Live and Teach Overseas

For many that wish to relocate overseas teaching English as a foreign language is the best way to get a first job. However, after doing just a rudimentary examination of the job market you will find yourself perplexed by the many choices. Let’s face it this whole teaching English has become a cottage industry that is not regulated and hence subject to many scammers.

When you start out in any field it is always advisable to obtain the best credentials you can afford. While this may mean you may have to postpone your plans for a while in the long run it will turn out better for yourself. So what criteria should I use in determining the best education available?

When looking for a certificate to teach English I would look to the certificate the seems to be the most respected by other teachers. For many this seems to be either the Trinity TEFL/TESOL or the CELTA and this is for good reason as the course is intense and you obtain practical classroom experience.

So if you can find a CELTA or Trinity TEFL/TESOL course in your area then great! However, sinc e you plan on using this certificate to teach overseas wouldn’t it be better if you obtained this certificate outside of your own country? I think it would show your willingness to travel and relocate, which is the whole point of you getting this certificate. Furthermore if you are in a predominately English speaking country then your students are going to be more aware of the language then if they were from a different country. Essentially your classroom experience will be different depending on where you take the course. This can affect your viewpoint on the job and to the whole experience of teaching. I think the more realistic you can get the better off you will be in the future.

So in order to get started teaching English as a foreign language it would be most advisable for you to obtain either a CELTA or a Trinity TEFL/TESOL from a country that does not have many English speakers around. This will give you the best experience in learning how to teach to those that will be your target audience in the future.