When you think of travelling and teaching abroad, you may think of all of the potential adventures that lay at your feet. You may think of various destinations that you’ve been dreaming of visiting. You may not think of the more mundane, bureaucratic steps that you need to take first to fulfill those dreams. By ensuring that you meet all of the important requirements needed to become a TEFL teacher, there is nothing that will then get in the way of you teaching and exploring the world.
Be informed
To teach English and travel abroad, you don’t necessarily need to have a degree that is relevant to languages or linguistics. It’s more than enough for some employers that you at least hold a degree in any particular field. As an English teacher, you will need to have a good understanding of what constitutes fluency in your language, and the various levels of English. An academic environment, such as a university, would expose you to a high standard of English usage, as these are the environments in which C1 and C2 English is generally used. Moreover, you’ll probably be training students who want to study abroad at university, so by holding a degree you will be equipped to prepare them for that experience.
This isn’t to say, however, that TEFL jobs are unobtainable without a degree. Merely that by getting your degree, you could be opening doors for yourself with regard to job opportunities. More importantly, teaching English is usually a temporary job for many who want the opportunity to travel. Your degree could be your next step after your adventures across the globe. And it is those adventures and world experience that will give you an edge over other candidates in future interviews for whatever follows next.
TEFL Qualification
In any English teaching role, you will be required to have a qualification to teach English. Whilst being a native speaker is an advantage, you will still need to be able to explain the rules behind why something is expressed in the way that it is. English learners need grammar rules as a foundation and you will be responsible for helping them establish that foundation. A TEFL qualification will train you in the various ways to achieve that, so that you never feel blindsided by the various grammatical questions that will be thrown your way.
Many native speakers of any language speak without much thought given to grammar. As a teacher, this is something you’ll have to start paying more attention to. A TEFL qualification is a great refresher of your own language and grammar, that will also teach you which parts of your grammar are appropriate for every level. You will learn to simplify how you talk for lower levels, as well as to drop any colloquial and grammatically incorrect ways of speaking, or slang, to avoid confusing your students. An indepth look at your language will also show you what’s useful to filter in terms of corrections. It wouldn’t be useful to correct an A2 student’s use of the present perfect if they are not at a level to understand the correction.
Teaching experience
So, you’re qualified, but where can you teach English with no experience? This shouldn’t be too much of a concern as it isn’t a requirement for the majority of schools, as detailed in The TEFL Org’s recent post. Schools sometimes even prefer teachers without experience. By employing a teacher who is fresh to teaching, they can train them up in the way that they like to do things. This is quite a common phenomenon, especially if you find yourself teaching in a private language school with their own teaching method. Therefore, a lack of teaching experience should not be too much of an obstacle.
It’s never a bad idea to bring something else to the table instead, when lacking experience. If you have a good idea of where you’d like to go, then try to find the time to learn the local language. For those that have never studied another language and might find this idea daunting, ecstasycoffee.com has some solid tips on motivating yourself to get started. Not only will this strengthen your applications to various schools, it will also make your transition to becoming an expat in a foreign country a little easier.
Visas
Many countries will require a visa. Often schools help teachers aquire this, but in any case, it’s important to be prepared for the process, cost and to do it as far ahead of time as possible. Without one, you may end up missing out on your opportunity. With this in mind, always do your research on the expectations regarding documents that you need before even applying. Don’t be afraid to utilize the school as a point of information and ask them as many questions as you need. They may even be able to put you in touch with current teachers who went through the same process, and could give you some advice.
If you’re an EU citizen, staying in Europe to teach may mean no visas. Nonetheless, you will still need to declare your residency in your country of choice. You may also need to apply for a healthcare card, or you could otherwise decide to opt for travel insurance. Be sure to check with the schools to see if they can give you a complete list of what documents you’ll need to complete. If you do not speak the local language, recruit a native speaker to go with you to make the process as smooth as possible.
As a whole, travelling and teaching abroad is very much like any other job. It has its own red tape, and hoops to jump through. What separates teaching English though, is that once you’ve ticked those necessary boxes, there is a world of exploration and experiences that awaits you. All it takes is a little organization, and remembering that once that first little hard bit is done, it’s done until you head to your next destination. And by then, you’ll be a pro.
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