Teaching English

I'm planning on doing a RTW trip pretty soon, and have had lots of people tell me that teaching English is one of the best ways to earn money while traveling. Have any of you done this? Is it a good idea to get certified? If so, what school did you use? How did you find work doing this?

Thanks!

I worked in South Korea as an english teacher for three and a half years...I suggest going to South Korea preferably Seoul. There are dozens of advertisements in the Newspaper for techers check out www.englishspectrum.com it posts all jobs in South Korea. You may want to hook up with a recruiting agancy first and try a job through them your first year than go on independantly though the web site I just gave you. Good oppertunities in South KOrea I would suggest starting there. I liked Korea alot and it's a comfortable lifestyle you may like it...

Maria

It can be a great way to earn some extra income and spend a longer time abroad. In East Asian countries, a TEFL certification is not necessary but in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, you'll most likely need a certification. The pay is very good in East Asia and the Middle East but not so good in other areas. In the Middle East you will probably need a master's degree to teach. I found work teaching English in Japan through the internet and in Chile I just found work when I got there. Big companies that hire English teachers in Japan include GEOS, AEON, and ECC.

I am completely baffled by people working for years to save up $30k for a round the world adventure (that probably only lasts a year anyway). And then they return home with nothing, just to go back to the same thing they were doing before. It sounds kind of silly to me.

I think teaching English is the smartest way to travel the world for virtually nothing while saving lots of money in the process. People really don't seem to realize the advantage of simply being a native speaker! Free airfare. Free apartment. Good pay. Lots of vacation time to travel. I am getting paid to see the world! And when I do decide to return home one day I will have plenty of money saved up to buy a home in cash.

Here's a pretty good article on BootsnAll about teaching English abroad:

Teaching English in Thailand: A Survival Guide

And don't forget our TEFL travel guide for more in-depth information.

A long time ago I looked into it and there are some drawbacks to teaching abroad that made me decide not to pursuit it. For starters, I didn't want a career in education, eventually I would have to come back and look for a job in the field I wanted to work in. Most employers (especially in certain technical fields) will give very little weigh to work experience teaching abroad. Whether I work abroad one year or ten, when I eventually came back, I would have to compete with fresh college grads for entry level jobs in my field. In terms of money, teachers seem to make roughly what a fresh college graduate would make in the US (under 30-40K). Which was attractive to me at the time since I was a new college grad, but salary does not seem to go up by much even with years of experience (someone correct me if I am wrong). The more I researched it, the more I realized that it wasn't for me. I would be in a foreign location, but I wouldn't really be traveling. I'd have to stay put in one place.

Don't get me wrong, some people love it, but there are plus and minuses. I would do it only if I had a passion for teaching, not for the money or the novelty of being in a foreign place (which I suspect would wear off eventually).

I spent a year teaching English in Japan, and it was a truly wonderful experience. To counter the previous paster's point about being stuck in one place and not really travelling - of course that is true to some extent, but you get plenty of opportunities to travel around the country you're living in, but more than that living in a place allows you to gain a far deeper insight into the people and the culture than you ever could do from a travelling stint. You get to know many locals who will take you to places and show you things you'd not have seen or experienced otherwise. Yes, this happens when travelling too but never to the same extent. Also, the everyday experiences of living in a completely different culture opens you up to things you'd not notice by travelling through.

I love to travel to new places as much as I can, but I wouldn't change my year of living in Japan for anything - the most rewarding experience I've had.

I have a friend who once taught English to Korean students now she's in Japan teaching English..
She's convincing me to try and apply but I hesitated before..now I want to reconsider..as I read some posts here and the article from hydro, i never thought teaching English will be more than just 'teaching'

I'm considering this as well, not so much to fund a pay-as-i-go trip, but as a way to stretch savings. I'm certified to teach Language Arts and Social Studies in the US and have a BA and JD, but I don't have any TESOL certs. I'd love to hear from anyone who has worked "pick-up" jobs as the traveled.

I wouldnt say teaching english is one of the best ways go about it for every traveler out there, but it is an option. As another person mentioned if teaching isnt your thing then consider something else that might better suit your goals. Although my friend is teaching in China and loves it. I actually interviewed him about his china teaching experience on my website.

To make it work for him, he is teaching english as well as doing distance education classes with an American University to get his masters in business, so when he leaves China he has higher education. I think that is a great way to make it work double is to combine it with another opportunity so you dont have to start from scratch upon your return.

Consider too that there are loads of things you can do to work and travel that are often overlooked. 12 months work and holiday travel in New Zealand or Australia. Location dependent freelance work over the web. Cruise ship employment. Go somewhere and find work on craigslist or something like that.

Anyone know if they prefer non-Asians to Asians to teach English in Asia?

I'm Asian-American (born/raised in SE Asia, now American by citizenship). My English is good, I have a Bachelors degree here in the US.

Also, looks like I probably can't apply to the JET program until end of this year. Should I spend this time getting certified in something? Be it TEFL, or the Japanese language?

They won't care where someone is from as long as their English is good. What they really want is native English speakers, so it depends on what you mean by "my English is good". If you're as good as native then you won't have a problem. If you speak with a non-native accent that may be an issue, but it really depends on what any specific school is looking for.

As for TEFL - I got a TEFL certificate from an intensive course, but it wasn't essential for getting a job, but it did help with confidence and ideas. There are plenty of jobs outside of the JET program too, unless you have a particular desire to work in High Schools - I found the language schools far more appealing personally.

A knowledge of Japanese is helpful of course - in you day to day life rather than in teaching, since that should be in English. I would imagine though that if you worked in a High School you may need a bit more Japanese than you would working in a language school.

Thanks Hideo.

Hi guys, I'm not sure if this is the correct place for this question but I've been looking at TEFL courses with a view to spending a few months Volunteering to gain experience. Ive seen this course by Global English which says that it is accredited by the ACTDEC. Could anyone tell me if they have had any experience of this company or has ever heard about ACTDEC before.

Here's the link http://www.global-english.com/iso.htm

Thanks in advance.