Country Profiles

My Hit List

Brazil! Japan! Spain! Egypt! Australia! Chile! France! Oh my! Is your teach abroad hit list thicker than your passport? Want to travel and teach everywhere, but not sure where to start? With limitless teaching opportunities, how does one decide?

Teaching English abroad is certainly a very exciting and gratifying career choice. Very few other professions exist that offer so many people from differing educational and professional backgrounds access to such a wide scope of employment opportunities around the globe.

In some countries, teaching English can be a very lucrative option. However, when deciding on where to live and teach, financial rewards are not the sole issue to consider. So how does a teacher decide?

Our Self-Inventory

For most newcomers to the ESL industry, making the decision of where to teach can be overwhelming simply because so many teaching opportunities can be found all over the world. For that reason, Travel & Teach Abroad (TATA) has created a self-inventory to help guide teachers through the decision process.

Our self-inventory is a planning tool. It was designed to help English language teachers do a better job of bridging the gap between their teaching careers and travel goals. Our self-inventory asks a series of questions about teachers' educational backgrounds, teaching experiences, personal interests and financial goals. By investing a bit of time and effort in answering the following questions, teachers should be better able to isolate which areas of the world will best meet their needs and interests.

Please Note: The following self-inventory is only meant as a guide. When going through the decision making process, you should consider your overall answers. Information on this site may change regularly. Therefore, users are required to check regularly for any changes.

Travel & Teach Abroad Self-Inventory

1. Which culture are you most eager to learn about?
2. What kind of teaching qualification do you have?
3. What is the highest level of education that you have successfully completed?
4. How much teaching experience do you currently have?
5. Is paying off debt one of your first priorities?
6. How long can you commit yourself to employment overseas?
7. Is learning a new language, or becoming more proficient in one you already speak a priority?

1. Which culture are you most eager to learn about?

   Deciding on where you are going to live is a major decision no matter if this is your first time overseas, or your tenth! Considering the answers to the following questions will help guide you to the decision that is right for you.

   • Language - What is the official language spoken in your host country? How important is it for you to speak and read the local language? How comfortable will you be conducting your weekly errands without speaking, or reading the local language? These questions are a good place to start the process of elimination. Although you can teach anywhere in the world without speaking the local language, you should certainly consider how you will cope living in a place where you cannot communicate in English. For instance, not speaking French can be a nuisance in France. However, not being able to read Chinese on a map while navigating around China is another matter. Fortunately, employers do not typically expect teachers to speak the local language. Rather, they encourage English immersion and therefore discourage teachers from speaking the local language with students. In some countries such as China, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan, English teachers who teach in public schools may do so alongside a local teaching assistant to help with translation if needed.
   • Culture - What are the cultural and legal restrictions imposed in your host country? How comfortable will you be with any restrictions on dress? When considering teaching and living anywhere, teachers should practice due diligence and research the culture well before committing to a lengthy contract.
   • Leisure - Consider which leisure activities are important to you (e.g. cooking, dance, art, rock climbing, paragliding, etc.) and which leisure activities will be available to you in your host country.
   • Weather - Think about the region's weather before you decide if it's the right place for you. How well will you cope with extreme heat, cold, humidity, or dryness?
2. What kind of teaching qualification do you have?

   Teaching opportunities have been increasing worldwide and there has been no indication that this is going to change any time soon. Nevertheless, as teaching opportunities increase, so does the competition for jobs. As a result, an increasing number of schools around the world require that teachers have a minimum teaching qualification. Whereas 10 years ago simply speaking English was enough to secure a job, today most employers recognize that this just isn't enough. Therefore, the type of teaching qualification you possess is not only important to secure work, but also relevant to the areas of the world you wish to teach. The best initial qualifications, which are widely recognized around the globe, are short courses of 120 hours. The most widely taken initial qualification of its kind is the Cambridge CELTA (www.CambridgeESOL.org/teaching). Another well-known teacher training course is the TESL Diploma (www.tesl.ca). As with other professions, the more teaching qualifications you have the better! Generally, increasing ones qualifications and experience usually leads to higher remuneration. To learn more about certification, check out our Get Certified page.

3. What is the highest level of education that you have successfully completed?

   COUNTRIES THAT REQUIRE DEGREES

   Before jumping straight into the job application process, please note that visa requirements can vary from country to country and this can change from month to month. In some countries a university degree is mandatory in order for governments to issue a work permit. Although it is certainly possible for teachers to gain employment abroad without a degree, a wider scope of jobs is available to those who have one. Generally, a university degree in any field is better than none at all. But some countries may go further and specify the degree required.

   Unless otherwise stated, the following countries currently require a university degree in any field as per immigration rules:

   • South Korea*
   • Japan**
   • Taiwan
   • Thailand
   • Indonesia***
   • Vietnam
   • Malaysia
   • Ecuador
   • Saudi Arabia
   • Kuwait
   • Other Countries****

   *South Korea: Although, the South Korean government strictly requires that all ESL teachers hold a university degree (in any field), there is one loop-hole through a government funded program called TALK (www.talk.go.kr). Teachers who hold a minimum of two years post-secondary education can qualify and apply for work through the TALK program. For detailed information about TALK, please visit their website.

