It varies. On one end of the spectrum, there are some that seem like merely a formality. You send off your c.v. and covering letter and then they ask to speak to you over Skype (or face to face if you are in the country). They don’t really ask you any questions about yourself and your teaching and just tell you about the position. One interview we had was less than ten minutes. For both of us (we didn’t take it).
On the other hand, there are some hardcore interviews, the British Council being one of them. Their application form is huge and detailed and in the interview they ask a lot of competency based questions, with a panel of interviewers.
Some schools want to know a lot about what you know. The interview we had for the job in Ukraine lasted 1 hour 40 minutes!! So it really does depend.
37 Comments
I´m quite surprised they consider Ukraine cheaper than some Asian countries! But I totally agree with the part about qualification. So many native speakers think they don´t need any knowledge of the language “backend” but it´s not really the best for the students.
Great to hear about people with similar experiences and people doing the Dip/DELTA rather than weekend TEFL courses!
This sounds like an incredible experience to be able to travel and work abroad. What a great way to travel the world. Thanks for sharing.
I really enjoyed this post. Funnily enough I have been thinking about teaching English abroad for a little while now so this post has come in very handy-you’ve got some great advice and tips!
Louise
Wow, that sounds awesome! You’re right, having access and connecting with the locals that are your students is a great way to be more immersed in the local culture. I bet you guys have great memories! Keep it up!
This is amazing! What a lovely experience. I never realized how much goes into the whole process of teaching around the world. What beautiful memories and stories you must have from throughout your journey. Such an amazing way to help others! Thanks for sharing!
As someone who has thought about teaching abroad this post covers all of the questions I could or would have asked. Thank you for sharing this.
So glad this has helped!
Sounds liked they had quite an adventure teaching English in all those countries. I started learning English at the of 2 or 3 and was bilingual until about 8. I wish I could still speak my first language like a native speaker but having grown up in an English and American school system (overseas from the US) , it’s hard to maintain other languages unless it’s spoken regularly. I wish there were lots of language schools for different languages available everywhere. I’m at intermediate Swedish currently and basic French currently. I also studied Japanese as a kid and took a semester of German. I hope my future kids will be multicultural polyglots.
Wow that is amazing that you can speak different languages! I grew up in the UK but we are moving to China this year so are very slowly starting to attempt to learn the dialect! Well done for mastering more than one language!
I am sure teaching English has been fun so far!.. I see you have made some very good observations here :).. I am happy to hear that Ukraine was one of the cheapest places you have experienced. .. I will be in Ukraine sometime later next year (haha.. that helps!) ..
What an interesting piece. Teaching must be a good way to very quickly get to know a new place like a local.
This is totally my dream!!
What an inspiring couple! It’s great to see how people manage to live their dream while actually giving back to the communities where they live, and also travel at the same time. It just shows once again that there are so many possibilities, you just have to dare to take the plunge.
What a fantastic experience to have an a really rewarding way to travel. I know several people who teach English abroad or work in international schools around the world and all say how much they enjoy it. A really inspiring article for people wondering whether it is something they can do.
It is great to know that the opportunities to teach English overseas still very much exist. I think it’s great that you explain the requirements to have the right qualifications though. Just because you do speak English as your first language, it doesn’t mean you actually know how to teach it to someone who doesn’t speak English. You both sound like you have had such an incredible journey around the world teaching English. How interesting that you spent time in Ukraine! I am surprised that you consider it one of the cheaper places to live…even compared to some Asian countries.
This is a very cool way to live abroad and become close with those in the community. Very interesting blog article!
Thank you Annika!
Crazy how it’s easier to find work elsewhere, isn’t it? I was in a similar dilemma when I moved back to NYC from Europe and couldn’t find a job in publishing to save my life—I interviewed at 37 magazines in three months. Talk about killing your self esteem! And at the end of the day when I couldn’t find a job that suited my passion and skill set, I just went and created my own! So I’m grateful for those 37 people who didn’t think I was good enough, as they pushed me to go out on my own and carve my own path =)
Fun interview! I have the utmost respect for anyone who works in a teaching position and don’t think I’d have the patience to work in such a field. You two must be saints!
Thanks for your comment Kristin, Congratulations on creating your own job too! Teaching is a challenging but incredibly rewarding field and gives you surprisingly a lot of opportunities for travel!
I teach abroad but not English, I teach at international schools. I loved this post. It’s so true, from everything to missing things at home like babies being born and weddings of friends, to making sure you are working with reputable places. Thailand holds a special place in my heart too, Chiang Mai was my first teaching job. I am currently living in West Africa, but about to make a big move again. The life of a traveling teacher!
Oh what International schools have you taught at? I am a primary teacher about to start my first job at an International School in China 🙂 West Africa sounds amazing!
That’s a great and interesting idea! Funny, that you came “accidentally” to your abroad jobs… but even better when everything works out then this fine!
For me it is quite obvious that English is becoming kind of second mother tongue for more and more people in the world and I can easily imagine that there is a high demand for teachers everywhere.
And when you can combine then travelling with a job like this and also help people – sounds perfect!
What a great way to travel! I enjoyed getting to know a little more insights about teaching English abroad. It is for sure a door to a lot of possibilities: you could live anywhere ! I hope to read more of your adventures
I know a few people who’ve taught English abroad and LOVED it! It’s such an awesome way to see the world, and you learn some valueable skills along the way, too!
Thank you Katie. This post was exceptionally well written and free from cliche. I am actively contemplating a second career in teaching abroad and I absolutely enjoyed this piece. I could imagine your progression through your career. You guys are working much harder than I would, especially with your desire to save an entire income. I’m not saying it’s a bad choice. I fully believe in saving money in your early career, especially in tax differed investments, which earning abroad might qualify for.
Thank you for this! It’s such a great insight into the world of teaching! I hadn’t really thought about it before but for some reason really love the idea that it’s such a variety of people (school children to IT professionals) that you are teaching. I’ve been intimidated by the thought of teaching but this makes it feel so much more accessible and possible!
I’ve always been curious about English teachers living abroad. This was a good insight into this lifestyle and the skills required. Seems like a great way to see the world!
This is a great interview! I’ve always thought about teaching English as a way to make money while I travel. It must be great to see the world, but also be a part of changing it. Helping others make their way through it through language. Great job!
A lot of people ends up in the same situation by accident because money ran out as well from people we know that end up doing TEFL. Being far from home is indeed something super hard, but you do get use to it and it’s a great experience.
I was teaching English in Spain last year and absolutely loved the experience! If I hadn’t been in the process of moving to the UK to get married I think I would have moved elsewhere to teach as well! You learn so much and it’s such a fulfilling job.
That sounds like a great adventure! Congratulations on your marriage!
I’m amazed! I’ve always wondered how they manage to get into these things and sustain themselves and what it’s really like to be living it!
Nice to read some different perspectives on teaching English around the world! I agree about Ukraine being a shockingly cheap country in which to travel.
This is a great way to travel the world and also give it back to the society. Thanks a lot for the practical information you provided along with it.
I am not sure if I have the right skills to become a teacher though. he he
I totally understand about that Magic Door. If one existed, I definitely would have stayed abroad, but it’s just so hard to live away from family and friends. Cheers to you for making it work!
A lot of good insights! Surprised to hear that Spain is the most expensive. I had the impression from traveling that cost of living is quite low there (I guess I’m comparing to the expensive Asian cities like Hong Kong and Singapore) but I guess everything is relative to what you’re earning locally!