Living abroad is an incredibly enriching experience. It is a unique way to learn another language, learn about other cultures, and even learn about yourself. It is rewarding to help students learn a language that will help them better themselves and improve their life. Many people have done it over the last few decades so the infrastructure is there for you to be able to do so seamlessly.
There are a lot of things you will need to understand to be successful at it. Getting a teaching certificate is a must, as is a visa for the country you wish to go to teach. There is a big learning curve associated with teaching English abroad. In this article, we will go over what you need to understand about the process so you can successfully teach English in another country.
What you need to go
Every country will ask for different requirements but one thing is essentially universal. You will need to get a visa to stay there long term may mean just a year, or it could mean a lifetime. Some people just go for the experience and are happy to come back to their home country after a time. Either way, you will need a visa to enter the country.
What the visa requirements are will differ for each country so you have to talk to the local consulate of that country ahead of time. They will let you know what documents you will need to apply and how you can be eligible. For instance, some countries will require you to have health insurance to get a visa. There are loads of insurance companies such as IMG Global so you have a policy that covers you for emergencies and even doctor visits so you can stay healthy during your time in the new country.
To get a visa to teach English in some countries you will also need to have a job offer. Work visas are one of the few types available for those wishing to teach English abroad. This is going to involve getting a job offer while you are in your home country. It will take a lot of patience since there will be a lot of rejections and many will not even bother replying.
There are a lot of hoops for these schools to jump through to sponsor a teacher from abroad and many don’t think it’s worth it. There are some countries where the process is easier in an effort to attract teachers.
Have a specialization
There are many different types of people looking to learn English and they all have their area of expertise to consider. For instance, there are many children that will be learning because their parents want to give them an advantage in life. There are also medical personnel that need to understand the language especially if they plan to work abroad. Also, business people need to learn English to be able to work in this competitive sector.
Each of those types of students have different requirements so it pays to specialize in one area to set yourself apart. There are different types of certifications that will help you concentrate on them. There is a way to teach business English so you will need to take a certification for that and get a job teaching business people. Children have a much different way of learning so you need to understand how to teach them.
You will be far more likely to get a job if you can show competence in one area instead of being a generalist. This will stand out on a CV and help you get a foot in the door.
Decide on a country
There are over a hundred countries to choose from so important to understand what type of experience you want. Some people are looking for the charm of the old countries of Europe. This gives them the opportunity to travel around on days off and experience a lot of different countries.
There are others that would rather go to a developing country because they want to make a difference in a disadvantaged person’s life. Then others still are looking to go to a rich country in the Emirates and teach business English so they can make a lot of money.
In other words, there is a situation that suits every desire and personality type. Make sure to do some research into the type of experience you are looking for so you can find the right country that offers it. Then you have to narrow down your choices so you can pick the one that gives you the best chance at getting there. This involves finding out what the visa process is and what your rights are when you get to the country.
