Get a Job Teaching Abroad

This is a piece I wrote for the student blog I co-created and manage for SU Abroad.

So, you’ve gone abroad, had a wonderful time, have come home, and want to go abroad again–but you don’t have the cash to just go. How can this conundrum be remedied? By getting a job teaching abroad.

There are many programs out there that hire people to move to another country and teach English. Although this does require certification and some training, it’s an opportunity to live in another country for up to a year, learn first hand about a different culture and language, and teach others your culture and language. It’s a pretty sweet gig.

Through WorldTeach people volunteer to teach for a year, semester, or summer in a variety of countries. Although this is a “volunteer” program, you do have to pay a bit up front–however, once you arrive, you will be placed with a host family or within housing provided by your institution. There are also some countries where the program fee is covered by the International Education Board, thus making your program free.

Another option is to sign on with the Council on Internatioal Education Exchange , a group that recruits people to teach in Chile, China, South Korea, Spain, and Thailand. These are paid positions that come with a monthly stipend and rent free accommodations.

For many of these programs, no knowledge of the local foreign language is needed–they provide an orientation immersion program that gives you the basic skills to communicate and function in your new environment, and then they assume that through your everyday interactions you will pick up the necessary language skills. Therefore, all you really need is the desire and willingness to move and they give you the rest of the skills you will need.

Although this seems like a huge undertaking, it really isn’t much different from studying abroad. The nice part is that you’re not taking classes–you’re teaching them! These programs give you international job experience that not only satisfy your international desires, but look fantastic on a resume. And it’s a great starter for an interview–think about it. You walk in and are able to tell your future boss that you spent a year (or semester) teaching English in a foreign country. If they’re not impressed by that, you probably wouldn’t want to work for them anyway.