Where Your Certification Can Take You
If you’re in the process of looking for cheapest TEFL certification programmes, you’re probably already keen to become an overseas English teacher. But what kind of teaching work will you do once you’re qualified?
You may be planning to go abroad and teach English in China, India, or in a South American educational establishment, and that’s certainly one option. However, it isn’t the only possible career path you can follow. So, before you start writing up your CV, let’s take a look at where your TEFL certification can take you.
Teaching English Abroad
Of course, it goes without saying that once you’ve obtained your TEFL certificate, you can head overseas to teach English in a school or other educational institution. Over 1.7 billion people worldwide are currently learning English, so there’s plenty of demand for teachers in countries across the globe. Even if you have no college degree, if you’ve obtained your TEFL certificate, you can teach English professionally abroad in as many as 50 different countries. That gives you plenty of options when it comes to finding the best location for you.
The salaries offered to overseas English teachers will vary depending on the job type, how much experience you have, and the country that you’re relocating to. However, in most cases, even newly certified English teachers can make a comfortable living. Certain countries like South Korea offer outstanding benefits for English teachers, too, including paid vacations, airfares, and even free accommodation.
As well as the financial advantages of teaching English abroad, you’ll also experience some personal benefits too. You can truly immerse yourself in the culture of the region you’ll be living in. You’ll be able to become part of the local community and grow as an individual while also making a real difference in the lives of your students.
Where Am I Able To Teach English With TEFL Certification?
Native English speakers who have a college degree, as well as a TEFL certificate, can work as an English teacher in up to a hundred countries worldwide. Even those without a degree have dozens of options to select from.
You can find private language schools that specialise in English in most major cities in Europe, including Rome, Istanbul, Madrid, and Prague. Latin America is also a hotspot for English teachers, with countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Chile welcoming certified professionals, even those with no degree, with open arms.
The biggest global market for English teachers has to be Asia, with nations like China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, and Thailand recruiting thousands of professionals every year. If you would prefer to teach children English, Asia is the best place for you to go.
Although the Gulf States tend to prefer English teachers with a degree and experience, newcomers to the profession can still find opportunities in the Middle East, with countries like Turkey, Morocco, and Egypt all welcoming those with TEFL certification.
Teaching English Online
While going abroad to work in a language school is a popular option among those who have obtained their TEFL certificate, it’s certainly not the only option. Something that many prospective TEFL educators don’t realise is that they don’t actually have to go overseas to teach English. Thanks to the latest technology and speedy Wi-Fi connections, TEFL professionals today can teach online in a virtual classroom instead of physically jetting off abroad.
While many people undertaking TEFL accreditation programmes are doing so specifically so that they can work overseas, there are some individuals who, while wanting to embark on an English teaching career, are unable or unwilling to travel. Educators with young children, for example, may prefer not to uproot their entire family in order to fulfil their dreams. Online English teaching, for them, represents the perfect solution.
Others want the flexibility and freedom to explore the world at will, teaching, and earning as they go. For those individuals, being tied to one school or institution would mean being stuck in a single location for an extended period, which doesn’t fit in with their plan to see many bucket-list destinations. In such cases, teaching English online opens up the possibility of travelling freely while delivering classes to students over the Internet. As long as they have a reliable Wi-Fi connection, they can make money on the go, doing the job that they love.
There are numerous online companies that give TEFL-certified professionals the opportunity to make a living virtually anywhere, whether on the move or in their own homes. One of the best things about this career path is its flexibility since you can easily find students who want to take classes at a time that will suit your needs.
Working As An Independent English Tutor
If you’re a TEFL-certified native English speaker, another option open to you is to work as an independent English tutor. A large number of refugees, immigrants and international students residing in English-speaking countries decide to seek out private tutoring to help them enhance and improve their English language skills.
As a qualified TEFL professional, you can work in your own home country, taking advantage of the growing demand for private English tuition. You could work either in-person or online, pursuing your chosen career on either a full-time or part-time basis. You’ll be able to control your own schedule and set your own rate of pay, two things that can make the effort involved in recruiting students well worth it.
The World Is Your Oyster With TEFL Certification
When you get your TEFL certificate, you have the world, quite literally, at your fingertips. You can choose to work in a language school virtually anywhere in the world, work as a tutor or online English teacher in the comfort of your own home, or even explore the world while you take classes in a virtual classroom. Whichever option you choose, you can be sure that you’ll enjoy a rewarding and exciting career where you can make an enormous difference in the lives of your students.
