job in these countries on the spot. Some of the reasons recruitment is done internationally is because these countries are less frequented by tourists, there is a large demand for English teachers and geographically they are a long way from the employees’ home country. Claire Pullman, Spain says: “After sending off my application to 10 schools in Spain I received correspondence back from 3. One school was very enthusiastic but it wasn’t located in the south (where I longed to live). The other two schools sounded ideal. I called them both and spoke with the Director of Studies each time. It was hard for me to make a commitment based on one call and the schools were keen to learn more about me. I decided to splash out £150 and fly to Spain with my bags. I thought this way I could see the schools for myself and the schools could meet me. Both schools were great and the one in Marbella offered me the job right there. I guess me flying to Spain demonstrated my enthusiasm and commitment. With hindsight I could have come to Spain without applying for jobs from the UK but it did teach me about the local employment market and helped me decide what I wanted. I never did use that return to the UK.” Applying for TEFL jobs in advance is definitely a good idea if possible. It will enable you to learn about the types of positions available in your country of choice and the extent to which they are internationally advertised. You may also land your perfect TEFL job from the comfort of your own home. If you decide that you would like secure your TEFL job on the spot the information and contacts you make at this initial stage could prove invaluable. As a starting point it will also give you some schools to visit initially on arrival. You may also find that warm initial interest could turn into a firm job offer when you demonstrate your commitment by arriving in the country. Teaching Private TEFL LessonsAs an English teacher abroad it is very likely that you will be approached to participate in private teaching. Many learners prefer private tutoring because it often works out cheaper than attending a English language institute. By visiting students in their homes you can keep costs down and don’t have to incur any large overheads. To work as a private teacher you must be resourceful and prepared to provide all materials and equipment. Resources are something you do benefit from when working for a good school. As a private tutor you may also miss out on other benefits such as holiday pay, training and health care. It is common for teachers to work for a language school and then take some private lessons to supplement their income. Before taking on extra work you should make sure it is allowed as part of your contract and/or visa regulations. In some cases you may risk losing your visa if you teach privately without permission. You will find that most schools will be OK with you doing some private teaching, just so long as it doesn’t interfere with your full time job, and of course so long as you are not pinching their pupils! You will need to be somewhat of a salesperson to be a full time freelance teacher, particularly if you want to teach English in companies. Selling yourself is all part of the job. If you are a good English teacher you will build up a group of students by word of mouth. This is usually how it happens if you are working as a freelance English teacher outside of your regular teaching hours. Ways to get yourself noticed:
Advantages of private/freelance teaching:
Disadvantages of private/freelance teaching:
If you are more interested in cultural exchange than making money, a great way is to offer English lessons in exchange for room and board. You can even exchange language lessons, i.e. your host teaches you Spanish, whilst you teach them English. Diane says: “When I was travelling in Australia I decided to find a teaching job in Japan. Whilst in an internet café in Perth I noticed several advertisements for language exchange from Japanese travellers. I decided to do it and found it a great way to learn some Japanese language and culture before going to Japan. I definitely think it helped me to settle into Japanese culture.” Finding TEFL Jobs OnlineThere are hundreds of web sites on the internet that post current TEFL job adverts. We have extensively researched all known sites. We have listed what we believe to be the best sites. All the sites listed below are professional, have current jobs and have a selection of employment opportunities throughout the world. The links below provide excellent and some of the best internet resources.
Volunteer TEFL TeachingFor those interested in humanitarian volunteer work you may wish to look at the websites listed below. These opportunities often provide a living allowance but a teacher should be motivated to help those less fortunate than themselves. VSO is run by the British government and Peace Corps by the government of the USA. Voluntary Services Overseas - www.vso.org.uk Peace Corps - www.peacecorps.gov Considering Taking A PGCE (UK)?Many of our trainees come to us with the idea of doing a P.G.C.E course following some time out abroad. Teaching English is a great way to get some experience before taking a P.G.C.E, and will undoubtedly help your application. To find out more details about taking a P.G.C.E take a look at the following website: Finding TEFL Jobs Offline (UK)Far fewer print adverts appear these days since the rise of the internet. In the UK it is worth buying the Guardian on a Tuesday to check the TEFL job classifieds in the education section. You may also check the Independent on Thursdays and the Times Educational Supplement (TES) on a Fridays, although don’t expect more than a few international job ads. Internet users can save themselves £1.20 (and about 2 trees) by accessing TES classifieds on the internet via www.tesjobs.co.uk. Search jobs and place TEFL in your search box. Vacancies are posted at 7:30am on a Friday. Major International TEFL EmployersThere are some major chains of schools around the world that have their own internal recruitment that will help you find a TEFL job within their group. The biggest ELT employer in the world is the British Council with over 60 language schools, offices in over 100 countries, and over 7500 staff. Avalon House Bell Language for Life Benedict Schools Berlitz British Council EF – English First ELS International Language Centres English Town Inc GEOS International Schools Inlingua Lingurama OISE |
| Privacy Policy | Terms | Links | 4W |Home Study Courses|TEFL Courses | © 2002 - 2010 HuntESL
| » TEFL Job Introduction |
 |
| » Finding a TEFL Job |
|
| » TEFL Job Travel Advice |
|
| » TEFL Job Resources |
|
| » TEFL Job Forum & Blog |
|
|
"Ten Things You |
|
|
|
|
FREE REPORT!
