let’s start at the most logical place- with you. Personality and your own history and experience heavily factor into where you want to go, what you want to teach, and how long you expect to do it. Your ideas on these topics may change over time, (maybe by the time you finish reading this book!) Regardless, it’s good practice to establish a “baseline” for your expectations.
So, ask yourself these questions: Who are you? And, what do you want?
Write your answers down in a notebook or on a scrap of paper, and come back to it later to see if it has changed.
Sidebar: Do I need to speak the language?
This is probably the most common question that will be asked of you when you tell people about your decision to teach English overseas. The answer’s simple; No.
Actually in many countries, especially Asia, your employers will actually discourage you from using the native language in the classroom. Again, this is not pedagogically or scientifically founded by any means; in fact, having a true bilingual teacher is widely acknowledged to be the best case scenario for budding language learners today. However, it has long been the educational style of the day to teach only in the language of instruction; English. This little bit of history and style that has (as of yet) refused to go away has opened up a career to thousands and thousands of native English speakers around the world.
Personal Evaluation
Now, let’s consider your background in a little more detail. This is essential for determining what jobs you are qualified for.
Consider your Education
Education is probably the first thing that you need to consider. For most decent paying jobs (that is to say those that are not volunteer, or living below the poverty level) you will probably need at least a bachelor’s degree to get a visa in a foreign country and teach. (However, if you’re only looking to teach English, during a holiday, as missionary work, or through charity- then this probably doesn’t apply to you.) However, most people who are going into teaching English are doing so, at least at some level, for economic remuneration. If you don’t have a B.A. at this point, you may be out of luck in any for profit teaching endeavor.
In many cases, education, and the type of education you have is directly related to the countries you can get into, and the companies or schools which will accept you. If you’re starting out in teaching abroad fresh out of College, and have no ESL certificate or endorsement, then your best bet in terms of countries is limited. You will probably be limited to somewhere in South Korea, China, or Japan. Both South Korea and China accept people with only a bachelor’s degree and no formal English Teacher training. Japan does as well, but is a little more selective on its applicants and depending on your location, you may have to fly to an interview site in the US or UK to “try out” with hundreds of other would be teachers. You may also find marginal employment and places like Mexico, Chile, Thailand, and Vietnam. However, as a general rule, most respectable employers that you might want to work for will require some sort of endorsement for teaching English. Luckily, this is not hard to get if you put your mind to it.
If you’ve spent any time on the Internet you know that you can get an ESL or TEFL certificate very easily; simply by paying for one. While this is slightly unethical, the truth is that in most entry level jobs this sort of certificate will work just fine. If you’re only going to be working for one or two years to pay off loans and do not intend to make any sort of career out of English teaching, this may very well be the way to go. I’ve also met many dishonest people who have fake degrees, certificates and even doctorates, which have been accepted by less than thorough hiring committees! (I don’t advocate any dishonesty at all. Generally, you will learn things the hard way if you don’t learn it in school). Also, don’t expect to learn anything if you get your degree from a “diploma mill” that just makes money off of granting fake degrees. Education is a great idea (even if it is just a little bit.) If you are at all concerned about the perception of yourself and your country abroad, then it would be a good idea to go with some idea of what to do in the classroom. Once you are on the job, however, you tend to learn fairly quickly if you pay attention. So, the decision of what type of training to pursue is up to you. We will discuss the types of training available next to help you flesh out your ideas on the subject.
If you want to increase your chances of gainful employment (in a job that you also have a shot at enjoying), and develop some good skills in education on the way, it’s highly recommended that you take a reputable certification course. There are a range of provider’s available; Oxford seminars, Trinity TESOL and Cambridge examinations- to name a few. The most basic programs are ones that you can take online. In truth however, the real hallmark of a “high quality” training course is an observable teaching component or “practicum” (which necessitates face to face instruction in an actual classroom by a trained professional.) Reputable courses usually are 120 hours of training, part of which (30 hours or so) is observed teaching practice which is then evaluated. You can also get different endorsements; for Youth and Young Learners, Academic s, Adults, or Literacy. At the beginning, stick with the most general course you can and shy away from these endorsements until you really know what you are doing.
Notes on Education
If you are a graduate qualified, mid-career professional looking to switch jobs you will probably have a world of opportunities open for you abroad. Still, a basic course on English teaching methods is recommended so that you have an idea of how to teach effectively.
In terms of certification, be wary of “destination certification” courses (i.e. webpages which exhort ’Get TESOL certified in Beautiful Spain!’) Often these sites promise immediate job placement after training. There is almost always a “catch” (usually a high tuition fee.) Destination programs vary in quality as a rule, and unless they are backed by one of the “big names” above (Cambridge, Trinity, or Oxford), are generally scams and should be avoided.
Wait! What about my degree! Does Field of Study Matter?!
Yes and no. Having a degree in English, linguistics, or language related field is a definite plus; at least from a practical standpoint. However, it is by no means necessary when you’re first starting out. Lots of people with degrees in economics, art history, underwater basket weaving, or liberal arts have made a go of teaching English abroad. People seem to assume because there is a high level of qualification required from teachers in the United States, England, and Australia that this must be true in other countries. While this may be true for some public school teachers in very selective countries, it is usually not true in the private sector, and definitely not true in most countries with a high demand for English training. Remember much of the “product” being sold in English language teaching is more about advertising and selling “the dream” than actual language training services. (That is not to say that you can’t provide both though!)
If you are serious about getting into teaching as career, you should be aware that the industry itself does tend to segregate people based on their educational background, especially where elite positions are concerned. Therefore, if you are looking for University work as a Professor, or upper-level business training assignments at well-respected organizations , you should probably have a bachelor’s degree, and most likely a graduate degree in a relevant field of study such as English language teaching, TESOL or applied linguistics- and a good deal of demonstrable experience if you expect to get hired.
Experience
This is another question you should think about. A good start is to list your teaching experience if any. This may very well be “zero” if you are reading this book as a beginner.
