ESL Requirements
Teaching English around the world requires many things. Depending on where you go and what type of job you want, what you need is different. Generally speaking, you’ll need to meet the following requirements in order to teach English overseas:
* Be from an English speaking country.
* Have a bachelor’s degree.
* Have a TEFL/Celta certificate.
* Have some experience. (optional)
All countries require that you be a native English speaker. This means from the UK, US, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. While some countries will hire Filipinos, they typically prefer Western employees.You will also need a bachelor’s degree from a 4 year accredited university. It doesn’t matter what your degree is in. Whether you have a degree in biochemistry to English to yoga, the schools and countries just want to see a degree. While some countries and some schools might overlook this and will hire you under the table, for credible schools and top countries like Korea, U.A.E, or Japan, you will need to have a university degree.
While experience is not required, it helps, especially with the high paying jobs. If you have a valid teaching degree or a TEFL certificate, your chances of getting hired dramatically increase. Having a teaching degree from a Western university will pretty much guarantee you a job, even without experience, at the majority of government, private, or language schools.
Some countries will require you to have a TEFL degree. The majority of language schools don’t care and will trade experience for the degree. Since so many people want to learn english abroad, there is always high demand for teacher and sometimes that means schools overlook certain requirements in order to fulfill this demand. However, many countries will not issue work visas without a TEFL. Be sure to look at not only the school’s requirements but also the country requirements.
International schools usually seek someone with a degree, experience, and a teaching certificate in the subject matter they are applying for. These schools are just like teaching in your home country and not meant to be a pit stop for backpackers seeking to earn extra cash Corporate training jobs will also require a degree and business experience. If you have a TEFL and a MBA, that will also help.
In sum, a teaching English generally requires a BA and experience while higher paying positions will also require a TEFL and a teaching certificate.
