Making the decision to teach English abroad is extremely exciting, but can also be fraught with confusion and anxiety. Questions about certifications, your education background and experience can leave you paralized with information overload. By the end of this post, you’ll have enough information to set you on a successful path toward teaching English abroad. You may be asking yourself …

“How can I teach English abroad?”

In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into some of the most essential requirements to teach English abroad and address some frequently asked questions on each topic.

Education

Do you agree that if you want to educate someone, you should be educated enough to teach them first? I hope you’re nodding your head. Where the lines tend to cross usually comes from how we define education.

Do you need a university degree to teach English abroad? Yes and no.

If you’re wondering, like many of us, why in the world a kindergarten would need someone with a four-year degree, there are some things you should consider. Is the kindergarten part of an international school? If so, your credentials have to reflect international standards (university degree plus teaching license). Is the market in that area competitive? If so, a school can (and should) try to get the most qualified teachers on the market. Finally, are there restrictions on the visa application that require candidates to have a university degree? This is a teaching English abroad requirement that has been passed down by the government and out of the hands of the school.

What if I don’t have a university degree, are all bets off? Not at all.

But I won’t lie—your job search will be much more competitive  (which might translate to a lower salary or harsher working conditions) and more limited in terms of the places you can apply. I have and always will maintain that I do not advocate getting a degree just for the sake of teaching English abroad. It is totally possible to teach English abroad without a degree, but you will have to be steadfast in your determination to land a good position.

Certification

If you don’t have a four-year degree, then I highly, highly, recommend getting a teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) certificate. A TEFL will help you pad out your resume with relevant education and experience, depending on which course you choose. A TEFL might be one of the most important requirements to teach ESL abroad.

Based on my 10+ years in the industry as both a teacher and recruiter, I would recommend you take a course that requires, at minimum, a 6-hour teaching practicum (where you teach non-native English speakers in a real classroom setting). I can’t tell you how much more prepared you will be having taught throughout your certification. It puts into perspective all the theory you learn and gives you more meaningful methods for teaching English as a second language. There are thousands of certifications on and offline, and choosing the right one can be difficult. If you need more guidance in this area, I’ve prepared a 20+ page manual to help you make your decision within 30 minutes.

Experience

Do you need teaching experience to teach English abroad?

Depending on the kind of job you’re looking for, experience - or lack thereof - won’t matter all that much. For English training centers like English First, Wall Street English, or Disney English, hiring fresh graduates or those with little to no experience is preferred because these companies can mold you into the kind of teacher they need. However,  if you’re looking for top quality jobs (e.g. international schools) you’re going to need at least two years of experience. If you find it hard to get experience at home, look into doing some volunteer work that you can get documented. You should also be aware that visa requirements might dictate that two years of work experience (not necessarily related experience) is required for a work visa.

Money

Do you need a large stash of money before you go abroad to teach?

The answer will depend on where you’re going and what benefits you have been offered as a teacher. Again, pulling from experience of having taught in five countries, I would say have your finances in order in three main areas before you go:

• Emergency money for a plane ticket home (this could also be a credit card that you have in case of emergencies). If things go south, you should have a way to get out of dodge.

• Enough money to live without receiving a paycheck for a month. It usually takes at least a month before you get your first salary. Some schools will give you an advance, but don’t go hoping for one. You need to consider the cost of relocation, which would include basic things like kitchenware, bedding, toiletries, and food budget. If you have to use public transportation, you might need to calculate that as well.

• Enough money to cover financial responsibilities back home for a month. If you have student loans or any other financial obligations, you need to make sure they are covered for at least a month so you don’t get hit with late fees. If possible, you might ask for forbearance for a month while you get settled into your new job.

How much is enough money?

It’s easy to find out the cost of living in almost any part of the world. With the information I’ve given you above, you can quickly calculate what you might need for that first month. In order to get this right, however, you need to make sure that your school is being up front and honest with you about what you’re expected to cover and what they will help with.

When I moved to China in 2008, it was the year of the Summer Olympics and the government was frantically trying to squash all the fishy visa practices that were happening at the time. Unlucky for me, I was told by the school that it was normal to go over on tourist visa, then turn that visa into working visa - only I wasn’t told that I’d have to not only pay for this whole process, but fly from Beijing to Hong Kong TWICE (on my own dime) in order to do it. Everything I had saved for my new life in China vanished within a couple of months because I didn’t/couldn’t do my due diligence in researching this school and the visa laws. I was far too impatient and it cost me big time.

Documents

What kind of documents are required for you to teach English abroad?

Besides your resume and TEFL certificate and/or degree, you might be required to provide university transcripts, a criminal background check and physical check from a doctor in order to get a visa. These documents might also require notarization or attestation, depending on the country.

If possible, I’d recommend getting your work visa before you leave your country. There’s almost always additional work you have to do in the new country to get a residence permit, but try to plan ahead so you can avoid having to rush around once you arrive. Check country-specific expat forums to see what a “normal” visa process looks like and if your situation falls in that category. Keep in mind you may need to bring or send your original documents in order to process the visa. Additionally, make sure your passport has more than one year left before it expires and enough blank pages for your visa and residency permit.

Honorable mentions:

A Command of English

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

Absolutely not. And if this were the case, 2/3rds of ESL jobs wouldn’t be filled. Countries like China are even piloting programs targeting places like the Philippines to provide more English teachers. The important thing here is your command of the English language needs to be high (that goes for both native and non-native speakers). Teaching English is more than the ability to speak it; you need to be able to explain grammar rules, phonemic sounds, and a whole host of other ideas - and you need to be able to do it for people who don’t speak your language.

The Right Attitude

Will I need to be a “natural” teacher in order to teach English abroad?

No, but you need to have the right attitude. For some, teaching English abroad is an escape from their boring and tedious lives back home. That certainly was the case for me. But on top of that, I genuinely loved to teach. If you think that teaching English abroad only requires a warm body in the classroom, think again. It’s a hard job. Sure, in the 90s and early 2000s a lot of places didn’t know what they were looking for when they hired foreigners to teach abroad. As a result, you have lots of OGs talking about their crazy adventures abroad with minimal teaching involved. While you may still find places like this scattered throughout the industry, schools now have a far better understanding of what you should be bringing to the table. And if your attitude is “you should be glad I’m here” your journey abroad will be a long and arduous one.

Still craving information about teaching English abroad?

Read up on Everything You Need To Know About Teaching English Abroad.

Then Ask Yourself 25 Thoughtful Questions You Need To Answer Before You TEFL.