4 Reasons Why Teaching English Abroad Is An A+ Idea
There arent too many jobs where you get to wake up in the morning and know that youre genuinely passionate about what youre doing but teaching English abroad is one of them. From start to finish, going all over the world to teach people English is an A+ idea.
Heres why:
1. You dont need a college degree
Have you ever wished that you could make a difference in other peoples lives without spending years in school to do it? If you want to head around the world and teach people how to speak English, you dont need a formal teaching certificate. You dont even need a college degree!
So, what DO you need?
You simply need a high school diploma (or a GED) and your TEFL certification. To get it, you have to take 150 hours of instruction from an accredited TEFL school. Youll spend 130 hours as a student in a traditional classroom setting. Then, youll spend your final 20 hours in a hands-on student teaching environment.
You wont have to spend four years in college or spend the rest of your life paying off student loans to get the education you need to teach English abroad. In a matter of months, you can learn everything you need to know!
Yes, a college degree can certainly be helpful when it comes to applying for a teaching position and the school is comparing applicants, but its not required to get a TEFL certification. Many schools around the world dont require a college degree in order to teach English there.
2. You can see things you never knew existed
OK, so you can get a tour of some of the worlds biggest cities during a documentary on cable TV, but what about the hidden gems of the world? What about the tiny caf in the tiny suburb, or the small farm in the rural area that the cable show never mentioned?
Teaching English abroad can give you a chance to see it all!
Thats because there are plenty of teaching jobs in smaller suburban and rural areas. While you might miss the glitzy and glamorous major metropolitan areas at first, youll quickly realize that the less populated areas tend to be a lot friendlier. As a result, youll get to know people better, and youll get to learn all about customs and traditions that you never would have known about otherwise. In the end, youll wind up with a much more real experience than even the most authentic of tour guides could have given you!
3. Youll get to wow future employers
There arent too many people who can say that they packed a few bags and headed halfway across the world to a foreign country, where they didnt know a single soul, and lived there for months on end. Imagine what that will look like on a resume! Even if you apply for jobs that have nothing to do with teaching, potential employers will definitely be impressed.
After all, teaching English abroad shows that youre not afraid to head into new situations all by yourself and take command of them. You dont need anyone looking over your shoulder. Instead, you have the confidence and the self-discipline to walk into anything and succeed at it. Thats a surefire way to make an amazing first impression during a job interview!
4. Youll get to truly make a difference
No matter what you get out of it immediately or in the future, it will pale in comparison to what your students get out of it. For your students, teaching English abroad is a gift. Youre helping them broaden their career opportunities, giving them a chance to converse with long-lost loved ones who only speak English, or figure out what all the fuss is over English pop culture. No matter why your students take your course, theyll be grateful for the work you do!
Heres why:
1. You dont need a college degree
Have you ever wished that you could make a difference in other peoples lives without spending years in school to do it? If you want to head around the world and teach people how to speak English, you dont need a formal teaching certificate. You dont even need a college degree!
So, what DO you need?
You simply need a high school diploma (or a GED) and your TEFL certification. To get it, you have to take 150 hours of instruction from an accredited TEFL school. Youll spend 130 hours as a student in a traditional classroom setting. Then, youll spend your final 20 hours in a hands-on student teaching environment.
You wont have to spend four years in college or spend the rest of your life paying off student loans to get the education you need to teach English abroad. In a matter of months, you can learn everything you need to know!
Yes, a college degree can certainly be helpful when it comes to applying for a teaching position and the school is comparing applicants, but its not required to get a TEFL certification. Many schools around the world dont require a college degree in order to teach English there.
2. You can see things you never knew existed
OK, so you can get a tour of some of the worlds biggest cities during a documentary on cable TV, but what about the hidden gems of the world? What about the tiny caf in the tiny suburb, or the small farm in the rural area that the cable show never mentioned?
Teaching English abroad can give you a chance to see it all!
Thats because there are plenty of teaching jobs in smaller suburban and rural areas. While you might miss the glitzy and glamorous major metropolitan areas at first, youll quickly realize that the less populated areas tend to be a lot friendlier. As a result, youll get to know people better, and youll get to learn all about customs and traditions that you never would have known about otherwise. In the end, youll wind up with a much more real experience than even the most authentic of tour guides could have given you!
3. Youll get to wow future employers
There arent too many people who can say that they packed a few bags and headed halfway across the world to a foreign country, where they didnt know a single soul, and lived there for months on end. Imagine what that will look like on a resume! Even if you apply for jobs that have nothing to do with teaching, potential employers will definitely be impressed.
After all, teaching English abroad shows that youre not afraid to head into new situations all by yourself and take command of them. You dont need anyone looking over your shoulder. Instead, you have the confidence and the self-discipline to walk into anything and succeed at it. Thats a surefire way to make an amazing first impression during a job interview!
4. Youll get to truly make a difference
No matter what you get out of it immediately or in the future, it will pale in comparison to what your students get out of it. For your students, teaching English abroad is a gift. Youre helping them broaden their career opportunities, giving them a chance to converse with long-lost loved ones who only speak English, or figure out what all the fuss is over English pop culture. No matter why your students take your course, theyll be grateful for the work you do!
