If you’re anything like me, your dreams of traveling the world and exploring new places have you itching to hop on a plane and plunge into your next adventure abroad, but your wallet just isn’t thick enough to support your wanderlust. Don’t get discouraged because there is a way for you to turn your travel dreams into a reality and get paid while you’re at it. Really, I’m not joking!
The demand for English teachers abroad is higher than ever. Schools across the world are making English a part of their core curriculum and they’re looking for eager native English speakers with travel fever to do the job. No teaching experience? No problem! Even if you have never taught a day in your life, as long as you’re a native English speaker, all you have to do is grab your TEFL (Teaching English as a foreign Language) certificate and off you go! The typical contract length is about 12 months, many of which include accommodations, paid vacation time and in some cases even food! All you have to do is scrape some money together for your TEFL course and your plane ticket and you could be teaching abroad by this time next year!
The first thing on your to-do list is to choose the right TEFL course. Your best bet is to start by finding a reputable course provider that is well-connected and supportive. I recommend i-to-i because their TEFL courses are independently accredited and as a global organization with over a decade and a half of teacher certification under their belt, they’re seasoned experts. They offer everything from basic to comprehensive TEFL courses, so whatever your TEFL training needs are they’ll be able to match you with the right course at a great price that you can complete quickly and from anywhere with an Internet connection! The cherry on the sundae is that once you complete your course and become TEFL certified through i-to-i, you can take advantage of a free, life-time connection with their jobs team who can help you land a contract with one of their many partner schools in places like Japan, Indonesia, Georgia, Ecuador or South Korea to name a few. They’ll even hook you up with over 8,000 job contacts worldwide so you can land the globetrotter’s ultimate dream job. Your only dilemma will be where to go first!
If this sounds enticing, but you’d like to find out for sure whether you’re cut out for it, I recommend taking this short TEFL Taster. It only takes 10 minutes and it’ll give you a better understanding of teaching English abroad and what a TEFL course is really like. If you’re already convinced that TEFL is for you, the Taster is a great tool because it will help you determine what kind of TEFL training you’ll need and which destinations might suit you best.
Next, make sure that you download your free copy of TEFL Uncovered which is the ultimate guide to teaching your way abroad with TEFL, written by James Jenkin, an industry expert with a vast amount of experience developing TEFL & TESOL programs for most of his career. TEFL Uncovered is a great resource that will help you explore course options, job opportunities abroad and the secret to TEFL success.
Last but not least you should visit Chalkboard, a fantastic online TEFL community made up of all kinds of cool people who have one thing in common – Teaching English as a foreign language. On Chalkboard you can connect with people who have taught abroad, are currently teaching abroad and of course others like you who are just beginning to plan their TEFL adventures. Enthusiastic TEFLers all over the world are constantly posting new stories, photos and videos on their Chalkboard blogs to share their unique experiences teaching abroad with others who are looking to do the same. You can post questions in the forums and get answers from people who are out there living the TEFL dream. Or you can just read through the interesting blogs and posts to get a taste of what it’s really like to teach in different countries all over the world. It’s really easy to sign up and it’s free. All you need is a username + password and you’ll be on your way!
How far will TEFL take you?
