Best Places To Teach English Abroad
Best Places To Teach English Abroad
If you’re thinking about taking the leap, these are the best places to teach abroad. They are the top TEFL destinations because:
You may also be interested in our top 30 countries to teach abroad. Otherwise, let’s dive right into our list of the best places to teach abroad starting.
East Asia
Perhaps, it’s East Asia that has the highest demand for English language teachers. Think about countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Although salaries are generally high, these countries also have a higher cost of living.
Nevertheless, if you can find a language school to work in East Asia, they usually pay the cost of your flight and housing. This is why when you want to save a lot of money, then we always suggest going to East Asia.
Almost every country in East Asia requires a Bachelor’s Degree and a TEFL certificate. On average, you can earn $2,500 – $3,000 USD per month in East Asia.
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia also has a high demand for English teachers with reasonable salaries. Coupled with a lower cost of living, it has the potential for you to save a decent amount of money.
Think about countries like Thailand and Cambodia which are highly sought after by English language teachers. This part of Asia has some of the few countries that you can reach without a degree like Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar. You can make anywhere from $750 – $1,250 USD per month.
Our Top 3 Picks
Central and South America
It’s challenging to find a job in this area of the world because employers don’t go through the trouble of sponsoring teachers from abroad. Job postings are sparse and salary levels are the bare minimum without much ability to save money. One option is to enroll in a TEFL internship program.
Needless to say, you are more likely to get accepted for a job in Central and South America if you are situated there. Some of the biggest markets for TEFL are Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil.
Even though it’s difficult to find legal work and you have your eyes set on their area, it’s still entirely possible. On average, you’ll earn anywhere from $600 – $1,200 USD per month. But it’s all about the experience that matters in South America like this video that describes teaching Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Europe
Europe is a popular destination for TEFL teachers including countries like Spain, France, and Italy. Unfortunately, it’s challenging to get a position in Europe without being from an EU member country.
With that said, there are government programs that can help arrange a visa to work legally in Europe. Peak hiring in most of Europe is in early September. Generally, the requirement to work in Europe is a Bachelor’s Degree and CELTA certification.
If you’re looking to teach in Europe, here are some of the top programs that we recommend applying for:
Our Top 3 Picks
Central Asia
The whole TEFL industry is in a startup state in Central Asia. Although it’s less established in countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, it’s becoming an area of growth for teaching job placements in the world today.
Additionally, teaching English can be a great way to learn about other cultures and build cross-cultural bridges between people from different parts of the world. Although these countries often are overlooked in the world of TEFL, they are rich in culture and distinction that can only be experienced first-hand.
The Middle East/North Africa
Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Dubai are known for having some of the most rigid requirements for hiring English language teachers. In most markets, you often need to be a qualified teacher or have a high-level experience as a teacher.
There aren’t a lot of jobs that hire entry-level teachers but your best chance is in North Africa such as Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. While salaries can be quite high in the Middle East, they drop as you enter North Africa. For example, you can make up to $4,000 USD per month in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Central Africa
Most English teaching opportunities are volunteer-based from organizations like the Peace Corps. Look for volunteer groups that cover your flights, medical, monthly living allowance, and housing.
Some of the popular destinations to teach English in Africa include Tanzania, South Africa, and Ghana. However, the official languages in these countries are already English so the intake of teachers is not terribly high.
Additionally, there are often limited resources available for teaching English in Africa, so teachers have to be creative in their methods and lesson plans. However, if you are passionate about teaching and are willing to overcome these challenges, teaching English in Africa can be a very rewarding experience.
What Are the Best Places to Teach Abroad?
These are the best places to teach abroad that offer English teaching jobs. But before you take the plunge, here are some of the questions you should ask yourself.
We hope you’ve found answers to the questions you are looking for what are the best places to teach abroad. But if you still need some help with finding your journey, please let us know with a comment below.
These listed salaries are slave wages. $36,000 per year is good money for a university-educated native speaker? On what planet?
Maybe you’re not considering the lower cost of living or that many Chinese schools provide an apartment to their ESL teachers for FREE. Before you jump to conclusions, you may want to research how much it costs to live in each of these places. These wages could go farther than you think.
Exactly. Context is key. I teach in China, and what you can make here depends on your connections and your game. People are begging me on the streets to tutor their children, and were I a younger man (as in “teaching in every available venue”) I could do far better here than I could in the US. But the Bottom Line is Cost of Living, which is quantumly lower than in America. Combine that with free housing, food allowance, and medical insurance–which are usually part of the standard package– and you have a hard-to-beat deal.