If you want to teach English overseas it can open up a world of exciting possibilities including the opportunity to see other countries (while getting paid) the satisfaction of helping others and the chance to gain valuable teaching experience. You might consider teaching English overseas purely as a way to travel, many people do and you will certainly have a birds eye view of its people and culture since you live among them for extended periods. On the other hand many people find that they truly love the teaching experience and find it very rewarding to help others to improve their language skills.
Here is an overview for those who want to teach overseas.
There are many myths circulating about teaching English overseas, one of which is the ‘you don’t need to be qualified to teach overseas, all you need to do is speak English!’ myth. This was indeed true in the past but now that the market is flooded by suitably qualified people it isn’t easy to find work without qualifications. Before you sign up to teach English overseas you need to ask yourself the following pertinent questions:
1. What are you looking for?
Think about what interests you about teaching and your options based on your experience. Make contact with others working in this field such as teachers, former graduates, and colleagues you can meet online. A good resource for this step is
Dave's ESL Cafe Job Discussion Forums.
If you want to teach English overseas, you need find out if there is a market for the skills you are going to acquire in your preferred geographical location. You may have to be prepared to go where work is available. Of course this could lead to work in a preferred location so don’t discount this option.
