So, the other day, one of you wrote me saying you were interested in teaching abroad, but didn’t even know where to start looking for programs.
First of all…awesome.
I l o v e it when you guys reach out to ask about making a life abroad! Throw any/all questions my way!
Although I heard of my program, CETP, through word of mouth, there’s loads of other ways to research teaching abroad options. Whether you’re looking for something long term or short term; or whether your have zero teaching experience or your Master’s in Education, there are options for you! Maybe you have a TEFL degree burning a hole in your pocket, or maybe you just want to see what kind of future is possible for you. Either way, here are 5 sites with listings for jobs teaching English abroad. Happy hunting!
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LOVE TEFL
When companies are selling you TEFL courses, it only makes sense that they’d want to hook you up with a job where you could put your knowledge to use. I actually found the LOVE TEFL job board through i-To-i TEFL, where I got my certificate from. Something I appreciate about LOVE TEFL is that you don’t have to complete any course or download loads of brochures just to access their job board. I actually registered myself, just to see what the process of job hunting on there is like, and it looks pretty smooth to me! You create your profile with your teaching experience/education level, age preferences, and a cover letter and resume. When you find a job that looks interesting, just click “apply” and all of your information is filled in and sent to the company!
Dave’s ESL Cafe
Don’t be fooled by its minimal layout–Dave’s ESL Cafe is a massive message board of teaching English as a Second Language jobs. This one requires a little more work on your part; while the offerings are many, you have to sort through and determine which companies you feel comfortable with. There’s no program provider to mediate for you and hold your hand, and you have to do your research to make sure your chosen program is legit. But Dave’s ESL Cafe has been providing job listings to teachers for a long time.
Also!!–If you have dreams of teaching in Asia this could be a good place to start–there are job boards specifically for teaching in Korea and China, as well as an international job board.
Go Overseas
As the name suggests, this site details a lot of different avenues to transition abroad besides teaching. They also have sections for volunteering, studying, and taking a gap year abroad. If you’re stuck on ideas of which country to start searching in, no worries. They have a “Popular Places to Teach Abroad” list that will take you through to job listings in France, Italy, Spain UAE, and China, among others.
CIEE
CIEE is known for their extensive selection of study abroad programs, but did you know that they have programs for teaching abroad, too? If you like the idea of having a built-in support system as you move your life to a different country, then teaching through a program like CIEE might be a good option for you. Of course, all of that support and handholding comes with a fee (which often also includes orientation, the TEFL fee, and local health insurance). Fees hover around $2000.
Some of the programs have a language requirement (like a few in Spain), but others require nothing else but for you to show up! And if you don’t have your TEFL yet, don’t let that be a barrier–you can opt into an intensive TEFL course before your teaching placement begins. Currently, CIEE has teaching placements in Chile, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, and Vietnam.
EF
Education First is a giant in the international education industry. They provide English schools and programs at centers all over the world…so of course those schools need teachers! Most of the European programs require you to already have the right to work in the EU…so don’t go counting on those for a visa sponsorship. However, EF also has many listings for teaching in Asia—China and Indonesia especially. And if you like the idea of working with international students but you want to stay Stateside, there’s opportunities there too. EF has English language centers across the States, and often they need to hire activity planners or residential advisors.
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Teaching English abroad is a huge adventure, wherever you go. These five websites can connect you with a whole new world! While searching, remember–trust your gut! If something looks too good to be true, make sure you do your research before paying any program fees or signing any contracts. But for the most part, what awaits you is adventure. The search starts now! Good luck!
Where would you like to teach abroad? Tell me in the comments below!
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