How to Become an English Teacher Abroad

Teaching English abroad is the perfect opportunity to experience another culture and explore a country from a perspective different than that of a tourist. However, taking the first step can be daunting because of the plethora of information available online. In this blog post series, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions about how to become an English teacher abroad and explain in detail.

Before we delve further into the content, let us introduce ourselves—the people behind Rapid English Fluency. We are ESL and ELA teachers from different countries. Together, we have a total of 21 years of experience teaching English to students of varying ages, from preschoolers to working professionals. We’re here to guide you as you prepare to teach English abroad.

Do you need to be a native speaker to teach English abroad?

Many people think that teaching English abroad is reserved for native speakers or those who are from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, other countries where English is the lingua franca. Let’s get it straight: you don’t need to come from these countries to become an ESL teacher. Why not? Because being a native speaker doesn’t automatically make you an English teacher. It just makes you an English speaker. It is worth noting that being able to teach English requires more than just speaking the language since childhood or growing up in an English-speaking country—teaching requires training.

What level of English proficiency do I need?

As a teacher, you’re expected to have an excellent command of the language; that’s why native speakers have an advantage. Non-native speakers can still compete, though, as long as you are able to prove that you have mastered the English language and are trained to teach. You can take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to show your language proficiency.

Should I have previous experience teaching English?

Not all countries require teaching experience prior to working as an English teacher, and those that usually require it are countries that pay high salaries. If you want to stand out, having a college/university diploma or even a teaching certificate may not be enough to help you land the English teaching position. At the end of the day, it is your experience that will set you apart—even from native speakers. Before exploring the opportunities abroad, start by teaching in your home country for at least a year. Teach English online as a freelance English tutor or volunteer at youth clubs. By doing so, you will gain valuable experience and hone your teaching skills.

Which country should I teach English in?

There’s a long list of countries to consider as you start your teaching journey because countries in Asia, Latin America, and even Europe need English teachers! So, how do you choose? To help you decide, follow our blog because we’ll have separate posts about the best countries to teach English. Stay tuned.

Do I need an English teaching certificate?

As previously mentioned, being a native speaker doesn’t automatically make you an English teacher; it makes you an English speaker. Ideally, you should have a teaching certificate—especially if you are switching careers and coming from a different industry. An English teaching certificate adds to your credibility. This means that you just don’t know how to speak English, but you also know how to teach English. Through these training sessions, you’ll learn how to create lesson plans, assess your students’ needs, evaluate student performance, and implement appropriate teaching strategies.

Which certification should I take between TEFL, TESOL, TESL, CELTA, and DELTA?

The choices seem endless when it comes to selecting an English teaching certificate, but they only have one objective. These teaching certifications are all aimed at training you on how to teach English. If they all have the same purpose, which one should you choose? Discussing each certification one by one would make this post longer than expected, so be sure to follow our blog to get alerts about our future posts. In those posts, we’ll discuss each in detail and help you decide which English teaching certificate is best for you.

Takeaway

This is just the beginning! There’s much more to these answers that await you. In the next series of posts, we’ll explain each topic in detail to help you narrow down your options. Follow us to learn everything from how to choose a country to teach English to which certification you need to land the teaching job.