Teach English Abroad & See the World
Do you want to spend six months or a year living and traveling abroad, but don’t have $10,000 or $20,000 to fund such an adventure?
Would you like to live as a local in Tokyo, Rome or Buenos Aires and get paid?
Do you dream of walking to work every day along the cobblestone streets of Prague or Florence, or through the colorful street markets of Bangkok or Saigon?
Do you want the satisfaction of performing a valuable public service while traveling the world and experiencing the adventure of a lifetime?
If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” then teaching English abroad could be right for you.
From Seoul and Shanghai to Milan and Istanbul, hundreds of millions of people study English, creating an unprecedented demand for more than 250,000 English instructors. While many confront the most challenging job market in generations, gaining an internationally recognized TEFL certification (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) provides both viable and accessible job opportunities as well as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see the world while gaining invaluable work experience.
Teaching abroad allows you to experience a foreign country as a local where you can become an integral part of the community, interact with local citizens on a daily basis and build friendships that will last a lifetime.
In addition, it provides a perfect vehicle for the international travel that you seek. For example, as an English teacher in Czech Republic such great destinations as Germany, Hungary, Austria, and Poland will be within easy reach. Or consider teaching in Vietnam, and you could easily find yourself taking holidays in China, Thailand, or perhaps among the entrancing ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Where Can I Teach?
A native English-speaker with a university degree and a TEFL Certification will have the potential to teach English professionally in up to 100 countries around the world from Latin America and Europe to the Middle East and Asia. Even without a BA, you can still teach in roughly half of the countries of the world including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, China, and Spain, as well as many countries in Latin America and Eastern Europe.
How Much Money Can I Make?
In most countries, particularly in Europe and Latin America, most first-time English teachers make enough to pay their bills and live comfortably with enough money to sight-see, travel and enjoy the country where they live and work. For those looking to make extra money, consider Asia, where English teachers typically save 30%-50% of their salary after expenses and in China and Korea, schools typically provide teachers with airfare and free housing. The most lucrative destination is typically South Korea where a first-time English teacher can save $10,000 – $15,000 a year and that can easily fund 3-6 months of travel in Asia or anywhere else!
The first step is to just be bold enough to make a call to a TEFL school and a dream of living abroad can come true.
About the author:
Bruce Jones is founder of International TEFL Academy based out of Chicago, IL, and was a sponsor of our Chicago event. He started his TEFL certification school after his 2-year, 20 country journey backpacking around the world from 2001-2003. His vision was to help inspire and assist others to live abroad and see the world. You can see his journey on his personal website MyWorldTour.
Leah on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:12 am
I really enjoyed reading your post. I am thirty-two soon and have itchy feet that are ready to try out foreign soils.
It is a fear of leaving the security of the day to day grind of paying the bills and living a safe and non-challenging way of life that has put me on hold for some time.
I hope (as it has I) your post will inspire others to go and follow their bliss – Leah 🙂
Patricia GW on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:54 am
Travel and experiencing a new culture really has put it into perspective, and filled that void with purpose (and joy).
In three weeks I’ll be moving to Paris myself for one month. I have the same feeling – the incredible surreal realization that I’m going to be living there…. it’s thrilling!!
Abby on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 2:11 pm
Oh, Jenny! Escargot isn’t palatable — it’s delicious! I love your writing style; it’s so fun and energetic. Can you believe how far we’ve come? Everyone, Jenny and I were in the exact same industry and have known each other online and via work emails for years and years. But we’ve only met once, many, many years ago. And one of those jobs she was sleeping next to her BlackBerry for was one I’d just left. And now she’s 33 and living abroad, just like I was last year. Kindred spirits. Jenny, you’re a true inspiration — I can’t wait to see how your adventure unfolds!
Debbie Beardsley on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 3:22 pm
Your life in Paris sounds ideal. It is nice to read about people who follow their dreams instead of wishing they had! Enjoy the rest of your journey.
Terriaw on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 1:40 pm
Wow, fabulous and well said! I love your new outlook on like. After experiencing career burnout and feeling a little lost and purposeless lately, you have encouraged me. I look forward to seeing Paris someday!
Jenny on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 6:50 pm
merci for all the sweet comments! @abby we are soooo kindred spirits! well except when it comes to our differing feelings on escargot…;) and congrats patricia on the move! thrilling indeed!
shawna on Thu, 9th Jun 2011 1:32 am
you’ve reawakened my travel bug. must. return. to. france. (someday.) eat a croissant for me!
Weekly Travel Blog Links — LandingStanding on Mon, 13th Jun 2011 6:16 am
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G. Michael Schneider on Sun, 19th Jun 2011 3:36 pm
I am a firm believer in living and working overseas, just as you described. However, many of us actually like our jobs and our homes and are simply looking to renew and refresh our lives, not change it. However, you can have the same type of cultural experience without having to reach into your own wallet and without having to quit your day job–by taking what I call a “working vacation.” My wife and I have done this 15 separate times, from Australia to Zimbabwe, Turket to Tibet, Mauritius to Mongolia. I describe how to do it in my blog otherguysdime.wordpress.com and via Twitter at @otherguysdime. Learn how to have fun without having to have burn any of your bridges behind you.