English Teaching Jobs Overseas

English teaching jobs overseas are very different from jobs teaching English in your own country.

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If you are teaching students in an English speaking country such as the UK, the USA, Australia or Canada, then the students will be much more likely to have settled there.

Students

If you are teaching English overseas, then your students will probably be attending lessons not to survive in an English-speaking country, but for a specific purpose.

They may be: 

• Children or teenagers whose parents want them to get better grades 
  
  
• Adults who need to improve their English for their job
  
   
• Students who want to study English at university level
  
  
• Or they may want to immigrate to an English-speaking country in the future
  
  

Subjects

Bearing this in mind, the subjects you teach may be a little different than the ones you teach students who are living in the US or the UK.

How to call the police, book a doctor's appointment or use a phone book aren't relevant to someone who wants to improve their high school grade or be able to have management meetings with English-speaking colleagues.

Overseas students will probably want to learn more grammar, but they will also be very curious about the customs and culture of your country so be prepared for lots of questions!

The teacher

If you are teaching overseas you will need to be adaptable.

• You will need to adapt yourself to a new culture, and you may find yourself teaching a variety of ages and abilities – wider than you would back home
  
  
• You may also be asked to travel between different sites to teach, and to work unsociable hours

Despite these negative aspects of the job, there are also so many benefits to teaching English overseas.

• You will be able to travel almost anywhere in the world to do your job (visa and work permit permitting) 
  
  
• You will have the opportunity to see and experience things that not many people do
  
  

Where to go, and how to get there

If you are thinking of working overseas, you need to consider which countries would be right for you.

If you hold strong religious or political views you may be limited; it wouldn't be sensible for a devout Christian in favor of equal rights for women to go to some parts of the Middle East, for example.

You also need to think about food, climate, and distance from your own home. This can be a bigger factor than you think.

When you've decided on a location, or a short list of locations, start searching for jobs. Use the internet, teaching magazines and newspapers, and any contacts you may have in your chosen country.

Your new employer should offer you some practical help, and possibly financial help, to settle into your new home and new job.

Take whatever help they offer, go with an open mind, and you should have great experiences that you will treasure for the rest of your life.

There are many English teaching jobs overseas; find the right one and you will be happy.

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