What Do I Need to Teach Overseas?

It is really easy to learn how to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) overseas – and even easier to get a teaching job in places like China or South Korea where thousands of teachers are needed right now.

Why are so many teachers needed? English is the international language of communication. If people are going to communicate with the world, they need to speak, read and write English. The Internet has really boosted English as ‘the’ language of communications. It has also helped boost international business and English is a common language for international managers to use. Some Asian countries such as Malaysia now teach Science and Math only in English!

So how do you go about finding a teaching job?

It really helps if you have a college or university degree. The degree does not have to be a teaching degree. You can find some teaching jobs without a degree but sometimes it is more difficult to get a visa from the local government without one. Also, many more jobs will open to you, and probably better paying ones at that, if you have a degree. As with most jobs, the more education and credentials you can bring to an employer, the more valuable you are. If you don’t have a degree, your market will be limited but not impossible – if you can show schools that you have a TESOL certificate.

What is TESOL? TESOL stands for ‘Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages’. You will see ads asking for CELTA - a British qualification that stands for Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, or TEFL - Teaching English as a Foreign Language. TEFL is the same as TESOL. CELTA focuses on teaching to adults. You are better off with a TESOL certificate because it teaches you ESL methodologies applicable to all ages. If you apply to teach overseas, chances are you will find yourself teaching in a regular school, either primary or secondary. Then, you may decide to moonlight by teaching adults in the evenings…or you may be approached to do so.

Ideally, you should have a college degree AND a TESOL certificate. If two candidates with college degrees apply for the same job and you are the one with the TESOL qualification…you will be the one that gets hired!

The next step is to post your resume where overseas schools and teaching recruiters will find it. If you do this and if you have both a degree and a TESOL certificate, you will be in demand and job offers will start pouring in! Seriously!

So how do you get a TESOL certificate? You can search on Google, Yahoo or any search engine for “TESOL Course” and will turn up many priced from $300 to well over $1,000. How do you know which one to select? Most courses are classroom ones but there are many respectable schools offering online certification now. Taking a course online helps because 1) you don’t have to commit a block of time for classroom attendance, 2) you can take the course from anywhere in the world and 3) online courses are usually at the low end of the tuition scale. After all, they don’t have the same overhead as a bricks and mortar institution.

Whichever school you select, be sure that you are getting a solid bank of different methodologies – not just one or two; that the methodologies include contemporary ones such as CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) and that classroom activities are included.

Be sure also that the school has been established long enough to have a track record of producing successful teachers. Find out if the school will help you to find a teaching job.

If you are excited about the possibility of teaching overseas, you should be. Teaching in a foreign land is a mind-broadening experience. Aside from helping thousands of people to learn how to communicate in English, you will have opportunities to learn about different cultures, taste exotic foods, see unbelievably beautiful parts of the world and grow as a person and make a difference as an international educator. International experience will look great on your resume as well!

Dr. Robert Taylor Copyright©2006