   **Japan: For those who are 31 and under, a holiday work visa can be obtained and allows Canadians to work in Japan for a maximum of one year. Please see Foreign Affairs Canada for more information.

   ***Indonesia: The Indonesian Education Department has recently put strict regulations requiring foreign ESL teachers in Indonesia to hold either an English Literature degree, or Humanities degree with an English literature minor.

   *** This is not an exhaustive list. Visa requirements can change monthly. For this reason, Travel & Teach Abroad advises teachers who do not hold a university degree to check visa requirements with the host countries' consulates before they invest a lot of time and effort in applying to teaching vacancies.

   COUNTRIES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE DEGREES

   Of course, hundreds of teachers who do not have university degrees obtain employment overseas. As a starting point, you can begin your search knowing that other countries than those stated above will typically take teachers without degrees. If you are unsure about where you can legally work, check out Anywork Anywhere at (http://www.anyworkanywhere.com), which includes information about visas. Once you've narrowed down your search, check with the host country's consulate to be sure.

4. How much teaching experience do you currently have?

   If you have a recognized teaching qualification and:

   • Less Than One Year's Teaching Experience: You will have access to a very large number of jobs, but not necessarily all over the world. Some countries offer high remuneration packages. Therefore, employers in those countries can be pickier about who they choose to hire and can require 2+ years teaching experience. Countries such as the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, and Oman, for instance, very rarely hire newly qualified teachers. A great place to begin a teaching career is Asia. Still to this day, Asian countries present the largest number of teaching vacancies. Teachers with little, or no teaching experience can also find work in Latin American countries as they are generally not as picky about teaching experience.
   • 1-2 Years Teaching Experience: You will have access to a large number of jobs around the world and can afford to be pickier. This is typically the time in your English language teaching career where you will have access to more competitive salaries. Larger and more competitive chains of schools will also seek you out. Teaching opportunities in popular destinations such as Spain, France, Italy, and the Middle East will now be more accessible.
   • 2+ Years Teaching Experience: You will have the pick of the crop! Teachers with a few good years of teaching experience under their belts will have access to a wider scope of jobs across destinations around the world, potentially higher remunerations, and gain access to senior positions (e.g. Head Teacher, Assistant Director of Studies, and Director of Studies). If climbing the corporate ladder is something you are seeking, joining large chains of schools such as International House, which has a large presence in Europe and the Middle East, as well as 150 schools worldwide, and offers many senior development opportunities, would be ideal.
5. Is paying off debt one of your first priorities?

   One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much money can teachers earn?" Like any profession, the answer to that question will depend on your teaching qualifications, the number of years of experience you have, the responsibilities and duties of the current job you are applying to and, most importantly, the destination of choice. But whatever your qualification and experience, it is crucial that you consider your finances before relocating to some underdeveloped nation as noble and tempting as that may be. Remember that it is important that you have some financial reserves and that your monthly bills back home are taken care of before you are ready to make the leap abroad.

   If paying off debt is one of your priorities, the following countries offer some of the best options:

   • South Korea
   • China
   • Taiwan
   • Saudi Arabia
   • Oman
   • UAE

   If paying off debt is not your main priority, other paid opportunities around the world will allow you to live a comfortable, if not a high standard of living. Schools around the globe typically offer competitive salaries to foreign teachers. Teachers generally earn 2 - 4 times more than locals do. This allows foreign teachers to live a privileged life: to eat out regularly, to travel extensively around the area, and to shop much more than they normally would in their home countries.

6. How long can you commit yourself to employment overseas?

   The most common initial employment contract for teachers is for 12 months. Satisfied teachers and schools can then choose to extend the contract. However, shorter contracts are sometimes available.

   Europe: Your best bet for short-term work in Europe is by far over the summer. There are many excellent short-term teaching opportunities ranging from several weeks to a few months. During the spring and early summer months, the UK alone advertises hundreds of teaching vacancies for positions in July and August. These opportunities mainly originate from summer schools catering to the numerous foreign students coming over from other E.U. countries.

   The Middle East: Teachers seeking short employment commitments in the Middle East will be disappointed. At present, it is extremely rare for employers to offer anything less than a 12 month contract. Although the majority of contracts are presently 12 months, some schools can sometimes go as far as asking for a 24 month commitment. But teachers who commit to longer contracts are typically generously compensated.

   Asia: Similar to many other destinations, the most typical contract in Asia is for 12 months. However, schools every so often provide 3, 6, or 9 month contracts. The best place to begin your search for short contracts is with China, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

   Latin America: Arguably, Latin American countries offer the widest range of contract lengths varying from several weeks to several months. Check out the Latin American portion of our site for details.

7. Is learning a new language, or becoming more proficient in one you already speak, a priority?

   Although it is unnecessary to speak the language of the home country, countless schools around the world provide free language classes to their teachers during their free time. For linguists, this is a match made in heaven! Here are just a few of the most popular options:

   • Arabic - Egypt
   • French - France
   • Italian - Italy
   • Mandarin - China
   • Polish - Poland
   • Portuguese - Brazil, Portugal
   • Russian - Russia
   • Spanish - Spain, Argentina, Colombia, Chile